Do you let your children play out?

[FireOverBabylon]

I've just been reading this report on the BBC website. I know that I certainly played out as a child, but we lived in a long cul de sac so you could see cars coming and all cars were parked on drives rather than in the road.

My DS isn't old enough to play out yet but I'm aware I generally don't see children playing out in the street. You hear them from their gardens but they don't ride bikes up the roads etc.

Do you let your children play out? If so, what sort of road do you live in and how old were they when you let them out? What restrictions, if any do you put in place e.g. not being out of sight of the house?

TIA

I live in a lovely area. It is a housing association estate but lovely.

I do not let them play out though because I have problems with two sets of neighbours and their D C are little bastards hooligans, I cannot let them out for fear of them being hurt!!

My DS is 3.5 and he played out for the first time yesterday (second time today), he wasn't alone (wouldn't let him alone) but with my DP's kids (8 & 11). I live on a quiet road full of OAP's and there is a little green area in the cul-de-sac just up the way which I can see fully from the living room window and front door so I can check on them every few minutes, he has been taking his little quad, scooter and football up and they been having a whale of a time. DS goes stir crazy stuck inside all day and because he can now run about and burn off some energy for a bit after lunch he has been so much more chilled in the afternoons once he comes back in. I have drilled road safety into him for quite a while now and he knows to look carefully before crossing.

DS does. He's 5. He's the youngest of all his little mates and they are all what some people on here would describe as rough.

They are pains in my arse because they always come running to my house when they've been injured. I think they see the Ben 10 plasters as a status symbol now.