The nights are getting lighter and spring is on it’s way. We are all so excited to have our evenings back but there is a little niggle in the back of my mind.
We live in a lovely little close with mainly families of young children (all boys mind!) and the ages all range between 10 to Harri who is 3. Every summer for the past couple of years all the children have played out in the street and my girls have always begged to play out too. I have never really let them though unless myself or my husband is out watching them.
It makes me feel sad but, with Harri only just turning three last June, I just feel she is still a little too young. Living in a close definitely helps but it is just off a main road with cars flying in at times. Harri is also so excitable, I just don’t feel that she is old enough to play out on her own. It just doesn’t sit well with me and, whilst Meme is 6 and is more than ready, I don’t have the heart for her to be allowed out without her sister.
Last Summer I promised myself that I would allow them to play out. With Harri approaching four, I figured she would be so much more grown up and Meme would be almost starting year 2. In the back of my head though, I remember thinking that summer was so far off I didn’t really need to worry – like it would never arrive.
But we are almost here and, you guessed it, I’m nervous. I have so many memories of playing out with my friends when I was younger, I really want my girls to have the same. However, in my head the age of 4 is still so young and would I even be entertaining this idea if there were not other children playing out? Am I being over protective or just sensible?
Do your children play out in the street? I would love to know your thoughts?
Such a tough one isn’t it? My mum would never let me play out at my cousin’s house where they played out with their friends. I was a bit older than this but I did find it really isolating. For me, I’d probably let them do it but make sure I was somewhere that I could both see them and get out there quickly if there were headed towards the main road. But they wouldn’t need to know I was watching unless they needed me.
Nat.x
It’s such a tough one. My eldest is five and I’m definitely not ready to let her play out alone but then we live just off a very busy road. I suspect when I’m eventually ready to let her play outside with friends, it will be somewhere where I can still see her from a distance at first. I think I must have been around four when I was first allowed to play outside with friends – I remember playing with children at the back of my grandparents’ house and I think I was about five when they moved from that house. Good luck with taking that step when you do decide that Harri is ready for it. #sharingthebloglove
Oh gosh, I find this one so difficult. We lived in a similar close with lots of other families and I remember being allowed to play ‘out’ from the time we moved there, so probably about 5. But that still seems so little to me. We live on a busy-ish road, definitely not suitable for playing out, so I guess I probably won’t have to think about this – it’ll be deciding an age where I feel happy about him going out of my sight down to the local park or similar. And I’m not sure about what age I’d feel comfortable with that either! (I’m thinking somewhere around 11 maybe, but then I remember I was definitely heading into town shopping with friends at 12, so that’s clearly unreasonable) Good luck with coming to a decision. Thanks for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove
I have a friend who lives in a similar close and her girls all play out (youngest started at 3/4 I think but was with her older sisters). We live on a busy road with no other young kids so my two never get to play out on their own and I feel really bad for them as I have such great memories from when I was younger. I lived in a small village though and times have changed so much. It’s a hard decision x
#SharingtheBlogLove
I think 4 is too young really – times have changed. Could you let your older one out for 30 mins at a time then perhaps go out with Harri for 30 mins? I do think the older child should be allowed a few privileges and then one day it will be Harri’s turn to be the big sister. Just a suggestion, I know how hard it is! xx
Gosh this is a tough one and I dread the day I have to deal with this. My daughter is 2 and I cannot imagine wanting to let her out alone in just a couple of years. The kids who play on our close are all at least 6 years old. But even knowing kids are playing, some of our neighbours drive too fast down our road. I think you have to go with your gut. If you feel uncomfortable with it then could you go outside but just sit slightly ‘out the way’, perhaps with her not knowing? #MarvMondays
It is so different I think now from years ago when we all used to play out. I am in the ‘no’ camp for my children at the moment but who knows when that will change if they start to ask about it. I think it is important to go with your gut too as you know your children and your surroundings better than anyone x #sharingthebloglove
Oh my goodness this is a tough one. We’ve just moved to a new house and it has a lovely cul-de-sac where children can play out safely. The boys opposite are always out there, but they are older than my girls. I know this is going to be a decision that I will struggle with. Thank you for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove x
Oh it’s so difficult! We use to play out and be allowed to roam the fields but I don’t know I’m going to feel when it’s ready for Monkey to do it! Probably exactly the same as you. We live quite rural so he doesn’t have kids very close to him so I think we will have to be more structured by definition! Good luck with your decisions trust your gut xx #Sharingthebloglove
I think 4 is too young but I also think it depends on the other children. I’m not going to let my son play with the children on our street but I will take him to friends houses where they can play together and visit family, go to the park etc so he hopefully won’t notice that I am keeping him away