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Original poster

What age did you let your first born run free?

17 replies

charliecat · 08/03/2006 20:35

My dd is 8. Her friends at school all hang round outside their houses on the road/grass with other kids ranging from 3-17. She doesnt.
She has no road sense and I dont want her playing with older boys...grown women get in shitty situations, so to let her mix with teenage boys seems...er...well not yet anyway.
But when???
I try and make arrangements at our house or go with her but obviously as she gets older this is getting harder. But I know the other parents just open the front door and out they go, till dinner.
ARRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

OP posts:

Twiglett · 08/03/2006 20:37

no experience yet .. but am thinking 32

Original poster

charliecat · 08/03/2006 20:39

Sounds about right :)

OP posts:

Gloworm · 08/03/2006 20:47

we live on one of those new developments and some of the kids are out unsupervised as soon as they can walk

my kids are 2 and 4 and I cant imagine at what age I would let them out to hang out with older guys? twig, your suggestion sounds good!

7up · 08/03/2006 21:30

havent got a daughter but if i did have one id be concerned to let her out of my sight till at least 11. my son is 11 and been going to the other side of our village to my mums road and where his friends are since he was about 7 . id ring and say he was leaving and mum would ring me to say he'd arrived and the same with coming home. my sons gfriends were allowed 'out' around the same age but only in front of their houses playing on their driveways

batters · 08/03/2006 22:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Angeliz · 08/03/2006 22:24

I'm with Twiglett and i hope by then they'll have some sort of chipping device so i can track her movements.

rickman · 08/03/2006 22:32

I think you can get them Angeliz, I'm sure I remember reading something about them a few years ago. :)

My dd is 8 and I've no intention of letting her play out, especially not around here. I can't see me ever wanting to do it actually.

I found out that during the summer that exp was letting her play out the front of his sisters house. It's a pretty rough area and quite a busy road, I made it quite clear that my kids don't play out the front and if he can't stick to that, then he doesn't have them.

QE2 · 08/03/2006 22:38

I live in quite a rough area (thank goodness we're tucked away in the corner)! Sometimes we get a few of the "street kids" playing outside the house and my kids used to ask to play with them. I have never let them and now they don't ask, they accept that I won't allow them to play out on the streets. Instead they go to a friend's house or to the park or go for a ride on their bikes. We have a factory car park behind our house and when it's empty, I let my kids climb over our fence and play in there as I can see them from the kitchen.

I see kids in nappies out playing on our street when it's getting dark, mixing with older teenagers. I could never let my kids out for that long, unsupervised - anything could happen.

charliecat - if you are not happy with it, then put your foot down.

nightowl · 08/03/2006 23:48

my son is 8 now and he was only allowed out of the front garden last year. we live in a quiet cul-de-sac though and the kids he plays with live in the immediate 4 houses, like our little block. he's only allowed two houses up, two houses down, and only in summer when its light. i have the front door open (usually im in the garden anyway) so i can see him at all times.

we have a little one who lives across the road. last summer when she was three she was sent out to play, with her big sister (10) to look after her. except big sister wanted her own friends and frequently wandered off. (well i dont think she should be expected to look after the toddler anyway). the trouble was, this little three year old had bugger all road sense (obviously) and would ride her trike down the road into the path of oncoming cars...its a miracle she has never been hurt. her mother just sends her out and assumes the neighbours will look after her! (which we do but its an absolute nightmare, we shouldnt have to).

Skribble · 08/03/2006 23:58

Last summer (DS8yrs) got to play at the park with DD age 5, right next to our house, I would stand in the garden and watch.

BIG MISTAKE, the older kids would say things to them and ask them rude questions. It all came to a head when I found horrible rude things tippexed on the climbing frame about my kids.

They get to go occasionaly with their 2 freinds the same age, if no other kids in park but have to come in imediatly if any older ids arrive, or the little kid that hits every one with a stick, DS is too nice to leather him as he is so small.

Its a shame as the park is literaly over the fence and I can see most of the park from my window. For some reason their friends mum prefers them to go to the park rather than our garden. I am quite happy for tham all to play out there.

They won't be out the garden at all now as we have had a second letter from the school saying a pupil has been asked to get in a strangers car on the way to or from school. Very scary as my 2 go to school by themselves. It takes 3min to get to school and its only a little village FGS. I now either watch them walk all the way to the crossing lady or take them along, and i always pick them up. Its such a shame .

kama · 09/03/2006 00:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

brimfull · 09/03/2006 00:14

My dd was always allowed to play in the front garden,luckily we have big tree to climb ,or at friends garden next door,until about 11.

She's 14 now and obviously goes beyond the garden now.But it was a gradual thing and depended on her showing responsibility,by going around the block first,walking to friends etc. and always asking first,returning on time etc.

sorry bit mudddled but hth

red37 · 09/03/2006 02:13

DD has just started high school, just started to let her go out during the day and get the bus to and from school.
She has phone with here all the time.
Worry constantly!
I know I had to let go eventually and give her independance.
There is too many weirdos,rapists and perverts about.

batters · 09/03/2006 08:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

noddyholder · 09/03/2006 09:00

My ds is 11 and I let him go to the park in a group He walks home from school with friends too and I send him to the shop at the end of the road occasionally but at 8 I wouldn't let him out of my sight and although he says his friends go to town on the bus I still think he is too young and may revise this next year.Go with your gut feeling some kids are a lot more street wise than others My ds is still quite'young'

Mercy · 09/03/2006 09:24

No experience of this yet either but friends of mine started letting their children out on their own in the Easter/Summer holidays just before they transferred to secondary school, which seemed sensible to me.

noddyholder · 09/03/2006 09:35

Mercy that is when ds was first given a bit more freedom.It is actually quiite a natural process you just know when it feels right xx

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