DCK's Playing In The Front Yard?

[SunshineMama]

Do you allow your dck's to play in the front yard during the day?

My friend came over today and said, let's go take them to the front and play there, to which I replied, "Heck no, not with my group of kids lol."

She said her provider takes them to the front to play outside, and that they need to learn to stay in the yard. (Besides, I have a huge awesome backyard).

I still said no, because I dont want the liability, and I don't want the stress. I have two 1 year olds, and a total of 6 kids, and she brought her 2 over.

Do you guys let your dck's play in the front yard? If so how to you keep them safe?

[Heidi]

I let my 3 1/2 and 5 yo play in the front, but only if I am right there. My fenced yard is on the side of my house, so I can put the toddlers in there and supervise them and also watch the older ones ride bikes or pick dandelions.
My 11yo is also home schooled, so he is another pair of eyes and the 5yo dcb likes to hang out with him.

We do have a large front yard away from the road a little bit, but I don't let the toddlers run free there.

[AnneCordelia]

Heck no! But my group is really young...4 1yos and a 3yo. There's no way I'd keep track of everyone out front. Besides, my driveway slopes quite a bit towards the road, and we don't have a sidewalk on our side of the street.

We spend most of our days in the backyard though. So nice to be fully fenced!

[SunshineMama]

Originally Posted by AnneCordelia

Heck no! But my group is really young...4 1yos and a 3yo. There's no way I'd keep track of everyone out front. Besides, my driveway slopes quite a bit towards the road, and we don't have a sidewalk on our side of the street.

We spend most of our days in the backyard though. So nice to be fully fenced!

I have two 1's
two 2's
and two 3's..

That's why I said heck no too! But she thought I was crazy for making them play out back lol!!

[AnneCordelia]

LOL, she's got TWO kids and has no idea the responsibility and liability of caring for 6 children who do not belong to you. Perspective is everything! LOL!

[SunshineMama]

Originally Posted by AnneCordelia

LOL, she's got TWO kids and has no idea the responsibility and liability of caring for 6 children who do not belong to you. Perspective is everything! LOL!

Yeah! True! She was like, "Well I can be an extra set of eyes." I'm thinking, yeah, for YOUR 2 kids lol.

I was wondering what other providers do however, since she said her provider does it and I do see other ladies in my neighborhood letting daycare kids play in the front yard.

[3girls]

No way, if there are daycare children here its backyard only.

[cheerfuldom]

yes I do but today I only had my three kids and then two daycare kids. the moms are fine with it and it breaks up the day for us. We have a great backyard but even I like the variety sometimes.

[MNMum]

Only until my backyard was fenced and patio was poured last fall. Now I wouldn't dream of it! I felt like all I did was yell, "Stop!" "That's too far!" "You need to listen!"

[Lilbutterflie]

I guess I'm the odd woman out! I let them play out front every day.

But I have a much smaller group. No more than 3 other than my own 2 kids (who are 4 and 7). All of the kiddos know the boundaries and have never tried to test them. Not even my 17 mo dcb. He learned the boundaries super fast! And of course, I watch them like a hawk; and my street is a very quiet one.

[blueclouds29]

My DCK play in the front driveway in the morning cause its shaded and i have all the riding toys out, sandtable and chalk. In the afternoon we play out back on the deck where its shaded then.
I have:
my own DD- 3yrs old
1- 2 years and 5 months
1- 2 years old
1- 1yr 10 months
1- 1 yr 8 months
1- 4 months

[Crazy8]

we do play out front sometimes - usually later in the afternoon when I know parents might be coming and I have a smaller group.

[Childminder]

I don't let the children play/go into my back yard at all, they always are in my front yard.

[jojosmommy]

We play front and back depending on temperature. If it's cool we go where the sun is. My kids quickly learn to stay within the boundaries-or they watch from the step. I think they need to learn boundaries, some learn easier than others.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

My licensing lady told me recently (2 weeks ago) that they just passed a new thing saying the kids couldn't be out front. I'm in Texas.

So, while we had been walking to the park via the front sidewalk we have now switched it to walk to the park via the greenbelt behind my home.

I have:
1 21-month-old
1 2-year-old
5 3-year-olds
1 4-year-old
1 5-year-old

[wdmmom]

We play out front every now and again but we're out back more often. I live far enough off the street and on a cul-de-sac so there is minimal traffic and I won't take the entire group out front. I'll do it when there's only a couple kids left. We'll play basketball, catch or we'll blow bubbles.

[quietpoet2004]

I do allow the kids outside in the front yard... matter of fact that's where our biggest share of outside time is spent.

My dcks are 2 1/2, 20 mos, 18 mos and 10 mos.

Now..... I live at the end of a dead end street... with a LONG driveway. We're not close to the street at all. The kids known their boundaries and don't press them whatsoever.... However, now that the 10 mo old is starting to crawl, they will soon be learning the boundaries as well.

[DaisyMamma]

My playground is in my front yard and we are only now fencing it in. I'm so sick of chasing the little ones. It makes me not want to go outside
We live in the country on a back road though.

[familyschoolcare]

We play in the front yard.

However, I have a very small back patio, and common area back courtyard. We used to play in the back courtyard area untill a building mate started to

complain about the noise. So now we use the front yard. I did train the children to stay in the area, for the first several weeks I would give warnings

about to far a "threaten" to give a timeout, never had to give a timeout the children all came back and now I do not even have to remind them about

where to stay. We also use the "little" park, playstructure inside of a local HO complex 3 blocks away. We walk as a group I allow the children to go ahead

of me and wait at the next corner. Again this took some training. Also I do not think I would feel comfortable doing this if I had younger DCk I specialize

in school age and my youngest just turned 5.