Playing Outside Alone.

I let my 6 year old play outside unsupervised but she has to be playing with a friend. My rule is more about playing in pairs/groups.

Only 115 children are abducted by stranger every year out of 14 million kids. More than 2000 die in fatal car crashes. 775,000 are hurt playing sports. Nationally ALL crime is DOWN from 1970 and 1980 when you and I played outside....it's SAFER now then it was then, and it was "safe" back then. For perspective. The same mentality that works on parents believing their child will be abducted is the same one that keeps the lottery in business.

My kids are 4 and 6 and play outside unsupervised. I've sat out there with both of them enough to teach them about crossing the street (in a 'burb, very, very few cars) and being careful, staying together, etc. I'm not at all worried about "wackos" I'm more worried about the paranoid parents that will call CPS at the drop of a hat because I believe that children need freedom to be kids without being helicoptered to death.

when my boys were little we lived in a great 'it takes a village' neighborhood where the kids all ran together and the parents all looked out for all of them. we had a big front yard and a quiet cul-de-sac so my boys were often out with the other kids from 5 or 6 on. but we had yards that all connected without fences, and a great team-lookout between the parents, so the kids got to enjoy the freedom of roaming in a pack without constant parental supervision (which i think is important for kids, and which most modern kids never get to experience) and yet were always under a remote yet watchful eye. but i realize this is a utopia not available to most. once you're sure your child is sufficiently versed in 'stranger danger' education and not prone to chasing a ball into the street or being lured into a hockey game that's not in your front window view, then it's probably time to think about it.
khairete
S.

A lot depends on the kid and the neighborhood. When I was 8 and 9, we lived on a huge farm, and we were outside all the time playing by ourselves, and we were SAFE except for the things we decided to try...but those days are gone.

The child has to know right from wrong, has to show they will follow instructions and rules, even if no one is around, and should be able to make a good decision in a time of uncertainty (strange car, etc....) or emergency (someone wipes out on a bike....).

For some kids this age is 8 for others it's closer to 11 or 12. (Sadly, I know some teens on our street who still can't follow directions---their parents have never taught that.)

Our neighborhood has 3 busy, congested streets. We purposely bought our home on one of the quieter streets, which helps....but sometimes we get a lot of people trying to speed down our street and use it as a short cut around the busy areas.
We yell at them as they go zipping by!!! Trying to stop that so that kids out by themselves are safer.

Depends on the kid and the neighborhood. We live in a quiet, family oriented neighborhood like yours, everyone looks out for each others kids. My kids started playing outside unsupervised by the middle of 3rd grade age 8. Only in my yard or in the yards at the houses that I can see if I look outside.

I think when my kids are about 8 I will feel comfortable letting them play unsupervised.

I have 3 kids who are 7 , 4 & almost 2 , they play in the back yard unsupervised (fenced in yard) , and I do allow the 7 & 4 yr out into the street to rid scooters/bikes for a short time but I always watching them from the window. Not sure when I will be totally comfortable with them playing outside with me not watching them all the time!....I look forward to some of the other responses.

Depends on your kids and your neighborhood and street. My son is 7 and he is allowed in the back yard by himself or with friends but I don;t totally trust him walking near the street yet. He still prefers that O. of us is outside with him (bless his heart!).

We live in the middle of nowhere (literally, I have one neighbor in a mile radius), so my answer will be different than most. My oldest is 3 and she plays outside by herself. My kitchen looks out into the backyard and she'll play in her sandbox while I do the dishes. I keep and eye on her when she's outside to make sure she doesn't get hurt or anything. She knows where her boundaries are and stays in them. If she strays, she comes inside until I can go outside with her. If I lived in town, I think I would be MUCH more strict. There's just too many cars and people.

My kids (2 1/2, 4 1/2 & 6) play in the backyard unsupervied but no way in the front. We do have an above ground pool in the back, but the ladder to get in it is on top the shed - so they are unable to get into it. We also have a 6 ft wooden fence around most of the backyard... the kids liked talking to our neighbors, so we left the old 4 ft chain link were our yards connect. Sometimes I end up w/ 4 kids in the backyard & a knock on the door cause the neighbor is looking for her son now 4 - who is in our backyard.

I trust my kids to stay away from the road, but I don't trust all the people that walk or drive around... I hear of too many kids being grabbed - so won't let them play in the front w/o someone there. I've been told I'm to protective & that my 6 yr old can "take care of herself", but I don't want to have to give the cops her finger print card w/ her picture & hair cause someone grabbed her. Personnaly, I'd rather it stay in my dresser till the day I die and if I have to be over protective to make sure that happens, so be it.

I might consider letting her do more around 10 or so, but it will depend on her, how our neighborhood is & what is going on. But I'm not just going to let her be out there w/o checking on her. Right now I don't even let her walk home from school on her own - I go and walk her home. And I completely flipped the day the school staff let her leave school property without me!!!

Basicly - you will have to wait & see when you are comfortable with letting him play without supervision. But I do feel some people that live around me have choosen too young of an age... we have kids playing in the street here that are about 3 yr old w/ no parents around. And I know of 2 parents that walk their older kids to school while their younger ones sleep at home alone. So, honestly we all see things differently & make chooses based on our needs, believes, fears & pass.

my kids are five. we live in a quiet street. and there are several kids in our neighborhood. there is a 6 year old girl who never has supervision and she roams around freely from yard to yard. to me, that is dangerous. quiet streets just like busy streets have one thing in common, everyone can park their cars and watch our kids, and it takes a few seconds for a child to disappear. so for us, that would probably be 10 and up (if my kids mature enough to my comfort).

