How old?

[Envelope]

After seeing a 5 year old boy outside playing BY HIMSELF yesterday, I have just gotta ask............

How old were your kids before you let them play outside by themselves without supervision?

My kids are 5 and 3 and I would not DREAM of letting them outside without me (or my hubby). 

I SERIOUSLY wanted to call the police about this kid being out by himself..........but my husband (police chief) says there is NOTHING the police would DO about it and that parents let their kids (even younger) out by themselves all the time.  I seriously think this is CHILD ENDANGERMENT, or CHILD NEGLECT.........

any thoughts?

Sharon

[Babs]

part of it would depend on where you live. we lived way out in the country when my boys were that age, our nearest neighbor was almost 6 miles away and we had over 80 acres, so to a point, mine played outside alone sooner than some.

had i raised them in town. they still wouldnt be playing outside alone lol

and i will add, that even though i let mine play out alone at a young age, didnt mean i never checked on them or didnt have ways to keep up with them. one thing we did was buy really good walkie talkies and they kept one with them at all times. plus i could see them from my windows or they were made to come inside.

i would also say it would depend on the maturity of the children as well.

[Envelope]

My sister (who lives in louisiana) just told me about a kidnapping attempt in a town close to hers.  A man snatched a 2 year old and some older kids happened to see what was going on and started screaming (the attempted napper dropped the kid and ran). 

I live in a VERY small town (6,500) with a very low crime rate (usually) AND we have a fenced in back yard, and I STILL wouldn't let my kids out to play by themselves.

I don't think my kids would willingly go with a stranger, but the kid the post is about, WOULD leave with ANYONE in a heartbeat!!!!! 

I just think it is irresponsible of parents (in this day and age) to NOT supervise their children playing outside.

Sharon

[Babs]

well and i might add here my boys are almost 29 and 28 lol, so this was a while back. dont know i would still let them as much if it was now.

[Envelope]

LOL.......yeah, I wasn't referring to you "personally" LOL.....I knew your kids were grown ups.

I'm 36 and the first I really remembering playing outside by myself was probably around age 5 or 6, but I had a twin for company.........

It's just "scary" in this day and age to think about the "creeps" out there!!!

Sharon

[Babs]

whats really sad is, where i live right now, i have little kids as young as 6 walk to my store, at night! and alone at that.

[Sis]

I played outside at five. I remember because when we heard the dinner horn blow down by the lake, we were to head home. I had afternoon kindergarten.

I let my daughter play outside with the neighbor girl at five. The other girl was seven so she watched my daughter.

But today is a different age. With the advent of the internet and child porn, and with pedophiles out there, I don't really think I would at all. Unless she was out with older kids or older siblings.

[Ashlee]

I live in a VERY small town (6,500) with a very low crime rate (usually) AND we have a fenced in back yard, and I STILL wouldn't let my kids out to play by themselves.
Sharon

6500 is NOT a VERY small town.   You should see where I live.  Wow!

I remember playing outside alone when I was a child, and I live right by the highway.  A main highway at that.  I knew mom was right inside if I needed her, and she would peek out ever nown and then.

[Babs]

the town we lived nearest to when my boys were little had 178 people lol

[Sis]

Ours was 100,000!

[Tricia Lea]

I remember at 5 and my brother was 3 we went into the woods to play with neighbor kids and once we disturbed a bee hive lol

[Sis]

And did they give you a stinging reply?

[JonathanHarper]

  I remember being about to play outside with older kids in our neighborhood when I was 5 and 6 years old.

[KaylynMarie]

i live on a street with a bunch of druggies and stuff, theres always police at their house. Theres usally a ton of little kids running around out neighborhood, the youngest is probably 3 and the oldest is probably like 7