Why don't you see kids playing outside nowadays? (babies, husband, schools)

[Pocopsonite]

With two working parents, kids are often enrolled in after-school programs. In summer, it's camp.

Even with a stay-at-home parent, there's a multitude of organized after-school lessons and activities, like sports, art, music, dance, tutoring. In our neighborhood, it seems not many kids are home enough to play in the yards or the street.

[ryanms3030]

Originally Posted by Ms.Mathlete

At this very moment there are half a dozen or so little kids out front with Nerf guns, and another half dozen or so drawing on the sidewalk with chalk. I should go tell them to get off my lawn.

This is how my neighborhood is. I often feel like yelling get off my lawn, but I live in a condo so it's not really my lawn. i live in an extremely family oriented area of Los Angeles and it's like kids outnumber adults here

[pkbab5]

Originally Posted by annabanana123

Kibbie, I think she means that a stay at home mom could be outside with her kids while she has to do laundry, cook dinner, help with homework, clean, etc for the few hours she's actually home in the evening so she can't.

Yes exactly, thank you.

[Riley09swb]

Originally Posted by pkbab5

My kids are 7 and 5. I cannot let them outside unsupervised, but I *can* let them play in the house unsupervised. I do not have time on a regular basis every day to supervise them outside - the second I get home I am making dinner, doing dishes and laundry, checking homework, and prepping for work and school tomorrow. The trade off is that if I let them go outside to play, I have to go with them, so no cooked dinner. We'd have to have takeout or fast food which is both expensive on a daily basis and also unhealthy.

And why can't I let them outside unsupervised? Because a neighbor would see kids outside not being supervised and would call CPS on me. In a heartbeat.

Now the stay at home moms have their kids outside all the time. But they are outside with them. Us working moms? Sorry. Our kids will just have to play indoors until the weekend.

Sorry. I'm a working mom and my kids play outside every day after school. They've been playing outside since my daughter was in K and my son was in 1st and I usually wasn't outside with them and at their ages now I'm not. I check on them though I can usually hear them.

I don't think it's a working mom problem it's more that it's a neighbor problem for you.

[wilsonthedog]

Mine did in our neighborhood up until 12-13. Obviously its there are just more options now that ever while when most adults were kids there were not nearly as many. Stay inside watch tv or play board games (atari?) nowadays obviously a TON MORE TO KEEP ONESELF occupied.

Now only my 14 year old actually goes outside to goof around the 15(almost 16), 16(almost 17) granted both are swamped in school year do not.

[Natsku]

Moved to a new area and haven't seen any kids playing out yet which is disappointing because my daughter wants to play out and make new friends. I think it's because there's no pavements or common areas to play in this area and everyone has big gardens.

[Vegabern]

We just built out kids a huge tree house. 10'x10' with a front porch and side porches 16' x 16' in total. It has a climbing wall, two swings, monkey bars and a set of rings underneath. Oh, and a rope ladder and a regular old rope to climb. And I'm going to add some of those peg wall type things from American Ninja Warrior. The whole thing is 9' off the ground and they LOVE it.


Between the tree house, two swings in our front yard tree, barn, and the woods, our kids are rarely inside. In a few months we'll build an ice rink in the front yard for a little hockey.


A co worker of mine won't let her kids come play on it because she's afraid they'll get hurt. I feel bad for those precious little snowflakes.

I'd post pics if I could figure out the photo thingy here.


And for the record, my kids are 5 and 7 and I don't feel the need to supervise them outside. They run in and out of the house constantly.

[Vegabern]

Originally Posted by otowi

I think fear is the number one reason. It is a cultural shift that society has undergone probably in part due to 24 hour news having to talk about something. Unstructured time is now more frowned-upon than in the past, as well. Although crime is generally down compared to the 80s or 70s, people feel less safe and worry about leaving their kids alone outside - and in many places it is so extreme that a parent who lets his/her child go to a nearby park unattended can be charged with neglect. I read a study about a man who investigated where children were allowed to go alone in the 70s/80s compared to now and back then, a 4-year-old could go to a nearby park or store alone, and a 10-12 year old could go anywhere in the town he/she could get on a bike alone. Today, children of all ages mostly are only allowed to be in their own yards alone/unattended - many are not even allowed to walk to school without a parent.

That was a good article. Sad though.


My 5 year old goes to her friends house and the two of them have free reign to walk around the street going to various friends houses. I'm glad I live in a place where kids can still be kids and parents aren't completely paranoid.

[Bullandram]

In poor neighborhoods the kids are always outside playing because they can't afford all the video games and toys. In middle class to rich neighborhoods the kids are always inside.

[Riley09swb]

Originally Posted by Bullandram

In poor neighborhoods the kids are always outside playing because they can't afford all the video games and toys. In middle class to rich neighborhoods the kids are always inside.

That's not true. My kids were outside playing for 5 hours yesterday while the video games were turned off.