Is this acceptable?

[madmondeo]

I walk along a particular road to school with my 5 year old step son. The school is at the top of this road. Its a third of a mile long with two busy sets of junctions; crossroads. A classmate of my step sons walks to school on his own! We have seen him everyday this week and last week too.

Do you think that is ideal for a 5 year old??

[sophie_1003]

Yes I apologise for getting defensive; as I say it is the issue of the seeming opinion that schools are the bad guys that has got me a bit annoyed! As I said originally one of the easiest things to do (I think) would be to offer to walk the child to school as well.

[Hopkirk]

Mike, I am over 50, and no way would my parents have sent me out on my own at five years old.

I suspect your memory is playing tricks with you. I bet your parents didn't either, until you were older.

[sherrardk]

Hi Sophie - if madmondeo doesn't know the parents he/she might be viewed with suspicion. The reasons why the child is walking on their own need to be addressed as this might not be the only thing that the child is having to do that they wouldn't under normal circumstances.

[sophie_1003]

Ta Sherrard; I don't mean them to sound textbook; that is genuinely how I would like schools to be and would be willing to work towards a school like that! After my first year of teaching I can't guarantee I'll be feeling the same way!

[sherrardk]

Fair do's Sophie - I wasn't having a go, I was genuinely impressed at how 'into it all' you sound. Bet I didn't sound that enthusiastic when I started teaching.

[sophie_1003]

Yeah that would have to be done in collaboration with the parents again leading back to the possibilty of approaching someone they don't know. I'm just glad I'm not madmondeo!

[sophie_1003]

No, didn't think you were; was just a bit worried that if they sounded textbook they didn't sound genuine!

[mike11111]

Sorry, Hopkirk, but you are wrong. Admittedly there was much less traffic, but 5 year olds regularly walked to school in the 50s, to which any of my contemporaries will testify.

[sherrardk]

Hi Sophie - I haven't taught for nearly four years, but if more teachers genuinely cared as much as you do (rather than pretended to for interviews) that would be a good thing. I also think that primary school teachers are more caring (with the exception of my husband who went into primary as he was more likely to become a head teacher). Good luck, you'll be applying for jobs before you know it.

[LoftyLottie]

I lived in London and walked to school alone from age 7. If I didn't walk I caught the bus. But the traffic (which would be my greatest concern now) was nothing compared to today. I also travelled by train and tube on my own at 9 years old.

I haven't read right through this and this might have been suggested, but it might be a good idea to approach the parents in a kindly way and ask if you could help out by giving the lad a lift as you go in that direction.

[LoftyLottie]

That was in the 50's by the way!

[craft1948]

I started school at the age of 4 and after my father arranged to go into work late, he took me there for the first week, after that I was walking the mile there and back on my own. My mother was a factory worker starting at 7am so who else was supposed to take me. There wasn't much traffic then, in fact you'd have more chance of being run over by a horse and cart as a car.
If the child lives near you, why not ask the mother if she needs help and offer to walk her child with yours?

[eyethenkyew]

No one should criticise you for being a caring person - shame there aren't more. None of us knows everything, and I put myself pretty close to the top of that list! I'm certainly not aversed to asking for help because even being a parent is something which none of us can go to university for - except the "university of life"?

Experience can't be taught, and I'm not too proud to admit that I'm far from having an answer for everything - well, a "sensible" one, anyway?

[naomi24]

No it isn't acceptable.

[LoftyLottie]

Mike, yes many kids to walk to school on their own at 5, especially if the school was fairly close. It was a mile away from me so a bit far for a 5/6 year old.

Whilst I think 5 is too young to be out on busy roads, I do think that parents have become far too anxious about their kids going out alone. Some poor kids are escorted to school when they really should be going on their own.

[sophie_1003]

Definitely eyethenkyew! Nice chatting with you; hopefully madmondeo will let us know what he decides!

[sherrardk]

Where we live, walking up to school and back is also a social activity for the parents (mostly mothers) - it's part of our day. The only childen who walk home alone seem to be the last of the children at the school who are in year six - my child in that year walks with us as I walk up for the others (although he can walk on his own or with a friend if he wants to). (I still wouldn't let my seven or five year old walk up alone.)

[tamborine]

I walked at 5 over fields. I had to give my sandwiches to the boar else it would chase me.

[annie0000]

I am still struggling to see here what justifiable reason there would be for a 5 year old walking to school on their own. I personally would be wary of approaching the parents if you don't know then - it's not a converstaion that is likely to go down well in my view ad you could end up biting off more than you could chew. If it was me, I'd just keep an eye on the wee soul and if I was concerned that there were other care isues I would report to school or social services.

The traffic is far too dangerous nowadays to let a child that young walk to school along. Children are about 10 before they can accurately calculate in their brain, the speed/distance of a vehicle to predict if it safe enough to cross. I live 200 meters from the school gate with no roads to cross and my kids were about 7 or 8 before they were allowed to walk on their own. There are parents collecting children older than they are now (9 & 10) and most of them either live on the same side of the main road as the school, or have a crossing patrol available to get to the other estate.

[mike11111]

OK, I agree with the fact that traffic conditions are different now, and perhaps that very young children should be escorted. However, I still stand by my view of the child psyche, wherein any boy seen out with his mother in view of his schoolpals was considered fair game. If a mother gave her little boy a kiss outside the school gate in front of his mates he would literally die with shame and never live it down. I used to say to my mother, on the rare occasions she had to meet me in public, "OK, but don't give me a kiss!"