Am I being over-protective?

[ElephantCushion]

DS is 7 and stays with his dad every other week.
He told me that he went to a park near Stbx’s girlfriend’s house with her 10 year old and some other kids. From what ex has said it is just down the road but I am not exactly sure how far. My impression is that you can’t see the park from the house. STBXH has tried to reassure me that he was with lots of other kids but DS has now told me that he went to the same park with just the 10 year old the day before. STBXH didn’t mention this to me when we spoke.

Both times this was for a short time while STBX and GF sorted stuff out in the house for a trip out but on the second occasion some the older kids teased DS until he cried and stormed off. STBXH said when he got to the park a bit later he carried DS all the way home crying.

Is it ok for a 7 year old to go to the park without adults, and only a 10year supervising? It’s not an area he is familiar with and as far as I know his first trips to the park.

DS does play out in my street with friends and I pop in and out to check they are OK but I don’t let him go any further than the top of the road at the moment.

I wouldn't have let any of mine go to our local park without an adult, when they were 7, personally.
However, we all picture these things from our own perspective - our roads, our distance, our locals, and our own dc.
It is very difficult when sharing parenting, but when the dc are with the other parent, it really is their call on all risk assessments.

Aw your poor DS, all I can think of now is the poor wee soul crying because of stupid bullies. Wee shits.

Thanks guys. I think that because DS was obviously so sad about what had happened with the other kids I felt more concerned than I might otherwise. My fear is that he could have injured himself or been hurt in some other way and not had anyone to help. Also because I and DS don’t know the area it is hard to know what call I would have made.

It's so tricky. Personally I wouldn't let my my DS do this yet (he's 8) so I don't think you're being over protective, but unfortunately I'm not sure there's much you can do about it except tell your ex you're not happy. Do you have a reasonably amicable co-parenting relationship?

No, not really. I do feel ok expressing my opinion but he generally nods and dos his own thing.
So if he says it won’t happen again (which he hasn’t in this case) I can’t really trust that it won’t.

I try hard not to rock the boat but even during our relationship I had to be mindful of how to phrase things RE parenting. He does know that anything o do with DS’s safety I won’t shy away from discussing.