I go back and forth....I know at 7 and 8 we were climbing neighbors fences playing FBI and unicorns etc. I know at 5-6 we were allowed out with parents just randomly checking. I do think it has gone too far to kids having no freedom but he line can be hard to draw. I struggle with it a lot myself.
What happens when that pool gets filled up and no one is watching them?
I don't know... it was taught to me pretty early that you don't climb the fence into neighbors yards (unless they were our friends and our friends were inviting us over to play.. then we would just jump the fence instead of walking all the way around lol). a neighbor boy wasn't taught this and came into our yard while our dog was out... our dog was nice but she really had a hate on for this kid. thankfully she was old, fat and slow (and a small dog) and he was able to get out of the yard before she bit him but she had every intention of biting him.
how long would that kid have been stuck in my yard had I not been here? and who would have gotten him out?
that's how small these kids are... they couldn't even get OUT once they were in (my side of the fence is smooth with no footholds) while standing on a two foot tall rock.
I fully realize kids will be kids but the fact they were on the neighbors trampoline for a good long while without them being home tells me Mom isn't checking too often.
Either way... it doesn't make it Ok for them to climb my fence into my backyard. it is dangerous for them and my dogs should they get hurt since my dogs are the same size as the kids entering the yard... and we dont' KNOW these kids. were it one of Hannah's friends I would be less upset but we don't KNOW these kids at all let alone know the parents
their BIG sliding glass door faces out onto our backyards, a simple glance and she could have easily checked on them. But she doesn't... she doesn't check on the dogs either as they cry and yelp at the door for an hour or so to be let in off of the porch (not even grass where they can potty)
the neighbor beside them though has a very lovely little girl who is 8 years old and I've NEVER once found her anywhere close to my yard uninvited. she has come over to our yard when we invited her over but she knows better than to just hop the fence and come in. I appreciate that and she gets lots of freedom without a hawkeye parent, I think she's earned it
but for kids to be jumping into yards with homes that have dogs (as most homes here do) is just dangerous and cannot be chalked up to "Oh well kids will be kids". I'm not mad at the kids... I'm mad at the parents. would it be cool if we just climbed up onto their porch and decided to hang out? NO lol it wouldn't be
do you think it's Ok for your kids to going into other peoples yards uninvited?