When is time to let your children have the responsibility of playing outside without you?
I don’t mean in the back or front garden, I mean playing out on the streets with their friends.
Well as some of you know we have recently moved house and now we live in a cul-de-sac and all the children here play out by themselves and go to each others houses and they are around my daughters age (8 years old) and some older, I’ve never let Hayley play out without us before but she is a very shy child and our first day here she asked if I could come outside so she can go and say hello to a little girl that was playing out on her bike, so of course I came outside with her and she started playing with this girl in our back garden.
The next day this girl brought one of her friends round to meet Hayley and then there became about 10 kids km my back garden so I made the decision to let Hayley ride her scooter up and down the path next to our house without me there!!! Now this was a very big decision for me but it was either that or my garden get trashed and also I felt a bit embarrassed for her as these children could ride around and go wherever they wanted so I felt she should have a bit of responsibility to be able to play on the street by herself.
Her sad thinks now we’ve started this she will push and push to be allowed further and further because the other children are allowed, but how do you cope with that? I don’t know how these parents aren’t watching them out the window and making sure they aren’t crossing roads as I would never want Hayley to or trust Hayley to cross a road safely.
Am I being too protective? Is she old enough for more responsibility when it comes to playing out? Do you let your children play out at this age?
I’d love to know your opinion.
Natalie's Little Darlings 
I think the decision is totally up to you – Whatever you’re comfortable with! Your daughter will have to accept your rules. I am not there yet as my son is only just going to turn 2. The most we do is let him play outside in the backyard as long as I can see him out the window, so I feel your worry!!! 🙂
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It’s just scary giving them more responsibility as I feel she’s still my baby but I think she’s more grown up than I want to believe, but most children her age seem to play out by themselves on my street and even crossing roads themselves but I don’t think I’ll be letting her do that for a few more years!
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I think you need to give her modified freedom and then increase as you both feel comfortable. When my boys were 5 &6 they had the boundaries of the street that I could see if I looked out the front windows of the house. I’d go check on them from time to time. Then about a year later they got to go a bit further. By 8 & 9 they were able to go to the playground attached to our neighborhood. they learned to wear a watch and were given I leave by time. Now at 10&11 they have full roam of the neighborhood, again they wear a watch and know they have to be home by x time. They are only allowed to go into the houses of the people who I am friends with already. Usualy they end up in the backyard or on the street.
I think you have to decide how comfortable you are in the environment. Maybe get out and meet a few other families so you know the parents of the children she is playing with. Set boundaries. you can go down to this house and back, but no further. watch from inside for a while. go outside and do yard work, but do not interact with the kids.
most importantly talk to your daughter and see what she is comfortable doing at this time.
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We’ve only just moved here this week so I will definitely have to go talk with other parents and get to know the are, the past few days we’ve let her go up and down the street next to the house which I can see either from my living room window or hallway window so I’m happy with that at the minute but it’s just hard when she sees other children do whatever they want but she’s not allowed and I think that may cause her to be disobedient but we will have to see how it goes I suppose x
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It depends how much you think your child is responsible. Some kids are good at remembering boundaries. I would probably let my place trashed for couple of weeks . This way i would be able to know other kids and meanwhile their parents too .
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I’m not so sure she’d be ‘good’ at remembering boundaries when her friends are allowed to do more but I guess I don’t know until I try it ☺
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