What would you do about this?

[mumofone]

My 6 year old mindee and i walk home from school together and on the last part of the journey (it's only a ten minute walk maximum) she will run past the last 3 houses we have to walk past and into my drive/garden etc. It's on a main road but it's pavement the whole way. I've bitten my tongue because my instinct is to say "don't run off" stay with me etc for safety reasons obviously but I wondered if I'm being unnecessarily picky. Last week she hid in the garden though luckily I knew where she was, one day she rung the doorbell and disturbed my partner even though I have a key and let us in
each day.

[shortstuff]

Is she out of sight and or hearing? If the answer is yes then you should enforce your rules regardless.

If no then it depends on you and your rules

[Ripeberry]

Tell her that if she doesn't stay by your side, you will be using the wrist strap. That usually stops them

[bunyip]

Tell her the garden is full of spiders.


...................BIG ones.

[Mouse]

I let children run ahead, but they have rules.

- they only run ahead when I tell them they can
- they stop when I tell them to
- they never hide. If they can't see me, I can't see them, so that's a big no no
- they don't run round corners where I can't see them
- they keep to the inside of the pavement, away from the road
- be aware of other pavement users and don't be a nuisance

If they stick to the rules they can run ahead. If they break the rules they walk with me. My 2 and 3 year old mindees can manage to understand rules, so your 6 year old should be more than capable.

Explain safety to her and why you have rules, then tell her what the rules are, including not to ring the doorbell when she gets to the house.

Kids need some freedom to run and not be tied to an adult's side the whole time. You need to work out the balance between safety and stifling them.

[Maza]

My three year olds can run once they get past our neighbours house - there are too many drive ways before that and I can't guarantee their safety. One is desperate to run ahead before then and says his mummy always lets him, but he knows my rules and respects them. He knows it is to keep him safe and often tells me that. When we come back from our garden (which is round the back of our house but we can only access it via the communal front door) they know that they have to stop at the corner and wait for me. I always - every single day - praise them for stopping at the corner and they thrive on the praise. I would explain that some times it is fun to hide but other times it is not safe to do so. Also explain about the doorbell, she might not have realised that this wasn't a good idea so give her the benefit of the doubt this once and praise her the next time she waits for you and your key.

[Kerry30]

I let children run ahead, but they have rules.

- they only run ahead when I tell them they can
- they stop when I tell them to
- they never hide. If they can't see me, I can't see them, so that's a big no no
- they don't run round corners where I can't see them
- they keep to the inside of the pavement, away from the road
- be aware of other pavement users and don't be a nuisance

If they stick to the rules they can run ahead. If they break the rules they walk with me. My 2 and 3 year old mindees can manage to understand rules, so your 6 year old should be more than capable.

Explain safety to her and why you have rules, then tell her what the rules are, including not to ring the doorbell when she gets to the house.

Kids need some freedom to run and not be tied to an adult's side the whole time. You need to work out the balance between safety and stifling them.

I have the same rules as you. The children are very good. One warning and they hold the buggy of i have to tell them again. They know there are certains places they can have freedom.

[chris goodyear]

I have the same rules as Mouse and when they break them there are consequences. A 6 year old boy was mortified when he was made to hold on to the buggy all the way home from school especially as my hand covered his all the time but he knew the rules and was warned so -------tough!

[Mouse]

I have the same rules as Mouse and when they break them there are consequences. A 6 year old boy was mortified when he was made to hold on to the buggy all the way home from school especially as my hand covered his all the time but he knew the rules and was warned so -------tough!

lol...I've done that with my own children. They soon got the message!

[alex__17]

My school kids used to run and we go along one busy main road, they ran further ahead each day so the rule now is no running at all once out school gates until we're in my quieter road, they must walk close to me and buggy not ahead of other families as I can't see them properly. Once in our road we play stop go, so I say run to the big tree go, then stop and wait for me, then next thing etc, if they don't stop they hold onto buggy, I've even threatened reins! Older ones were the worst but quickly learnt and they love racing each other when allowed to run

[Georgiepoo]

I have a 6 year old who I collect from school while minding 2 small ones in buggy.
6 year old likes to run ahead so I have set stopping points they can't run out of aight and too far ahead- I remind of first stopping point and when I reach them I remind of the next stopping point and so on, works well.