It really all depends.
It depends on the street you live on, the age of your children, the other kids on the street and the time of day.
With schools finishing up for summer, it’s safe to say a lot of our kids will want to play outside with their friends. However, a mother has wrote on Mumsnet that she doesn’t feel comfortable letting her children out on the street because they’re still not road smart.
She says that since her kids are begging her to play out, she feels like a bad mum but doesn’t want to give in. She said:
“My kids are still only young. Youngest is 4. Other children in surrounding houses play out but my husband and I aren’t comfortable with ours doing that yet as they aren’t road aware etc enough to be trusted.
“I will occasionally go out with them and watch them but I don’t want to be doing that all the time. We have a large garden with lots of play things and hubby and I want to sit out and relax in our own garden with our own kids and pets.
“They are begging to go out almost every day. I’ve explained as best as I can but it causes lots of arguments. The other children also knock on for them.
“I know people feel differently about it, some don’t mind at all which is fine. But it’s driving me mad that my kids are getting so upset and it’s making me feel a bad mum, but if I give in then I’m doing something I don’t agree with. Any advice?”
Many mums replied to the thread, with the majority saying that they don’t like their children playing on the street.
One said:
“There are tiny children playing on the street near ours and maybe I’m just over anxious but I feel it’s an accident waiting to happen. Some of them venture onto the road to play on the bikes and scooters even at 4-5. Scares me!”
While another wrote:
“Yes we don’t mind them playing in ours but we don’t want it every day or every weekend. Our kids have friends over and they go to others houses so they do socialise, it’s just this that causes problems.”
What do you think about this?
