What age should a child walk to school alone?

[gypsyqueen 103]

22 hours ago, NikLR said:

Teach her now how to pay attention and look over her shoulder.

I second to this. Eventually she needs to learn how to take care of herself. Start together. It will be in your discretion if she's ready to walk by herself. As someone mentioned, she'll be driving in a few years. It is definitely a different time now, but we have to start somewhere.

[Going through 5,671]

thanks all for your opinions  it gives me some food for thought.

 

My husband keeps using as his argument that he walked to and from school by himself at age 9.  

He keeps forgetting that at the time he also lived directly across the street from his school, and could see it from his front window.  

Edited September 6, 2017 by Going through

[Steeleballz 7,550]

2 hours ago, Going through said:

thanks all for your opinions  it gives me some food for thought.

 

My husband keeps using as his argument that he walked to and from school by himself at age 9.  

He keeps forgetting that at the time he also lived directly across the street from his school, and could see it from his front window.  

 

   Going on a tangent here, I know, but my grandfather used to tell us stories of how the kids had to scrounge/beg for/steal their own breakfasts on the way to school during the depression. If they were lucky it was stale bread, if not it was turnips from the field. An extreme example I suppose, but it reminds me whenever I catch myself saying we used to do something a certain way, it doesn't necessarily mean that it was the best way.

 

 It sounds like she is ready to walk by herself now. That's a good thing. I would be more concerned if she didn't want to. That doesn't mean you have to let her now, though. You have to be comfortable with it too. If you are, let her walk. If not (and it sounds like you are not quite), then wait a while longer and take it in steps until you are sure everyone's ready.  

Edited September 6, 2017 by Steeleballz

[JoBri 548]

I'm 57. I grew up in a small town in northeast Indiana. I was in kindergarten when I walked to and from school alone. Times changed a lot since then. On this poll I said age 13, but my son is just 7 right now and I haven't given it a lot of thought yet. I would feel a lot of anxiety even when he turns 13, letting him go alone. I dread when I have to make that decision. I am just thankful he is 7, and in my protective care... the love of my life. My pride and joy. 

[Unlockable 7,314]

I was 9 or 10. Caught a bus (public transportation) then walked.

[Going through 5,671]

Just to update everyone---

 

I started walking her 3/4 of the way to school and then watching her cross the last street on her own (a 4-way stop)...after that, I walk parallel to her on the other side of the street so she still "feels" like she's walking to school on her own for the last block, and I feel more secure being able to watch her.

 

Because of my fluctuating work schedule, twice so far we've allowed her to walk home from school on her own ---- well, sort of home...I work directly across the street from where we live and she has to pass that on the way so she comes to my workplace and waits about 5 minutes until I'm done.

 

So that's the deal I've made with her now.  If my work shift ends the same time as school dismissal, then she can walk to meet me at my building.  Mornings are still a  no-go as it's become really dark outside this time of the year, and more isolated in the early mornings walking compared to the tons of people on the street in the early afternoon.

 

Next year I suppose we'll revisit the issue with her again regarding the mornings and getting her a set of keys made.

[broppy 204]

1 hour ago, Going through said:

Next year I suppose we'll revisit the issue with her again regarding the mornings and getting her a set of keys made.

At least give her a set of keys now - just in case. I remember shinning up the drainpipe and getting in through an open window after school when I was around 7 or 8 because my mum got delayed for some reason and wasn't at home.

[mindthegap 2,590]

7 minutes ago, broppy said:

At least give her a set of keys now - just in case. I remember shinning up the drainpipe and getting in through an open window after school when I was around 7 or 8 because my mum got delayed for some reason and wasn't at home.

 

I tried to get in through the cat-flap and got stuck.

[broppy 204]

20 minutes ago, mindthegap said:

 

I tried to get in through the cat-flap and got stuck.

LOL! Too many Wimpy burgers! If we had a cat, I think I'd've made it.

[Going through 5,671]

3 hours ago, broppy said:

At least give her a set of keys now - just in case. I remember shinning up the drainpipe and getting in through an open window after school when I was around 7 or 8 because my mum got delayed for some reason and wasn't at home.

Yeah she's getting a set of keys/keychain as one of her Christmas gifts.

[Boiler 45,466]

How about one of those smart locks she can open with her I Phone?

[Going through 5,671]

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

How about one of those smart locks she can open with her I Phone?

We live in an apartment building so we can't install the smart locks.

[Nitas_man 3,100]

When they can get behind a wheel and drive

[Maxheadspace 48]

On 9/5/2017 at 3:58 AM, Going through said:

Hoping this poll will help settle a disagreement with my husband  

Our 11 year old daughter (just turned 11 in July) wants to start walking to and from school alone this year---what age is a *good* age to allow that?

I still think that she's too young, and given that we live in Queens, NY and in this day and age when there are many more crazy people living in the world....(I know, crazy people are everywhere).

My husband thinks it's fine---because she has a cell phone (just got it this year for her birthday), and it's about a 10 minute walk, tops.  More than likely, she wouldn't wait for a friend to walk with each day and just head out alone, knowing her.

You can't answer this in a simple poll.  Where I grew up, in Minnesota, I walked to school from kindergarten on.  But we didn't lock the house, some people even left the keys in their car ignitions overnight.  That is rural midwest.  In Queens, maybe the trade-off is to arm your daughter with a 9mm pistol for her walk to school!  You have to gauge the answer based on your neighborhood. 

[debbiedoo 2,339]

depends on the child and neighborhood.

 

my daughter (now 20) walked to middle school from the first day. so...11? 12?

 

but it was a rural community, and our neighborhood was right next to the school.

 

my son has never, and will never walk, because its simply too far LOLOL