We live at the end of a cul-de-sac and have 20 kids among 10 houses. Most of the kids are under the age of 10 and even more under the age of 5.

Some parents are more liberal than others regarding feeling OK with their kids being outside alone. Our kids are 2 and 3.5 The only time they're alone is for a minute here or there to tend to something urgent. Our 70 lb dog watches over them and would alert us to any issue.

I'd say I would be comfortable around 7-8 years old depending on the conditions in the neighborhood. However, we had a tragic story locally here this week that really makes you rethink it based upon the lack of oversight of this little girl and communication among parents:

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100421/LOCAL1801/421033...

Around 18 years old....just kidding.

I swear, I don't think I'm ready for that until they are almost teens. I saw a nationally televised show (maybe Oprah) where a Dad watched his daughter walk to her bus stop and he saw her abducted. He was too far down the street to catch them. He never saw her again. That story did me in.

I think the child has to be mature enough and physically able to RUN, run run away if approached.
Even the celebrity Tina Fey was assaulted in her own driveway, that's how she received the scar she has on her face. It's really sad but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Look at it this way, when our kids are grown, we probably will wish we spent more time with them outside playing than inside doing housework or cooking, right? :)

I let my 7 year old play outside only in the fenced in back yard by himself and my 3 year old only when my son is outside with her I'm always checking on them and have most of the windows and back door open so I can hear at all times!!!

never, there are BAD people out there called predators. takes a moment and your child is gone.

I have to agree with the other moms. I dont think that any child should be unsupervised out side. I think they need to be watched because now a days even the people you think you trust you can not. Its crazy what our world has come too these days. Every parent has different thoughts its what ever your comfortable with. But me personally my daught is 5 and my son is 9 months and i will still be superviseing them even when they are 16. too much stuff goes on and too many kids get into things they shouldnt because some parents dont care what they do and thats how kids end up in the wrong crowds or something happening that shouldnt have if some one was paying attention.

I have a pool in my backyard so it is out as far as "playing' goes. I have 2 boys ages 6 and 4 who always want to play outside and I want them to be able to but was scared of them being alone. I figured out a compromise....I allow them to play in the front yard alone, but since it is not fenced I take my gigantic and very well behaved dog and chain his lead to one of our trees! He is able to roam most the area, but not reach the street (so I do not have to worry about liability) and no one can come onto our yard without the dog reaching them (eliminating the chance that a stranger could come swipe them) my dog is very well trained and very protective...he is excellent with all little kids but ALWAYS gives a warning bark when anyone over 3 ft tall walks by...so I know if their is someone out there. I also always leave the front door open so I can hear and I have a great big picture window that looks out over the yard.

I have done what is necessary to make me feel comfortable without depriving my kids of lots of outside playtime. I have a 2 yr old also, so there are some times when it is just not feasible for me to be out there with them and this works great for us...but even with the gigantic, scary looking, loud barking dog, I still have talks with them about stranger danger, etc

I believe you can never be too safe with the way the world is right now so I say there isnt any age! Too many predators out there. Also, kids can get into mischief. I have 2 girls on our street that love to play pranks on all of us and nobody is ever watching them.

Wow! After reading all the responses, I guess I must be very neurotic about my kids. I can't imagine leaving them outside until they're atleast 10. It only takes a second for a stranger to walk up to them and snatch them. I don't think it's being over protective. God gave me a job to protect my kids and that's my reason for keeping a close eye on them. I guess my mind may change in a few years if we get a tall fence that people can't see into. I'm paranoid.

I allow my 9 and 5 yr old out without supervision but only if the other kids on the street are out there. We have a lot of kids that live on our street so it works out good. We also live at the corner of a street that leads into another street "faux cul de sac" so we can see the kids at anytime. My daughter (5 yr old) isn't allowed outside unless her brother (9 yr. old) is out there too. She isn't as mature as he was at her age and doesn't follow the rules all the time like her brother did. So if she gets out of line he will come and tell me. I truely think it is about maturity and how many other kids are out so if they get hurt or something one of the kids will come tell you. My son started playing outside by himself only with friends when he was 6 (he played with a 8 yr. old) but he was a very obedient child. He never did something he wasn't suppose to do and still doesn't. That's why my daughter still need supervision of some kind. Sh'e nothing like that.

I live in a cul-da-sac. There are lots of kids. My daughter has played outside with her friends since she was a little over 5 years old. I live at the top of the cul-da-sac and the kids live at the bottom (there are 8 houses only in the whole court) - she has rules and I am literally walking out in the front yard about every 5 minutes to check on her. Her rules are, don't go in anyones house/backyard and stay where I can see you. No playing in the road. Most of the time they are running back and forth between houses so I see her playing every 5 min or so anyway. She's almost 8 now.

We live on a small farm, and our boys, 6 and 12, are often outside unsupervised, but our property is entirely fenced and gated. They have free reign without fear of strangers. We have had to teach them about water safety (we have a stock pond), and about snakes and other critters. They often come in the house with scratches and bumps and bruises, but they have great adventures together. They don't have any streets nearby to worry with. Our six year old can go outside alone, but he has to stay closer to the house than when he's with his brother. When they are together they can roam the property.