[crikkit]

At what age do you let your kids play outside unsupervised? Or go to visit a friend across the street or next door or whatever? We're still in our PRIDE classes, but this an issue that just realized I need to consider. A friend of mine has a 9-year-old, and she'll only let her play in the back yard unsupervised. I know I was allowed to play outside unsupervised at around 5 or so, but that seems way too young to me. And even if you're comfortable with your bio kids being outside unsupervised at a certain age, are there rules that your state or agency has about foster kids?

[Kate1129]

As for our agency, they said our almost 5 yr old fs could be outside for about 20 minutes unsupervised. I got that 20 minutes only because we have a totally fenced in yard with child saftey locks on the gates.

I can see the whole yard from 2 windows in my house. I don't let him be out there unless I am sitting near one of the windows. But that's just me. So he's not technically unsupervised.

[AmyAnne]

My 8 year old can play outside without us as long as I can see him from the windows. While I don't maintain a constant vigil, I do check every 2-3 minutes from the window and go outside and "Check in" in person every 20

[echobunny89]

My kids started being allowed outside to play in the neighborhood unsupervised at age 9 as long as they are with a group of other children and with one of their siblings. This way I don't have a child walking home alone from a friends house. Luckily my children all have the same friends so it has worked out. I started unsupervised, in the yard only, at about age 7. My son could go outside in the backyard unsupervised at about age 5 but only if he was with one of his sisters.
It is funny because I too remember having the run of the nieghboorhood at about age 4! But things are different now and I think that as parents we are much more aware of the dangers than our parent's generation. I mean, I think most of us here probably never used a car seat or even a seat belt growing up! Can you imagine that now? You'd get arrested for driving with a small child not in a car seat!

[jennyg1982]

In our area (Florida) foster children are not allowed to be out of yard and are not allowed to go to anyones home unless they are lisenced foster parent with home safety insection done. So even our teenagers were not allowed our of the yard or over to a friends house. It was pretty hard for them. And when they were adopted the first thing they wanted to do was ride around the block! Our back yard is fenced and locked so the younger kids can play outside for awhile by them selves. Also I go outside the fence and watch them ride their bikes on the sidewalk. Jenny

[hubbyswife]

We let our fs (he was 5) play in the fenced backyard by himself, but I was watching him from the kitchen window while I made dinner. I think that's a good age to let them play out in a fenced backyard and also it depends where u live, in the city versus out in the country. I played outside by myself, in the front yard, around 4 or 5. Now a days, no way. Times have changed.

[GingerR]

We started letting our 5-year-old fd play in the front yard, not really unsupervised but by herself while one of us checked on her every couple of minutes. However, she was running up to everyone who walked by and starting a conversation with them, so we had to pull that privilege just yesterday. Now it's back to the back yard, which is fenced, and we check about every 15 minutes or so.

[echaos]

WOW!!! I must be the world's worst Mom!!!

My 3 year old plays in the back yard by himself, and sometimes in the fornt yard /driveway when it rains and he is puddle splashing!!

I do check him from the window every couple of minutes, or in the summer when the windows are open, I make sure I can hear him.

We do live on a dead-end street with only 15 houses.

[spaypets]

Andy, don't worry. DD, 4, is allowed to play outside alone on her swing set sometimes--ever since we cut down the trees that blocked our line of sight. But, we live in the country, away from the road. And, she's not a kid who wanders off.

And last summer she practically lived on the deck while we were inside.

We do check on her frequently-- I'm more worried she'll go down to the pond than I am about the road, but she knows she's not supposed to.

Of course she's ours, so we don't have to answer to the state....

[6furbabies]

It really depends on the child. I have a 9 year old niece, who's been allowed to play outside unsupervised in the fenced in back yard since she was 4. Front yard at about 6 or so. However, she has a 4 year old sister who would climb the fence in a heartbeat & run out in the middle of the road!

[knudsons]

City in fenced back yard with hazards removed I start about 3 or 4. Small town mind you.
Friends houses are only if I know and trust parents and I do a online background check and that's at 10.
Down the road at the park that I can see from house, again small town 8 to 9 ,smaller children can go with 12 or older. If I see teens I pull everyone home.
All same rules apply to my foster children as my own . IMO you would be starting trouble you don't want in your house if different rules apply depending on legal status's.
Mind you everyone thinks I am super strict and that I raise my children in a bubble!!LOL

[wenrl]

I think it really depends on where you live and how much you know and trust your neighbors.

T. is 9 and allowed to play outside unattended in the front or backyard anywhere on our street where I can see her if I walk outside. If she wants to go inside someone's home, she must come tell us. If I walk outside and do not see her, yell her name and do not hear her, I go to the other little girls' homes and find her. She then has to come home, put on her pajamas and hang out in the house without use of electronic devices for at least 50% of the day.

She has gotten really good at telling us where she is.

I don't have much trouble letting her out of my sight as long as I know where she is and am able to check on her.

[brl]

I am paranoid, so my adive would be tainted to
overprotected.

I let them play outside alone, but I watch them like a hawk.

We lived in Florida then, very congested area.

Privacy fence set me at ease.

It all depends on kid, area, and nieghborhood. Of, course those are the areas where most problems happen, those who feel their area would never have anything like trouble.

See, the overprotectivness just oozes out of me! I think i'm going to call my mom and see just what she did to me!