4 yrs old- do you let your kids play in the yard if you can't always see them?

groovygrl

I'm just curious... we have neighborhood friends who regularly allow kids around 4 yrs old (a couple even younger) to play out in the yard/driveway alone and go up & down the sidewalk on scooters or trikes, etc (usually in pairs/twins or if an older sibling is around though the older sibling is not always super close by & often wanders off elsewhere w/ friends) and I have always been uncomfortable with that & didn't think that I would be able to let my kids do that before they're school aged...then w/ all the cleveland stuff I was looking at some links about talking to kids more about strangers/'tricky' people and one tip was like- never let your younger kids out of your sight even for a second...

my kids are now at a point where i trust them not to randomly bolt into the street, they will often play in the mulch beds w/ a digger or with a truck in the driveway for quite some time, etc... I am generally out there but w/ almost 4 yr old twins, if one needs me to get something from the garage or a water from the kitchen or has to run into the bathroom & needs slight assistance, it just is impossible to drag both or the other one along....  but at the same time, just the other day DS needed to go in & I thought DD was following us &I turned around  and she wasn't there & I ran to the front yard and didn't see her and started yelling for her and it was probably all of 20 seconds or so and finally she yells (all annoyed) WHAT?! and was in the mulch and I just didn't see her...

Anyway, we all know what a terrible feeling that is since most ppl have lost sight of a child  at some point but I am trying to figure out how to balance going nuts keeping 2 kids in my sight all the time and being smart/safe.

What do you do when near the house/yard or a place that your child knows well?