Paranoid Mum?

My boy is only 4 years old and in this day and age, can one really be too paranoid. See, we live in a secure complex in North JHB and recently a new neighbour moved in next door with a 6-yr old son and we recently met the boy across the parking who can be about 10 or 11. Well my little 4-yr old started playing with them just outside our gate, but I could hear them all the time and could keep an eye on them, and few times they came to play in my son's room. Well today he the big boy wanted to show Bilaal something at his house so reluctantly I said he could go. Why 'reluctantly' you ask? Well this is where the paranoid part comes in... Even though we are in a secure complex, I just don't feel confident letting my little boy walk around even if he is with a bigger boy. I found myself constantly going to the gate to see if they were still at the house opposite (I can see their silhouettes through the window). Now I ask again... am I just an over-paranoid mom? I did explain to Bilaal that I don't want him going anywhere without me knowing where he is, so if they decide to go to the other neighbour's house he needs to first come tell me.

I mean I remember as I child we lived in one of those small close knit community type neighbourhoods where we all knew each other personally and the kids all played in street in the afternoons. All the neighbours' children were always galavanting about at each other's houses. And my brother was only 4-yrs old at the time yet he was always on the go... in todays day and age I would NEVER allow that. I remember when it got to 5 o'clock my sister or I would simply stand in our yard and shout at the top of our lungs, "Raaammmeeeez!" because we didn't know whose house he was at and that was the easiest way to get him to come home. One of the neighbours would hear and let him know we were calling him.

I also remember climbing on the roof and trying to balance on the front wall of the house, now I scold at Bilaal for jumping off the couch! Are parents today too protective of our children, are we too safety conscious?