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Yep! We also live in a rural area where I'm not concerned about abduction, just scorpions. Starting when LO1 was about 2 years old he would play in the backyard while I cooked dinner. It's fenced and he stayed fairly close at first so that helped me get used to it but I still peeked pretty frequently. I'm not sure how old they'll have to be before I'm ok with them really wandering!

Nope, they are only 2 and 3.5 and we live on a road that can get busy since it's off a main road, and yeah...no. haha

I'm not sure. Right now they are too young, but we are living where DH grew up, along a narrow country lane surrounded by woodland. When he was a kid, he had free reign with his siblings and they would run and playthrough the woods and fields, down by the stream, all by themselves. They had an absolutely magical childhood but I would be too terrified of strangers hiding in the woods to let my kids do that. Which is really sad.

I have an 18 month old and I let her play within sight outside while we're getting ready to go places or is I am cooking dinner I might stir or something while she's outside. I can see her but I couldn't catch her if she were to fall etc. I try really hard to let her have chances to figure stuff out for herself and the opportunities are remarkably few these days.

Not right now. Our backyard isn't the nicest, and our front yard is a complex. That's fine, but there's a busy road at the end of the driveway. Once we get a new house next year a priority is a nice fenced backyard for the purpose that they can play back there!

Not yet but based on the neighborhood norms I would say by 4 with me monitoring (doing laundry in the garage, gardening, etc) and unsupervised (in the house, not monitoring but available) at 5. We're on a cul de sac and have made an effort to get to know our neighbors.

There's a 3 year old in the neighborhood that runs around with just a walkie talkie. He does well for himself and recently handled a serious emergency with the walkie talkie. I was very impressed.

I don't know. I grew up in a small town and was allowed to run around the subdivision with all the other neighborhood kids when I was 7 or so. No one had parental supervision, unless it was summer and the parents just happened to be outside doing yard work or lounging or something, but not actively watching kids.

We live in a capital city that is considered to be very safe, and I do see younger (7, 8 year-olds) at the playground by themselves, walking to school alone, etc. I don't know when I'm going to be comfortable with that.

Eventually yes. Our town pretty much has no crime. We live on a cul de sac and we have a big yard. I would be fine with it now, except the perimeter of our yard is not fenced in. T is a pretty good rule follower for age 4 but not comfortable yet. Maybe age 6?.

We have a tiny backyard that is completely fenced in, and I let my almost 3 year old back there without direct supervision. I usually am close to a window, so I can look out and see him if I need to, and I also listen out for any noises he makes. But I think he enjoys going out there alone and feeling some independence.

She can play on our deck while we are inside cooking or something but she knows that she has to stay up on the deck, can't go on the side of the house, or below into the grass.

No because we have a inground pool.

If we had a fenced in yard, I would let my 4 year old play in the fenced in yard alone. We do not and she plays in the driveway, so I always stay out there.

If our yard was fenced, yes. I let my 2 year old play alone in our Inlaws back yard that's fenced. we keep the door open and check on her frequently. I'm more worried someone would call the cops on me for it than anything happen to her. She's super responsible and cautious. She's been allowed to play alone downstairs while I'm upstairs for a while now. I've never caught her doing anything she shouldn't be.

No but we are in the middle of the city. It will be a while before he has any adventures on his own!