Kids Walking Home Alone From School...

[MadMen]

I have just seen two kids from my childs school, walk past on their own.
The one is 10 and the other (his sister) is 7.
Do you think this is too young to be walking home on their own? I know (roughly) where they live and it's quite a distance from the school, with a couple of very busy main roads.

I think it's too young, but do you think it depends on the individual child/children?

[chelle7272]

It can depend on the children i think, 10 may be okay if itschool is not too far but not having a 7 year old with him. i didn't let my son go on his own until he was in secondary school.

[NOX]

If the children are sensible I think it's perfectly fine, if they aren't then clearly not. I'm sure their parents know which it is and as they are allowing it i'm sure they fall into the sensible bracket. My daughter was fine at a very young age, one of my sons was still a liability when he was nearly 12.

[MadMen]

I just think, no matter how street wise you may think that child is, would they really stand a chance if someone pulled over and tried to snatch them? Especially the younger one.
I know that sounds dramatic, but I think you have to think like that in this day and age. Actually, in any day and age.

[society]

I won't let kids that young walk around / walk home from school all on their own. Not in these times with so many pedos a sick-minded people around.

[MadMen]

I think I'll find that decision a very tough one!

[boxtops]

No - from 8 upwards I used to walk a couple of miles down to the bus stop every day, and back. There was no alternative. 10 is certainly old enough.

[jackthehat]

I gradually extended the distance my son could walk home 'alone' before I met him on an age appropriate basis.

Perhaps having care of his sister means that the lad behaves more responsibly?

[cazzz1975]

I agree with jack, how about a halfway house approach, meet them halfway and gradually allow them more freedom until they are making the journey independently.

[NOX]

You have to balance bringing up kids to understand the dangers and keeping them safe whilst allowing them freedom with the danger of wrapping them in cotton wool and making them scared of their own shadows. I personally, worried though I sometimes was for my kids, undestandably, was not under any circumstances going to terrify them out of having any freedom in their childhood and not giving them a chance to learn how to deal with life. That's why you end up with 18 and 20 year olds who just can't deal with the real grown up world and get into serious trouble. It's not healthy quite frankly.

[MadMen]

Yeah, I suppose so. I don't know the children in question, only from passing them, so I can't say whether or not I would think the eldest one is responsible.
Just wondered what the general thought was on this.
I remember walking home from secondary school, probably in the first or second year, but we lived really close to the school.

[cazzz1975]

I agree nox, I actually know a family where the daughter is 16 and not even allowed to the shop at the end of the road on her own.

[boxtops]

I agree with NOX - we met people on the way to school (not all of them desirable) - much of my journey was completely on my own until I reached the bus. We had a dual carriageway to negotiate. We all did it then, it taught us how to look out for ourselves. A 10-year-old is nearly at secondary school.

[MadMen]

My BIL is currently having daily arguments with my sister regarding their 5 year old travelling alone on a plane!

[NOX]

We had quite a regime for it, which extended to them learning how to neociate public transport on their own as well. I'd pop my little girl on the bus when she was about 9 and she'd get off in the village, my wife would be having coffee there and would watch her run whatever errand she'd been set then watch her catch the bus back home and drive home after the bus. It meant really that when she got to 11 or 12 we were comfortable she knew how things worked in an emergency, what was safe and what wasn't etc and she progressed into being able to do anything an adult can do very safely and at nearly 15 would be quite capable of navigating her way anywhere very safely- she flies alone very often.

[MadMen]

It's a tough call I think. I'll always be one of those 'wrapping them up in cotton wool' parents, but that's mainly down to the way I was brought up.
Actually, thinking about it, that may not be such a good idea. I went completely off the rails as soon as I hit 17!

[boxtops]

She'd have an escort/chaperone though, surely, madmen?

[society]

But, Boxy, the era in which we grew up is different from now. More nuts roaming about now. To each his own...

[MadMen]

Nox, you make a very good point actually. I do sometimes wonder what would happen if an emergency arouse and my kids have not been allowed any further than the front gate!

[RATTER15]

A 5 year old alone on a plane?!!!! Never!!!!

[magsmay]

I walked to school from being around 7 years old -and got the bus into town from the age of 10 -that was 45 years ago though -not much traffic on the road and -perhaps- fewer perverts. Now I would not let my children walk anywhere on their own either in an Urban or Rural environment. My 12 year old gets to walk up the short country lane to his sisters house from ours -around 200 yds -and I watch him out of the window.