[paula1]

I'll be looking at a house today that's for sale that has a lovely big front yard and a courtyard out the back.

The front yard is enclosed with a fence and a gate and it's not on a main road.
My mother thinks kids should never play out the front as they could get snatched by strangers!!
I would prefer a larger back yard but I'm guided by my budget.

Wdyt?

This post has been edited by paula1: 14/11/2012, 11:22 AM

[Mocha Coffee]

Of course! If they are tiny then supervise, but my children have played out the front (no fence) since they were kinder age. They know the rules and boundaries. Now that they are 7 and 9 they will ride their bikes or scooters out the front too.

This post has been edited by Mocha Coffee: 14/11/2012, 11:22 AM

[paula1]

By the way, they're 6 and 8.

[~She~]

Wouldn't bother me. Depending on their ages, kids need supervision in the back yard just as much as they would the front anyway. As long as there is a fence I would be fine with it.

Our backyard isn't small, but the front yard has a large dual, semi-circle driveway so the kids are always riding their bikes out the front.

[RatbagBob]

It really wouldn't bother me, especially since at that age, they're much more likely to be aware of stranger danger not to mention the fairly small risk that someone *could* snatch them at that age!

[vintage.blue]

Our front yard is bigger than our back yard. Our front yard is fully fenced too with a locked gate. Our boys play out there all the time - they are 3 & 5. We aren't on a road though, our house is behind other houses so it's kinda like a back yard anyway I guess??

I would use the front yard if I were you as long as it's all fenced and safe

[paula1]

Thanks guys, it's not a high fence just a normal fence with a gate.

Also they will grow and won't always be 6 & 8!

[Jemstar]

Of course it will be fine. I let my 5, 7 and 10 year old play on our driveway.

[LambChop]

You have more chance of winning the lottery than you do of having kids snatched by a stranger...

Anyhoo, mine are 9.5 and nearly 11, they've been going to the playground 2 houeses up by themselves for 18 months, front yard play completely fine.

On the other hand, I personally much prefer my alfresco/bbq area out the back rather than front!

[SeaPrincess]

We're currently renting a front house with fenced front yard and my children do play out there. I'm usually not far away and I can see them from my room if I'm folding clothes or something. I suspect that they talk to people over the fence from the trampoline, but we have 2 gates and I keep the one closest to the road locked.

R