What age do you think it’s ok for your kids to play out front mainly alone

Could everyone who is comfortable also elaborate your reasoning in the comments? I’m very curious! And trying to make the best decision for my own kiddos. My youngest is only 1.5 but my oldest is 4 and I’m trying to find a balance 😊

My daughter will be 4 next month,I don’t let her play out front alone,but occasionally I will let her play in our backyard alone with the blinds and windows open . I also keep the gate locked , she has toys and a sand box back there. I voted 5-6 because maybe around then I’ll let her idk lol

Terrible things can happen even in the safest communities and trusted neighbors. My 12 year old doesn't play in the front yard at all let alone unsupervised. She's been allowed to play in the fenced backyard unsupervised for limited amounts of time since she was around 7-8. The line "I never thought that could happen here" gets said way too much in anything with true crime, especially in small towns and "safe" neighborhoods.

I don’t live in a neighborhood but I’m out in the country on 5 acres with a dog. I have one girl who is 2 and I used to babysit an autistic 8 year old. I was always outside with them both but stuck with my toddler because I knew the boy was high functioning and wasn’t running off but I wouldn’t let him out of my sight for more than a couple minutes (I noticed my dog would follow him too so I knew the dog would alert if anything happened. I’ve been letting my toddler wonder more and more as long as I can see her just so I can take care of chores but I’m really nervous to leave her alone just because of sketchy people and the wild animals around us

I wasn’t responsible enough to play alone unless in a fenced in yard until I was at least 10. Young children don’t grasp the dangers such looking before crossing the street or not talking to strangers and I also don’t trust people. Depending on my child’s maturity level at 9 or 10 that would be the age where I may trust that they have good judgment

I think it’s also tricky because even if you trust your kid at 4,5,6 years old, there’s ALWAYS a risk of them running into the street without paying attention. Always the risk of them getting attacked by a dog or wild animal etc. I know people who allow their 3 year old to be outside alone and have even allowed their babies out front alone and it sort of shocked me because that’s so dangerous to me!

Mine is nearly 8 but I wouldn’t feel comfortable unless I was out there and she was riding her bike. Doesn’t help the high school the next road up reported a man asking if a girl wanted a lift.

I would be v worried abt cars

To add on, would you be comfortable with your child playing outside with an older child? My neighbor has a 10 year old and 5 year old, her oldest is extremely mature and they play outside alone together all the time and my 4 year old often asks to play with them, but I never like the idea because a 10 year old isn’t old enough to monitor two young children in my opinion. My son gets upset, but safety first! I think when my oldest is 10-12 depending on his maturity I’d allow him and his brother outside alone together.

We don’t currently have a front yard, or garden but my MIL does, so when we are there I’m very cautious about letting my 2 1/2 year old outside and I always make sure he is supervised. I know he wouldn’t run off without someone with him but I really don’t trust anyone else. I don’t see myself letting him out alone until at least 10 if not about 12-13.

We don’t. One of us is always out there or another adult is

I let my 2 year old play in the back garden while I am in the kitchen and can watch her through the open door. But I would always stay in the kitchen cooking or go sit outside where I can see her and I feel like this will always be the case until she is 10!

My son will not be playing outside alone at all , I’ve seen too many stories

Too many kids going missing these days. So it’s a no full stop from me unless I’m outside as well.

I've let my son play outside alone starting around 2.5 as long as I can see him though the window. We live in the middle of 100 acres though and there's nobody around

Why not use the back yard?

Never wtf

My front garden is stones then a road. We live at the end in a dead end street but half way up the road is a small field where he can lick a ball around etc. I’d probably allow him there on his own around 7. The back garden he goes out there on his own and he’s 3 but it’s enclosed.

Not out front I read somewhere they don't get road sense until around 7 as they judge speed. Even then I think only the drive

Honestly, I always say it depends on the area and how your child is. One mold doesn’t fit all, some kids become very self aware younger, some are absolutely clueless as they should be and that doesn’t put well with having to fend for themselves. I can’t say I’m always totally comfortable with this, but in the town I just lived in, you’d see kids as young as 7 roaming the streets with their friends, it’s been like that my whole life. Heck there they even allow the junior high kids to walk to the nearest convenience store or food place at lunch by themselves. The biggest problem I’ve seen, all personal, isn’t with random wild animals, not with predators, not with them playing in the street, but with their behaviors. I’ve noticed kids who are allowed to go out by themselves young, act a little bit more misbehaved. They are the reasons we only allow 2 kids inside stores at a time, they are the ones throwing random gang signs or dumb stuff to troll cars etc.

I think 10+ depending on their maturity and trust they won't talk to someone

So me and my mom share a two-bedroom apartment right now and like in where our door is in the backyard. I sometimes will go out there with my son other times. If he's out there alone I watch from the sliding glass door because he has a tendency to go around to areas he's not supposed to go