Playing in the street

[SarahBear]

"Stranger danger" came up with my 3 year old because of reading a Berenstain Bears book. We talked about how it's OK to talk to strangers, but if someone makes you feel unsafe, you shouldn't talk to them. We also talked about how the book was right when it said you shouldn't get into a car with or go anywhere with a stranger. So it didn't exactly reflect our values, but it did create a talking point.

 

[SarahBear]

Watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAQ9T2Lpq48

It seems even older kids can have trouble distinguishing between a stranger and someone who's not a stranger.

 

[lindseymw]

My two have just started playing in the street in the past couple of weeks. We live in a small quiet cul de sac so there is very little traffic and anyone driving into the street does drive slowly.

We started with letting them play out whilst we hung about in the front garden and gave them boundaries to adhere to (basically not out of sight). We then retreated inside and check on them every few minutes (either by looking out of the window or sticking my head out of the door)

They did adopt a girl from another street one day (who was 5) and she came into our back garden and played for quite a while, stayed for dinner etc. We had no idea who she was! We sent Joshua with her to her house to tell her Dad where she was as we felt a bit awkward having a child we didn't know.

 

[Natsku]

Happens all the time to us Linds! Strange children turn up at my house wanting food and for me to build them blanket forts

Abduction risks are just so incredibly low. When that incident happened with the drunk man the police officer told me that this was the only incident that had happened in this town since he could remember, and it wasn't even a real attempted abduction. Everyone (police, social workers etc.) reassured me that its not something to really worry about, and don't let it change the freedom I give Maria.

 

[Kate&Lucas]

Lucas doesn't play out on the street but no-one else does here either. If we lived in a quiet cul-de-sac I'd probably let him but since I'm a bit of a helicopter I'd also probably take the opportunity to sit on the front path with a book the whole time
I'm terrible nervous though. I have anxiety and I try my best not to let it affect his childhood.
There used to be a boy who lived over the road from us and one day Lucas went to play in his front path for a little while. I went in for 2 minutes to put a wash on, came back out and they were both gone I near passed out, ran over, LET myself into the house (I still cringe), went through all the rooms and upstairs shouting his name til I found them playing happily in the kid's room, the mum in the next bedroom doing her hair. She nearly died herself when she saw me there.
So I really try hard these days not to be that mum. I mean kids have been playing out since the dawn of time, the vast majority without any danger. I did myself from the age of about 3. We're all just a bit silly these days... myself included

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Lucas doesn't play out on the street but no-one else does here either. If we lived in a quiet cul-de-sac I'd probably let him but since I'm a bit of a helicopter I'd also probably take the opportunity to sit on the front path with a book the whole time
I'm terrible nervous though. I have anxiety and I try my best not to let it affect his childhood.
There used to be a boy who lived over the road from us and one day Lucas went to play in his front path for a little while. I went in for 2 minutes to put a wash on, came back out and they were both gone I near passed out, ran over, LET myself into the house (I still cringe), went through all the rooms and upstairs shouting his name til I found them playing happily in the kid's room, the mum in the next bedroom doing her hair. She nearly died herself when she saw me there.
So I really try hard these days not to be that mum. I mean kids have been playing out since the dawn of time, the vast majority without any danger. I did myself from the age of about 3. We're all just a bit silly these days... myself included

Im the same x

 

[dani_tinks]

My boy is 6 and he doesn't, but we don't have any other children living near us, we live on a private 'estate' in the middle of nowhere (although it's basically just a few houses with retired people in them). We have a large garden and i'm happy for him to potter around out there on his own, although the door is always open and I check on him constantly. He prefers us to be around him aswell tbh and often calls for one of us to keep him company. Not sure how i'd feel if I lived on an estate letting him out to play, I don't think i'd be comfortable with it.

 

[lau86]

That's another thing I was going to say, we don't have a big garden so they can't ride bikes or play football. Theres also a big 'green' right next to the house so I can't see why they would want to go anywhere else, although that's adult logic...
Natsku I can't believe a drunk man grabbed Maria! Did he just not know what he was going or what?! Crazy!

 

[Natsku]

That's another thing I was going to say, we don't have a big garden so they can't ride bikes or play football. Theres also a big 'green' right next to the house so I can't see why they would want to go anywhere else, although that's adult logic...
Natsku I can't believe a drunk man grabbed Maria! Did he just not know what he was going or what?! Crazy!

He didn't really understand that he was doing something wrong - has an IQ of about 60 and seemed to think he was helping her