My 8 year old dd plays out but i make sure she stays on our end of the estate theres a grassy area just round corner i let her on aswell thats about as far as so far let her go, shes started wanting to go off to the shop with her friends ive let her go a couple of times now as some of the girls are a bit older and all seem quite sensible so far no problems but she came to me today and said her and her class mate who lives opposite us are going to the park to meet another class mate, the park in question is about a 10 min walk and they have to cross a busy road.
I told her i dont think shes ready to be going that far yet and not only that theres a lot of older teenagers about in that park causing trouble from tea times onwards, Not only that ive 3 other kids to look after if she didnt return home id have to trail them all out looking for her. So went to talk to the other girls mum who funnily enough didnt know anything about them supposed to be going to the park. So that was the end of that really, until the girl they were meeting turned up on our street she lives a couple streets away from the park so had come a 10/15 min walk on her own and over a busy road, ok she seems very grown up for her age but i think id just feel uncomfortable letting my dd out and about like that. Apparently the girls mum knew where she was and regually allows her out and about. So now have my dd questioning why i am treating her like a baby.
Its 1 thing after another lately with that girl, dont want her rebelling and sneaking off but at same time 8 years old is still so young shes only in year 3!