Walking children to new secondary through woodland?

[LostMySanityCanIBorrowYours]

My eldest has a two week induction at her new secondary school next week.

For one reason or another she has ended up having no one to travel with on her first day.

She suffers with low confidence and anxiety, which is being on worked on in her primary school and via extra curricular activities.

I have told her that I will walk her to school for the induction weeks, until she finds someone else to go with or she is confident getting herself there.

She starts at 8:30am, her younger sibling starts school at 9:55am, the schools are a good 20 minutes walk apart, unless you take a cut through, down by the side of a riding school, through a wooded area.

I have a small, but loud dog I would have with me.

My ex partner (the children's father) has told me that he does not want me walking that way because there is a lot of attacks and crime in that area and I would be making myself and the children an easy target.

Local news sites show of one attack within the last 6/7 years, which I agree is one too many, but hardly a hot spot of crime and degradation.

The attack was on a lone school girl, during winter months, 5 years ago, the girl managed to get away unhurt but badly shaken an arrest was made. This is summer. I am an adult. I will be with 2 children and a dog who barks at his own shadow and despises men.

WY walk that way?

Personally I'd walk that way. I bet others will be walking to school that way too.

I would walk out without hesitation - I certainly wouldn't have debated it to the extent an ex would be aware and offering an opinion. However if he's that concerned maybe he can come and take the younger DC to school via his approved route for the relevant weeks.

Hope the induction goes well for DC1.

I would walk that way on my own happily.

However in the circs you describe I think you should try and walk the route that she will be using come September. This will give her a chance to increase her confidence.

If that isn't possible at all then you can practice over the summer but there is a lot to be did for trying the route under school day conditions to see who else is walking that way.

Sorry, I've just read that back, her sibling starts at 8:55am, hence having to take the cut through, to get to the other school in time.

I had no hesitation until he contacted me after DC2 told him of my plans. She's excited to see the horses on the way.

X-posts with LittleDucks.

That's a good point actually. We could walk the way she would be taking in September on the way and take the cut through home to get back on time.

There's a good chance she could bump into a friend on the way and walk with them.