Playing outside alone

At what age did you let your kids play outside alone?

We dont have a fenced in yard so I haven't been letting the kids go outside without me. However, this afternoon after getting home from work/daycare the kids wanted to go out and make a snowman. LO is cranky as hell and I have to make dinner so I wasn't going to let them go out, but it's so warm so I told them to just go play right by the porch door. They are and I am sitting here watching them like a crazy-person. They are 5 and almost 4...

Do you let your kids play outside without you?
Am I just being really paranoid?

ill only let cameron play outside alone if were over my dads because he has an enclosed yard with a privacy fence.. and im always in the back room where i can see him out the sliding glass door. hes 4

I have mixed feelings, but you know your kids better than anyone.

No way in hell my almost 4 year old would be able to go outside alone, she isn't quite aware of how to stay within eyesight, and thinks running is awesome. Which is good.... just not when she's alone.

I let my LO last summer when he was 2 1/2. But it's fenced in and there's not much back there and I can see him easily.

My backyard is fenced, but I don't think I'll let LO play by himself until he's 5 or so.

Quoting ×ø×K·ßear×ø×:" ill only let cameron play outside alone if were over my dads because he has an enclosed yard with a privacy fence.. and im always in the back room where i can see him out the sliding glass door. hes 4"

We live outside of the city on a dead end road. The neighbors yards behind us are all fenced in, as is the one to the right if our house. Our yard is not fenced though. That's why im sitting here staring at them. I mean, at their age I dont think they'd just run away, but it still scares me.

I let my older two go play alone in our back yard but we have a fence and I leave the door and windows open so I can see/hear them. They are almost 6 and 2.

Backyard is fully fenced. He is about to turn 4 and there is no way in hell I'd let him play outside by himself. The most I do is pop inside to go pee or grab a drink, but usually I ask him to come in with me for that.

Too much that can happen too quickly.

I let my 9 year old play in our fenced in yard alone when she was around 4 or 5. When she was around 7, I let her play outside with friends without me. Always with at least one friend though, even now.

I think my oldest would need to be 7 or 8 before I'd be semi-okay with it. I think definitely by 9 I'm be perfectly fine with it, if by then we live in a neighborhood with sidewalks so they have a place to play safely. If we are talking about an enclosed backyard, I think around 6 is acceptable.

I was wondering the same thing!! My son is 4, but listens really well when told where to stay and what not to do and all of that. We have a fenced in yard and I will let him go outside if I have the kitchen blinds open and I am in there. OH and my pitbul mastiff stays outside with him too.

Quoting *B & D Mommy*:" I was wondering the same thing!! My son is 4, but listens really well when told where to stay and what ... [snip!] ... let him go outside if I have the kitchen blinds open and I am in there. OH and my pitbul mastiff stays outside with him too. "

LOL ain't nobody gonna mess with that kid with his guard dog around!  

I think 6 or anything older while fenced in.


But that's me...

Oh and it would also depend where I live. We live in a very safe subdivision so I feel very okay with her (9 year old) being outside without me with a friend. All the kids in this neighborhood play outside alone. If we lived in a high crime area, it'd be different.

We live on a farm. The next 5 houses that finish our road have husband's family in them. That said, we let our 4 and 6 year old play outside all the time. the only fancing we have is in the back yard and that is to keep in cows in the pasture. My boys play at our house and have the freedom to play up to 3 houses away. (my Mother-in-law). There are normally cousins out playing too. My 4 year old has to stay home and play outside until his brother and all the other kids get home from school. But there are days I let him walk to Mother-in-law's house to ride his bike. But I call her first to make sure she is home.