How young is too young to be outside alone?

garden123 · August 2010

So I've seen my neighbors kid(s) outside alone or together a few times and they seem too young to me (one is approaching 4, the other just turned 6). It seems the 3 yo can only go out with the 6 yo, not by himself. This seems too young to be unsupervised to me (supervised by a 6 yo doesn't count). Also,this is in the front yard, where they have street access, not the back.

This has just been weighing on my mind.

WDYT?

mek10976 · August 2010

Too young! There was that little girl in Missouri? a few weeks ago that was kidnapped from her front lawn while she (age 4) and her brother (age 6) were playing unsupervised. Thank goodness the girl was found unharmed, but that isn't always the case.

Artslvr · August 2010

In this metro area I think that is way too young - I guess if I lived in the middle of nowhere on a farm or something I'd be a little more secure. Nope, actually I wouldn't. I'm a very paranoid person.

amh_navyblue · August 2010

I think that's too young for either kid...even if you take out the (very valid) concern about strangers, the safety hazard of kids playing near the street with no adult supervision is huge.

Hey Jellisy · August 2010

I don't now, I grew up in metro NYC on a quiet dead end street and by 6 we were playing outside by ourselves. I live on a busier road now than I grew up on, but i don't think I would have problems with a 6 and 3 year old in our fenced in back yard by themselves or the 6 year old playing in front by herself. It's hard to say though, DD is note even 2, I may feel differently in 4 years time.

Artslvr · August 2010

I think front yard vs. back yard is an important distinction. Back yard, we let our 3.5 yr. old run around with the neighbor's daughter who is 7. I keep an eye on them, but I'm not always out there with them. Front yard for me is a whole 'nother story.

mssaint · August 2010

I think that's too young. Our front yard is unfenced and on a relatively busy neighborhood street and I wouldn't let a kid out there unsupervised until I was really comfortable with their judgement. Our back yard is fenced in, which I am really glad about, and our kitchen has a big window looking out on the yard, so I'd be ok with kids being out there alone.

tracy042206 · August 2010

Too young but our neighbors do it too, then again we are pretty sure Dad is a drug dealer and the mom is just constantly screaming at everyone. I know they have a backyard but I see the little one toddling around with just some older siblings who don't pay attention to them in the front yard and parking lot of our townhouse row. I have to constantly be on the look out for kids darting around the parking lot unsupervised.

I don't know what age I would feel comfortable doing that with my kids but it certainly won't be before they even start kindergarten.

HikerBride07 · August 2010

IMO, in this area <10 years old is too young for even the suburbs unless they are in a fenced yard or cul-de-sac. I am going to be "that Mom" though who never lets my kid go anywhere alone. :-/

secuccaro · August 2010

Agree with hiker bride. If something happens, the oldest child playing outside needs to know what to do. In my mind, that child is about 10 years old.

garden123 · August 2010

We do live in a cul-de-sac, but you would be surprised how much traffic we get w/ people just turning around or missing a turn down the street.

The scary thing is that when we went outside Saturday, they immediately ran over to us, across the street, without even looking.

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