AIBU to tell my neighbour’s Year 6 child to stop walking to school with us?

I would knock on the parents door and check what they have said to him

To be honest, Most schoolsare suggesting the child walks to school by themselves if they are local to school When they are in year six

How long is the walk? Are we talking five minutes or 30 minutes?

And more importantly, it’s a child nice good polite

If he is nice enough for your child to play with him sometimes then I don’t see the issue in walking together if he’s a nice polite child

That's exactly how they do it. They don't let the child out unless a parent or an other named adult it there to pick them up.

I would too
you need to go and speak to them and say that you are not a walking childminder and it is their responsibility to take their child to school.

You could point out that you can't be responsible for the child and that in any event you can't guarantee that you will be walking every day. I don't think you really need to do any more than that. It's not as if you are entitled to stop him walking to school at the same time as you do.

The schools in our area only release a child to their parents/guardians unless they have the written permission from the parent that they can walk home alone. Written permission is only an option for Years 5 and 6. So to answer the question, a Year 4 child will not be released unless a parent is there.

Can you leave 5 minutes before you usually do so you don’t see him? Or 5 mins later?

The DC tagging along wouldn't necessarily bother me to much, it's if it's true what they told your DC about their DM saying that it's dangerous to walk on their own so to walk with you that i'd have a problem with.

Mainly in that the neighbour hasn't had the decency to come round and ask if I'd mind being responsible for her DC getting to school safely and not being given the choice as to whether I'd want that responsibility or not.

You shouldn't have to be the one knocking on anyone's door, you're not the one expecting the neighbour to see to your DC getting to school safely, you take them yourself don't be doing the running around knocking doors, mention to the DC that you'd like his mum to pop round so she can verify what they said, don't be part of letting the entitled out there dictate what they think you should and shouldn't be doing.

I agree, it would have been polite for the parents just to ask you if that's okay, and I guess maybe that's what you probably find the most frustrating about this, the lack of courtesy from the parents. As long as they're not annoying, I don't see any issues with them walking with your kids. It wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

I wouldn’t have an issue with a friend of my children’s walking along with us, if we are all going to the same place. Unless he’s being naughty or disruptive, there would be no problem for me at all. Just seems nice community minded thing to do.

In law you have no responsibility for the child and unless there is poor behaviour/language or some other unpleasantness, I would do nothing. This wouldn't bother me at all.

Unless the child is a pain in the arse, you are being unreasonable. No wonder communities are decreasing.

If it’s worrying you, then have a word with the parents. Personally, it wouldn’t bother me unless my own children didn’t like the other child and their presence was causing drama or upset or anxiety. Or if the child was a bit of a rocket and likely to engage in dangerous behaviour, like hopping on and off the kerb on a busy road or climbing random stuff. Then I would feel responsible if anything happened to them. In my experience, the majority of children are grand though and just like the company.

Had another child's parent approached me and said that their child was just starting to walk to school on their own and would I mind if they walked around the same time as us for first few weeks of term so they could build up some confidence and independence whilst having a familiar adult around I would happily do so. I'd pass on the time I'd usually leave at and say I'd keep an eye out and try to catch up with them or wait for them as long as it didn't mean we were going to be late.

I don't have much patience for others signing me up for obligations without asking in advance though. I would have a chat with the parents and ask what it is going on

How on earth can you stop him from being there? Unless you walk another route he can do whatever he wants on the public road. As you have no idea what his parents actually said and no way to stop him I’d just let it go. I wouldn’t think you’d ignore a hurt child who was or wasn’t known to you anyway so it’s no real difference. You do what you’re going to do, don’t wait for him or anything, and he’ll do whatever he wants. It won’t last forever anyway.

Try reading what I wrote.

What happens if the child does stop at a shop or stops to talk to other kids or walks on the road on a dozen other things. Do you tell them not to? Do you wait for them and are all late? How do you feel if you leave them behind? I would want rules of engagement with the parents so you don't feel morally responsible for the safety of their child.

He is essentially old enough to walk to school alone but feels safer in your company and is friends with your children. If you are not obliged to wait for him ect then It wouldn’t bother me but at the same time I think the parents should at least introduce themselves. That is rude and would annoy me.

How do school police that? Do they only release a child to the parents at the end of the school day, similar to how they do it in early years?

I always took my children to and from school but from year 3 they walked in from the school gate alone and met me there at the end of the day.

What "shit" will hit the fan exactly? The only shit I can see hitting anything will be the OP knocking on the parents door and demanding them that they keep their son away from her.

I'd be fine with it as long as my children were.

I wouldn't want to be responsible for them and wouldn't take responsibility. However, given they play with your children and are friends in that way, if the kids were happy with it, I wouldn't have a problem. I'm not their minder or responsible person though.

All the be kind bollocks. Wait until that child has a mishap and wait for the shit to hit the fan from parents who couldn't be arsed to talk to the OP.

around here, y4 are not allowed to walk to or from school without an adult, that wouldn't work.

I think that's a bit OTT - they are doing the walk anyway and by all accounts the kids like each other. It's zero extra work but yes the parents should have mentioned it like 'oh by the way bob has just started walking to school alone and he's a bit nervous so he might tag along with you guys for a bit if he sees you, hope that's ok!'.

Knock on the door and speak to the parents?

Just saying the child can’t tag along feels like punishing a kid for having shit parents.