What age do you let your children out to play

[happycat]

my ds1 is now 7 years and we live about two miles away from the school.He has a friend that goes to the same school,same age and he plays out on his bike and has done since aged 5.we live on a main road and my son is very young for his age.The boy has now started knocking for my ds1 and I don't want him to go out and play.The boy is also a pain in the butt and if I have him in his mum will have me babysitting for the whole of the school holidays.anyway I feel that I will know when the time is right to let him out.Am i being cruel.I do have his other friends for tea and he has a brother and sister too so he is not lonely.It's a big step to take.

Happycat

Do what you feel is right and if you don't want this boy in then don't start it. Mine are 9 and 7 and we have just started letting them around the corner armed with walkie talkies, we know we are over-protective but you have to go with how you feel.
It sounds like you make sure he has plenty of friends for him to play with so don't feel bad, he is happy enough I'm sure

happycat,

You are absolutely not being cruel. Sounds like you don't really want him to play with this boy anyway so just say he isn't going out to play (you don't need to give the neighbour's son a reason, just say no, and hopefully he will stop calling round). It's your decision, and you shouldn't feel pressurised by what other parents allow their kids to do.

My son is 6.5 and is nowhere near mature enough for me to even contemplate letting him out to play (I'm thinking maybe when he's 18...?)

I live in a terraced house with a backyard and there is no way my 2 ds would be content to stay in there and play so i allow them to play out, usually at the back away from the road but they are never too far that they can't hear me call them from the kitchen. They are 7 and 4. Round here all the children play out from the age of about 4 i'd say.

Thank you for all the posts you have made me feel like I am not the only one.My children are very content to play in our back garden,I allways make sure they have plenty to do and I guess when they start going on about going out all the time then I will reconsider.My eldest is not mature enough to play in the street.We also have a caravan and at weekends both of them just get let out the door and they can do as they please it is much safer down there.I think my ds2 is more mature and I will let them both out at the same time.ds1 is also very easily led shall we say.

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