Let's say you're at a friend's house for a party. You and your friends all have kids between the ages of 1.5 and 7. You hang out downstairs and on the patio outside. The kids are upstairs. Would you feel comfortable with your child playing upstairs with no supervision? At what age would you feel comfortable with this?
Note: There is no child-proofing in this house because the kids are all on the older side.
52 votes
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
If it is my house, right now, because we have a camera in the playroom, so I can see what's going on there.
If it's someone else's house, I voted age 5 and I would have to do a walkthrough, even though I've let him play upstairs with his older cousins at their house at age 3.
nectarine / 2878 posts
I voted age 4 but really I have no idea until I get to that point 
I feel like at four, my niece is able to tell us what is going on and understands rules.
grapefruit / 4278 posts
I think it depends on the situation. If there were older children who I know and trust and would take E under their wing, I wouldn't have a problem with it at his current age 22 months. For example, my 8 year old nephew will play cars with E in my nephew's room now and I don't feel the need to constantly supervise. If it was a group I'm not really familiar with, I would say 4 probably.
cantaloupe / 6751 posts
I'm thinking when she's around four but I'm not sure... So hard to imagine what she will be like at that age.
squash / 13208 posts
My DS is 5.5 and I would say age 5. I wouldn't let my 3 yr old up there unless there were older family members (10+) there to watch her.
watermelon / 14206 posts
Depends on who they are playing with. With my niece, at my parents house, I have had no issues since he was 3 about them going off and playing together. At someone's house I don't really know, though, I'd say about 4.
Even now, at 6, I'm careful about that.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
i voted 5. we still supervise charlie (though not as closely) at age 4.
honeydew / 7488 posts
My DD is 5 and I feel comfortable letting her play independently with older kids, but not be responsible for younger kids. That said, I do let her and her 2 yr old brother play by themselves upstairs, but I check on them periodically and remain within earshot.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
Right now at age 2, he can be pretty independent with his cousin, but we stay in the general area- and it depends on the location of where we are.
But really independent as in your situation (different area of the house)- somewhere between 3-5 depending on who he is playing with and whose house...
kiwi / 543 posts
I'd go as low as 2 depending on the kid and who the "big kids" are, ex. my 7.5 year old DD is very responsible and really great at watching my 18 month old DS2 when we're at someone else's house. I'd imagine by the time he's 2, I'd let him go with her to play in that situation.
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
@mediagirl: my option wasn't on the list, 21. That's the age he can play alone. 
pomegranate / 3980 posts
Same as a few pp, it depends on the place and the older kids, we have a few friends with older kids that are very responsible and we know will look after our lo even now at 21 months.
pineapple / 12566 posts
I voted 6, but it would depend on the situation. I hover, not too closely, but that's how it is.
grapefruit / 4049 posts
It was when DD was around 5 - 5.5 yo until I felt comfortable with such a situation. It was also around then that we started doing drop-off playdates. It depends on who she is playing with though and how well I know the family/kids.
bananas / 9899 posts
I think this is going to be a "by feel" sort of thing for me. When I feel they're ready, I'll let them.
My parents let us play unsupervised pretty young. My sister (who is 2 years younger than me) and I probably started playing in the backyard and in our room by ourselves at around age 4-5 and we were allowed to go to the park down the street alone starting around age 6-7. When my baby sister was around 1 we were often left playing with her by ourselves (I was 8, my middle sister was 6).
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
I think it depends on the other kids. What toys they have, how much does LO like the other kids.
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
I voted 5, but even then it would be after careful consideration of the physical space and the kids that she would be playing with.
nectarine / 2019 posts
It depends on the other kids. For instance, we have a 6yr old and a 2yr old. Our 6yr old is pretty good about "watching" his little brother. However, if there were stairs with no gate, I wouldn't trust him enough to make sure his brother didn't go near the stairs.
We let J1 play all alone wherever starting at 4. With that said, he is a very cautious kid. He also asks permission to do things, no other kid would ever think about asking to do. I'm almost positive that J2 will need supervision until an older age. He's an animal.
grapefruit / 4649 posts
I voted 4 but it would depend. If the older kids were good about playing with the little ones and keeping an eye on them I would be ok with an outgoing 4 year old going to play with them. I would check in frequently but I think it would be fine. I can think of one 4 year old though that is so timid they would kind of get bullied (inadvertently) and wouldn't feel comfortable just walking downstairs to find me so it would really depend.
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