Speaking of kidnapings.....what are your rules?

[Mskanga]

What are your rules for your children to be outside?
It is so sad that we have to get to the point where we have to keep reminding our children to never ever go or talk to strangers , I don't know how many times I have talked to my children about this lately , I am afraid again to leave them alone outside , my 9 yr old is not allowed to go around the block with the bicycle if she doesn't go with more friends AND she has a 2 way radio that I can keep in touch with her and she also has a time frame to get in touch, five minutes or I go looking for you.
My youngest when she's alone outside she's only allowed in the backyard and the dog goes in the front yard ( she lets me know when someone is around ).
I am signing them both up for Karate lessons this winter so they can learn to defend themselves ( hopefully ).
I know I sound like a broken record to them with the same spiel all the time , I feel that I can't tell them enough. Some people in my neighborhood think I'm nuts , they let their kids run around unsupervised as long as they want ( and I am talking 4 yr old kids ) mine are not allowed to leave my driveway when they are both outside and when only the youngest she's not allowed in the front.

 

[glo]

I grew up in the city...and it is funny, I moved away from the city to feel safer. Yet, I will not let the twins out alone together without Kassie. Kassie is allowed to go across the street to play with the girl there, and I give her a little more freedom around the block, but only with another kid. Not alone. It is sad..when you think about it

 

[Mskanga]

Funny that you mention that glo because we did the same exact thing for the same reason and guess what people say here now? it's safer to move back to the city because all the garbage moved out here too.

 

[glo]

I don't feel that way about it...but I just feel that our kids are not really safe anywhere...Sad but true..in my opinion!!

 

[Dizzy-Disney4]

DS (9 in one month) is allowed outside to ride his scooter with the neighborhood kids, but we live in a small 20 home developement that ends in two cul-de-sacs and I can see almost both streets entirely and he's not allowed past where I can see him. If he goes into any of the three houses where he has close friends, he MUST call me and let me know. He didn't call once two weeks ago and I paniced when I didn't see him out on his scooter with his friend Wes. I checked We's's house...he wasn't there. Wes's mom and I looked for them and they were in the house next door playing video games...needless to say he was grounded for the rest of the week. This is all new to us sice we have always lived in the city in parts of town where the kids couldn't go out to play...I'm having a hard time not checking on him every five minutes and as he says making him feel like a "baby". I just try and check on him without his knowing.

DD (almost 4) is not allowed out by herself AT ALL!

 

[Mskanga]

I find myself that after I don't hear them or see them for a minute I yell , are you ok? they know they have to answer or they come in for the rest of the day, there are no other kids around us so they don't wonder off to anyone's house except for my friends half way up the street and we call each other when the kids are in the other's house to let them know, actually we make the kids call.

 

[supercarrie]

My sister, who is 8, is only allowed to play in the cul-de-sac (on the sidewalks and our front yard.) There aren't any other kids on our street that are her age, so she doesn't play there really. There is a park across the street but she isn't allowed to go alone to ride her bike or just play. My mom usually takes her if she wants to go. But she has to be with me or an adult.

It is sad - I remember being allowed to play along my street with the kids that were my age, and going across the street to play at the park with no problems. Not only is it not safe anymore for her, but there is no one on our street for her to play with, anyway.

 

[WDWHound]

The sad thing is that we percieve that kids are less safe now than they used to be. Studies actually show the number of child abductions have dropped over the last 20 years, but the media does not cover that. They only cover the abductions and kidnappings. I am glad the abductions are getting more coverage as it increases the odds of the children being returned safely. Still, I wish the media would balance its coverage rather than scaring people unnessecarily. Kids are just as safe now as they were in 1975 (which is as far back as the study I was reading went).

 

[Beauty]

Well we live in the country at the very end of a 2 mile gravel road....John-Cole is allowed in the back yard where all I have to do is look out the window to see him. He is allowed across the road to his friends house and down 3 homes to another friends house. He always has his cell phone...which I am so thankful that we did go ahead and get. If I don't see him or know where he is for 2 minutes I'm calling him. People out here are very very protective though and someone is always outside working in their yards. We know people who live here and who don't so maybe I'm blind but I think our kids are pretty safe.