jensay`s poll Show results | Hide results

12.31.08 (52.9 days ago)
I also agree with every single answer in here.. Its just not safe to allow a child to go next door to the park to play or run around with other chilren untill they are older.. like many mothers suggested there are too many dangerous factors, such as child molestors, cars, other children who are not doing what they should be. I think a fenced in yard, or a friends house (inside is more appropraite. Now that fall has hit its much darker out sooner, I live in vancouver canada and at 7pm now its pitch black! Other kids might be out, but i wouldnt allow my child to be out on their own so young. But every family is very different and has their own sets of rules.

chasesmommy (53.2 days ago)
I have a 6 year old and the only way i let him play unsupervised is in the backyard which is fenced. I live in a nice neighborhood but i just don`t trust people. There have been children abducted not far from my house and killed and around my sons age. I don`t know when i will let him play alone, he`s tall for his age and muscular so if hes like 5`6` at 12 or 13 maybe i will.

leahs (53.2 days ago)
I`m in Canada as well, my son and daughter will play in our yard unsupervised, we have acreage though and a dog, I worry more about bears than child molesters. My son has walked to our closest neighbors house, about a five minute walk, and it makes me uneasy since we have no sidewalks or street-lights but he also had to walk longer to and from his school-bus stop every day. I make him wear a whistle on a string around his neck when he goes out.

mariettap (53.3 days ago)
Just like questions of money management, it depends on so many many factors. I don`t believe there is a single correct answer. What`s right for one child may be all wrong for another, even within a single family.

lukesmyboy (53.3 days ago)
I let my son when he was five as long as other kids were out too. But not at a park, only on the street.

stacidrake (53.4 days ago)
I used to play outside with the neighbor kids all day everyday unsupervised..It just seems different now, it seems like the world is a much more scary dangerous place then it used to be 20 something years ago..I can see dropping them off at the movies when they are like 13 and then I have to let them be by themselves when they get a drivers license and a car lol...Dont get me wrong.. i see no problem going to a neighbors or a friends.. they should just be supervised

RobinG (53.4 days ago)
Park by themselves, we just learned.. never ~ even older kids have been in danger. Sadly my oldest who is almost 13 was at the park near our house, Its a very open park full of people middle of the day usually and our developement is considered a very safe one. 3 older kids came up to him threatened him to buy weed or his bike and he said no and before he could react they pushed him off his bike, hurt his knee and stole his bike. Kids any age should never play alone outside your yard I feel, many of the kids kidnapped at older kids too. He was assaulted in broad daylight :( We had the cops here for 2 hours Wed. ~ as far as your yard, again there needs to be rules. My kids are allowed to be outside alone but arent ever really totally unsupervised, started about 6 ish by not near the road alone, they need to be in back yard or if in front up to house and checking in alot or me out there checking on them. I always look out hte window or have windows open to hear/see them in they are in the back yard or front with a friend. Takes only a sec for a crazy person to scoop them right up if htey hang out near the road or alone somewhere. My kids have walkie talkies always so I can reach them and them reach me. And different kids mature at different ages so it depends on the child too and how much they understand safety rules and listen to them. My boys can ride thier bikes to a friends house alone but only those houses that are a couple down from us. Daniel has much more freedom to ride farther to get to a friends house but again he needs to call me and me call him and with a friend if he is just riding around playing. Being older doesnt mean you are safer to be alone sadly so they always need to be supervised on some level and with a friend if possible.

minmoo (53.4 days ago)
I am not sure when i will let my children go unsupervised, I know that they will need to be able to one day. But for me it is way to risky. I have heard of to many stories of other kids molesting each other, and then ofcourse the adult child preditors, and kidnappers, and it is not a safe place for children to be alone, I think that all children starting as early as possible should be taught how to scream and fight for there life, and how there are bad people out there that seem nice and to NEVER EVER GO with ANYONE who is not me. It scares me enough sending her to public school. I talk to her all of the time about NEVER keeping Secrets from me, and that I should be told everything, because i am a vault that won`t tell anyone else. I also tell her I am an indestructible mama bear whom know one can hurt and i will protect her FOREVER! it is so dangerous out there and i hear so many horror stories of young people. Maybe starting at 13 I will take her and a friend places and give them some space ie, they can walk in to stores at the mall while i wait outside the doors, or take them to the movies and let them sit in front of me a couple of rows down and teach them about how to behave and act in public. I know by 16 i will need to give her more freedom and i don;t want to be the mom who over protects that when they get there own car they go WILD either. But i think open lines of communications, sex talks, preditor talks, and talks about life with my children will at least help keep them safe. and i will probably put my girls in karate to learn self defense.

kameeder (53.5 days ago)
We live in a very nice neighborhood with a lot of little kids that play outside unsupervised ages 5-10. It worries me soo much, because a lot of cars pull in and out without noticing the kids. And like aliwitbaby said there are child predators out there as well, even in the nicest of neighborhoods.

Aliwitbaby (53.7 days ago)
I don`t know my kids aren`t at that age yet I guess it depends on your children`s maturity...Right now I could say I would never let them play unsupervised, because there are child predators out there and... all kinds of other dangers. It`s up to you, if you feel your child is prepared for that kind of responsibilty, then go for it. I can say anything but I`m not there yet so there may be a difference between what I say and what I actually do. I was like 4 when I started playing outside unsupervised.... but that was 20 yrs ago...

jensay (53.7 days ago)
i put this is cause when i was asking a question i got some uproar saying kids shouldn`t ever be unsupervised... Im wondering at what age u think its ok... is it ever ok? Again im talking outside close enough where u can hear them! I just want to see how many parents believe its ok and how many don't...Im here in Canada so maybe its diffrent here i dunno



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