how old do you let your children play outside

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Forum -> Parenting our children

How old do you let your children play outside

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red sea

Mon, Apr 14 2008, 6:15 pm

in the front of the house & in the back of the house without an adult present? are you in a big city or small town type of place?

chaylizi

Mon, Apr 14 2008, 6:21 pm

my oldest is 5- she can play outside as long as I can see her from the window. in front and back- but only on my property. I'ma small towner- but it's not safe to play alone here either. They just started a shomrim here b/c of attacks on grown frum men in broad daylight.

Squash

Mon, Apr 14 2008, 6:29 pm

my oldest is 7. he can NEVER go outside alone. we are in boro park = big city.

mama-star

Mon, Apr 14 2008, 6:29 pm

I'm very scared about something happening, chas v'shalom. I never let my kids outside alone, front or back. my oldest is 8.

these feelings may change sometime, but that's where I'm at for now.

yo'ma

Mon, Apr 14 2008, 6:33 pm

Never, I live in a building w/ a lot of pple on the streets Crying

red sea

Mon, Apr 14 2008, 6:35 pm

yoma - I love your avatar, they are adorable ka"h.

yo'ma

Mon, Apr 14 2008, 6:36 pm

red sea wrote:

yoma - I love your avatar, they are adorable ka"h.

thanx, I just changed it, the other one was so dark and gloomy.

curlyhead

Mon, Apr 14 2008, 10:13 pm

I let my kids 5 and under play outside the back. I could hear them from the kitchen and if the living room window is opened then I could hear from there also. They cant get to the front of the house or street as there is a locked gate. The gate is locked from the street.

flowerpower

Mon, Apr 14 2008, 10:25 pm

thats one of my biggest pet peves, kids alone unsupervised on the street. I dont let my 5 year old alone on the street

momof6

Mon, Apr 14 2008, 10:44 pm

We have a gated in back yard in a small city. I let my children 5 and up go outside by themselves.

mandksima

Tue, Apr 15 2008, 1:18 am

This is why I love living on a yishuv in Eretz Yisrael! My 6 year olds aren't allowed to cross the street themselves (the Israelis usually don't care) but they are very independant. Even though anything can happen anywhere, people here look out for one another and they are safer, especially because we live on a path, not a main street. There's almost no such thing as strangers here although visitors and delivery men do come in. Everyone has to pass by the guards.

When we were in NJ, I wouldn't let them outside without me (they were 5 1/2 when we left.) We had a big property but no closed in fence. Even at 7, I wouldn't let them, I don't know at what age I'd let them, it might depend on their maturity and understanding of strangers, etc.

Ruchel

Tue, Apr 15 2008, 7:50 am

It depends on cars, type of people, but also culture, if it's "done" or if you'll be the crazy neglectful lady. And if you KNOW your kids understand not talking to strangers and all.

I think when dd is 3, if we're still there, she'll be able to play in front or behind our house because it's the garden, gated and all. The street in front of our house is private, extremely quiet - only us and 2 other families park their car there, and no one drives as it's the end of the road.

In other places in the private neighbourhood, not so sure. A bit more cars, and although the neighbours all look normal, you never know, and people not from here could enter too... same for the park just behind/against our garden.

But I guess we will have moved and be in an apartment... no garden, no secure small town, tons of cars and people... maybe 12 alone, 6/8 with friends?

Imaonwheels

Tue, Apr 15 2008, 10:34 am

Our yishuv was really small when my kids were small. From 5 they went to gan, shul, playground or friends alone. My 5 yr old begged me not to take him to gan after our 1st week in the yishuv as it was embarrassing for him.

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