Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO parks are more dangerous than when we were kids because there are fewer kids playing on them (no protection from the herd) and I'm finding drug paraphernalia and condoms at parks now. There used to be nosey little old Karens who'd keep tabs on kids and I feel like that is gone too

You should teach your 7 year old not to touch trash, and not to touch needles particularly. A dirty condom is gross, but not actually DANGEROUS to an seven year old - what are they, gonna lick it? They're not toddlers.

They could step on a hep C/HIV syringe or find dime baggies of marijuana (I myself have found the latter, and not empty either).

When they step on the syringe, how do they get home?

Would they bring the dime bags home?

Not until 12 or so. I’m not worried so much about my kids. It’s homeless, syringes, molesters that I’m more concerned about.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO parks are more dangerous than when we were kids because there are fewer kids playing on them (no protection from the herd) and I'm finding drug paraphernalia and condoms at parks now. There used to be nosey little old Karens who'd keep tabs on kids and I feel like that is gone too

You should teach your 7 year old not to touch trash, and not to touch needles particularly. A dirty condom is gross, but not actually DANGEROUS to an seven year old - what are they, gonna lick it? They're not toddlers.

They could step on a hep C/HIV syringe or find dime baggies of marijuana (I myself have found the latter, and not empty either).

When they step on the syringe, how do they get home?

I think your sense of risk assessment is way off. So your fear is that there with be a needle in the park, the needle has been used by someone with hep C or HIV, your child does not see it, he steps on it, in his shoe, at such an angle that the needle penetrates the shoe and stabs his foot. It's now stuck in his foot, he can't get it out, and has no way to walk home? This scenario is absurd.

He could step on a needle with you standing right there, too, you know.

Or that your 7 year old will come across a bag of marijuana, decide to open it, and what, roll a joint? Just eat it? And this will somehow lead them to a life of drug addition?

Before someone jumps all over me with "better safe than sorry!" there are risks to keeping your kids stuck to your side all the time! They don't learn problem solving and resourcefulness. They have increased risks of obesity because they can only be running around outside when a grownup can watch. They have increased risks of anxiety and depression because you have made the world a scary place and told them they can't handle it. Those risks are, statistically much bigger than your ridiculous stepping on a needle concern.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't recommend alone--maybe with a friend? Probably 10.

So they even care about the park at that age? I don't see 10 year olds at the park.

My 12-year-old son goes to the park! Most of the parks in our area have fields where the kids practice sports on their own, pick up games with their friends, etc. A bunch of nine and 10-year-olds meet up at the school park every day after school.

My 6th grade son and his best friend from school love going to the park together. Every night after he's done his homework he goes to her house, knock on the door and asks if she wants to go to the park with him. They still enjoy climbing up ladders and going down the slide, pushing each other on the swings, playing tag and hide and seek, giving each other piggyback rides, jumping in puddles and playing in the mud.

This is wonderful.
My son also had a girl BFF he used to hang out with at the park, but now in 6th grade she has lost interest.
It sounds like your son has a wonderful friendship.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't recommend alone--maybe with a friend? Probably 10.

So they even care about the park at that age? I don't see 10 year olds at the park.

My 12-year-old son goes to the park! Most of the parks in our area have fields where the kids practice sports on their own, pick up games with their friends, etc. A bunch of nine and 10-year-olds meet up at the school park every day after school.

My 6th grade son and his best friend from school love going to the park together. Every night after he's done his homework he goes to her house, knock on the door and asks if she wants to go to the park with him. They still enjoy climbing up ladders and going down the slide, pushing each other on the swings, playing tag and hide and seek, giving each other piggyback rides, jumping in puddles and playing in the mud.

If I can see the park from my house, probably age 8 with a friend. If I can’t, closer to age 9 with a friend.

I let my 8 yo DS do this. I can see parts of the park from our house. If the pandemic hadn't happened, I am not sure if he would have gone alone so soon. He often goes with his 10 yo sister as well, and they walk home from school (10 min walk) FWIW.

A few months ago, so at 7.75, I was fine with my 8-y-o kid going to the park a few blocks away by herself. She was always meeting a friend who had a parent with her, though. I think soonish (months? another year? before 10, anyway...) I will allow her to go with just a friend, no adult. She's pretty responsible though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't recommend alone--maybe with a friend? Probably 10.

So they even care about the park at that age? I don't see 10 year olds at the park.

My 12-year-old son goes to the park! Most of the parks in our area have fields where the kids practice sports on their own, pick up games with their friends, etc. A bunch of nine and 10-year-olds meet up at the school park every day after school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7 or 8 for going with a parent, 9 for going with a friend unaccompanied by a parent

This

Wait. So you, as a parent, don't take your six year old to the park because they're not old enough? You have to be 7 or 8 to go with a parent? Am I miss understanding this comment?

I'm guessing 7 or 8 for going with a friend's parent.

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't recommend alone--maybe with a friend? Probably 10.

So they even care about the park at that age? I don't see 10 year olds at the park.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO parks are more dangerous than when we were kids because there are fewer kids playing on them (no protection from the herd) and I'm finding drug paraphernalia and condoms at parks now. There used to be nosey little old Karens who'd keep tabs on kids and I feel like that is gone too

You should teach your 7 year old not to touch trash, and not to touch needles particularly. A dirty condom is gross, but not actually DANGEROUS to an seven year old - what are they, gonna lick it? They're not toddlers.

They could step on a hep C/HIV syringe or find dime baggies of marijuana (I myself have found the latter, and not empty either).

When they step on the syringe, how do they get home?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO parks are more dangerous than when we were kids because there are fewer kids playing on them (no protection from the herd) and I'm finding drug paraphernalia and condoms at parks now. There used to be nosey little old Karens who'd keep tabs on kids and I feel like that is gone too

Other people shouldn't be responsible for your kids. That's your job. If your kid fell, I wouldn't bother with them nor are they using my phone to call you. I figure if you cannot bother being there you don't care. If it is serious I'll call 911.

Thanks for affirming my suspicions and continuing our society into the low social trust direction.

Our 10 yo just started going to the park by the elementary school (less than half a mile) with friends.

My 7 year old is allowed to go about 2 blocks without us - there's one of those neighborhood little free libraries she likes to go to. She knows she has to come right back, even if she runs into a friend along the way.

Alone is too dangerous, with a friend is always better.