When you are raising kids, you have to try to walk a very fine line between keeping them safe and helping them to become independent.

What would you do if your boyfriend let your four-year-old walk to a neighbor’s house without supervision, but you think that he should have walked with her?

That is what happened to the parents in this story, and they can’t come to an agreement on how this should be handled in the future.

AITAH for being upset that my boyfriend let our 4-year-old walk alone to the neighbors without checking if she arrived?

I (F) have a 4-year-old daughter with my boyfriend (M). We live in a quiet residential neighborhood.

Having neighborhood friends is always fun.

The other day I was working, and my boyfriend was home with our daughter. She wanted to go play at the neighbors’ house (kids she knows well, same street).

My boyfriend let her walk there by herself. It’s very close (just down the street) and we live in a calm area.

I can see why she would be concerned.

What bothers me is that he didn’t walk with her and didn’t check whether she actually arrived safely. He just assumed she would.

He didn’t call, text, or visually confirm that she made it inside.

All four-year-old kids can be impulsive.

Our daughter is very smart and independent, but she’s also very enthusiastic and impulsive.

When we’re out somewhere, she tends to run off (I always keep an eye on her).

Mom has every right to be concerned.

My concern is: what if the neighbors didn’t open the door? What if she saw a cat, another child, or something interesting and wandered off? She’s only 4.

I told him I wasn’t comfortable with that and that I think at her age, we should at least confirm she gets there safely.

Bad things can happen in a safe neighborhood.

He thinks it’s totally fine and says I’m overreacting because it’s a safe neighborhood and she needs to learn independence. He got annoyed and said I’m being unreasonable.

Now I feel anxious about leaving them alone together because I don’t know if he’ll take safety precautions the same way I would.

Well, he is right. She doesn’t trust him.

He thinks I don’t trust him and that I’m making a big deal out of nothing.

So… Am i wrong for thinking a 4-year-old shouldn’t walk alone to a neighbor’s house without making sure she actually arrived?

AITA?

No, she isn’t wrong for being worried, but she clearly doesn’t trust the boyfriend, and she does think she should have full control over the situation, which is not true.

Let’s see what the people in the comments have to say about it.

This commenter put it very well.

This would have been a good idea.

Four is still very young for this.

Here is someone who says you never know what could happen.

This commenter thinks that Mom is underreacting.

Dad needs to take safety a little more seriously.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.