Would you let your almost 8 year old play out in the dark

[crazedupmom]

Hi
My ds when he comes home from school regularly likes to play out with two ten year old boys and a girl who is almost 9.

They like to go out on their bikes as well however once it gets dark I try to encourage my ds to just play on foot whereas the others are allowed to continue playing on the bikes.

For one I just can,t help but fret about my ds playing out in the dark they only usually just go around the corner to the ones house and they do seem to spend alot of time outside this one childs house..
It has caused some problems with the fact that these other three are allowed to continue playing out on their bikes and I am not happy to let mY ds.
It is fairly quiet around by me but I still can,t help but worry about my ds as I do feel that these other three have more maturity in dealing with roads etc.
This is really the only opportunity that my ds has to play with other children and I am glad he has these friends but do you think its acceptable to let an almost 8 yo out of the sight of your house once its dark and to even just go around the block on a bike with older friends.

No and I am quite laid back.

Can they not play in your house or in your garden

No my 8 year old has come to understand that darker evenings limit his playing out time and altho he has got lights on his bike i wont allow him out on it after school hours in the winter time.

no my mum would let me play in a friends house or have friend in to play

No I don't (he is just turned 9 btw) and in fact my DS1 who is 11.5 cannot play out in the dark either.

No, I don't think I would be happy. Can see this is fairly difficult for you though.

I do find it difficult as on one hand I would be denying him the opportunity to play with his friends and although they do sometimes come into my ds's bedroom to play they soon want to be off again.
He is an only child so does get bored.
I just don,t feel happy letting him out of my sight once its dark maybe when he is about 10 the same age as the other two boys it may be different.
There are two other children in the street who I feel are more on my ds's level and whose parents probably feel like me as they are never out now except on weekends.
My ds sometimes calls for them when he gets back from school while its still light but they hardly ever come out i know it seems cheeky but I wish they would let him come into play with them but they never do, I also wouldn,t mind letting their children into ours.
I feel bad for my ds at times being on his own.

my older two are 10 and 7 and they have to come in when it starts to get dark

No way, I make sure I have my eye on him even when its still light ie - he plays infront of the house on bike and doesnt venture any further and is happy with that.

I understand he is an only child and it can be difficult entertaining them whilst indoors.
I also have a DD (4) and they dont play "together" all that much down to different interests etc.

Dont feel guilty for him being on his own, its good that he can entertain himself and have fun on his own.

nope, I don't think this is ok

my 13 yo dd has to accept that during the dark winter evenings her playing-out time has to be curtailed

don't bow to pressure (I happen to think the other kids you mentioned are too young too)

No, I don't like kids playing out at all unsupervised in the street but definately not in the dark.

my older 2 are 10 and 8 and are not allowed out when iut gets dark. Nearly all of the other children are allowed to stay out so of course my children have told me that i am the worst mum in the world

I keep telling them that it is my "job" to keep them safe and that I don't care what the other children get up to.

yeah, I am the mother from hell too and I "am ruining her life..."

ho hum

13 yo dd is outside just now, but only allowed as far as the end of the drive, I can hear all the ballooning around from in here

I might have to go and do my "mad old woman" act in my dressing gown and bootee slippers soon to move them along, cue huffin and puffin from dd