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When I was a child growing up in a mid-sized Southern town we children played on our quiet street all day long.
We'd go in for lunch, often at each other's houses, then back out in the street until dinner.
That was America in the 50s. Fast forward to the 80s when my husband and I were raising his two children in the country.
A mile off the main road, long private drive with gate, the kids could go outside during the day without supervision.
We now live in a suburb of the town I grew up in. A Leave It To Beaver neighborhood. A safe, leafy, quiet lane.
Our great-niece 7 and her brother 2 are here a lot.
Yet they aren't allowed to be in the front yard unless I'm out there with them. If anything happened to these precious children it would be beyond horrible. There are no words.
I'm probably being way over-protective but better to be safe than sorry.
Even playing in the back yard, I check out the window every 5 minutes or so. We practice what to do if a car stops out front or a stranger enters the yard. (Scream and run toward the back door)
A hovering great-aunt but I don't intend to change.
I did not give permission to my son to play outside only until he crossed 9. And only in the street right in front of our house. He is not allowed to leave the street. For younger children it is not safe.
We lived on a busy street when I was a kid. My mom and dad would not let us play in the front yard by ourselves. One time, a drunk driver ran his car up into our yard, and knocked over our Oleander bush. My parents had good reason.
I did not give permission to my son to play outside only until he crossed 9. And only in the street right in front of our house. He is not allowed to leave the street. For younger children it is not safe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sassybluesy
We lived on a busy street when I was a kid. My mom and dad would not let us play in the front yard by ourselves. One time, a drunk driver ran his car up into our yard, and knocked over our Oleander bush. My parents had good reason.
I'm all for children maybe six and up playing unsupervised or walking home from school unsupervised. But we have a unique problem; neighbors have, I'm guessing, a ten and eight year old that like to take leaps off our retaining wall. We don't allow that and have complained to the neighborhood association.
Over two decades ago, I did not let my kids play outside at that age unsupervised, although it was a big yard and a quiet street. (Despite the fact that when I grew up, we played all afternoon--and in the summer, all day long--in the front yards of most of the homes in our neighborhood.)
As children, we were allowed to more or less, go wherever we wanted. We roamed far and wide. And, we walked to school by ourselves. I think the only time my mom ever walked to school with me, was the first day of first grade.
I got my first library card when I was 7, and I was allowed (encouraged even) to go to the library pretty much whenever I wanted. We lived in a neighborhood with several children, and we were always over at someone's house, or they were over at our house. I don't remember a time when my parents or another adult took us trick or treating. We took ourselves.
But we lived on a busy street, and we were not allowed to play in the front. lol
Besides, the back yard was were the fun was. We had a playhouse, a sandbox, swings, and a big cable spool that we turned on it's side, and we'd play like we were lumberjacks rolling logs, all over the back yard. Often, all the kids came to OUR yard to play.
As children, we were allowed to more or less, go wherever we wanted. We roamed far and wide. And, we walked to school by ourselves. I think the only time my mom ever walked to school with me, was the first day of first grade.
In first grade I remember riding the bus home to other friends in Riverdale, the Bronx, NYC. In second grade we moved to the suburbs. Play in the front yard and neighborhood was allowed. We did the same with our children.
By the end of third grade, my bicycle travel radius was the subject of much contention. At the beginning of fourth grade, fall of 1966 it was roughly 1/2 mile alone, 1 mile with other people my age. That spring even that restriction had to disappear because I was included in pick-up baseball games approximately 1 mile from my house. That caused some controversy.
Night bicycle riding became an issue in my first year of high school, 1971-2. My parents would not allow it, except with special permission. That fall, 1972-3, with my father's developing cancer recurrence and ultimate death, I got what I wanted; unrestricted day and night bicycle travel. I did not want "Mommy" driving me places. The purpose was to attend night activities at the High School and YM-YWHA (now the JCC).
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