Walking 1.3 miles home from school aged 9?

[Yorkshiremummyof1]

From year 5 our primary school lets kids walk themselves home. At the moment I pay for DS9 to goto after school club and I pick him up in the car.

His friends mum is happy for his friend to walk home which is on the way to us but not sure how reliable that is, especially if she's there picking the younger one up.

I like the idea of not paying for after-school club but I also hate it when I drop him off at the top of the road and he has to cross even one road to get to school. He would walk one long road home, crossing 5 road/junctions then there is a huge roundabout and to cross that it's quite a busy bus route with no island. Then he has a pelican crossing and one long road, turns left and crosses the road to our front door. He wants to walk home but the idea terrifies me. I'm working from home so I'll always be in but it's going to get darker and colder and wet and I think 1.3miles would take him maybe 45 minutes? That's a bit much for a 9 year old I think?

Not having to pay for childcare would save me £250 a month but the price of his safety is.....well you know

Would you be at home by the time he gets home OP? Could you meet him halfway?

Oh sorry just seen you're wfh!

Fuck no!

No I wouldn’t let my 9yo walk 45 mins and cross that many roads

I wouldnt start that now. Wait til the evening are getting lighter again, so you know he will be home before dusk, and then start with once a week, and build it up from there.

Nope, def not with that many crossings. Perhaps towards summer when the nights are getting lighter again, but I’d also walk with him to start with a few times first.

My child could do this. She is sensible and cautious I would trust her to manage walk safely. I don't know if i would trust ds2 he is not that age.

Is your child competent with roads? Not talking to strangers etc? If he is let him, this step is always scary at first then become routine. If more immature or full of carry on keep him at after school.

Depends on the kid.

I walked a similar distance from aged 8 or so, there and back. There were busy roads by it was well lit with plenty of crossings and I was a pretty, boring child.

If he's not used to taking responsibility for himself then maybe now's the time to start working on it so he's ready for secondary.

But if he is then it's worth a go, especially if he's walking with a friend

Both of mine come home from school alone aged 8&9.
But, they cross one road with a lollipop man, and one with a proper crossing. It’s 1.3 miles. But there are also a LOT of other parents/children coming the same way.
Mine also come home on scooters and it takes them approx 15 mins.

1.3 miles won't take 45 minutes.

It's a 25 minute walk.

1.3 miles should take him 30 mins not 45. My kids walked a mile at that age, at 10 they took the bus to high school (change early here)

Another option would be to pay for a taxi home. A lot of taxi firms here do school pick ups.

I’m not sure he is competent yet although more so than at the start of the last school year. I had thought stay in club over the winter, and then like a pp I could meet him 3/4 way then 1/2 and so on. I walked home by myself in London as a child but I think I was 10/11 and sensible, DS is sensible but not necessarily observant. I’ve watched him cross a road and he is very cautious and gets nervous which is better than pelting it across it I guess. I’m trying to encourage some independence

No but i would see if I could cut my lunch break short or flex my hours so I could collect him and he could self occupy until I finish

We live too far from school to walk safely alone- just over 2 miles and 50 mins. So my 9yo leaves school with her friends and meets me at the car (I'm collecting her younger sister from a different exit at a different time).

In winter it's getting dark by the time we drive home. Also she's too young for military ID so wouldn't be allowed to enter the base without a parent...

DD is 9 and we're pretty much the same distance from school and there's no way I would let her walk home on her own. After Easter I'll let her walk to her Gran's house which is 5 minutes from school and only crosses 2 quiet roads.

Hell no. Wouldn’t let my nine yr old walk .75 mile walk home we do. Too many cars and he’s sensible but he’s still young. Doesn’t naturally listen for cars yet. Older dc 12 walked home from 11.

My daughter walks that far, but only just, she is year 6. No way would I have let her aged 9 (she is 11).

No way.

Where I live there’s a middle school system and the kids start middle school at 9. They would die of embarrassment to be walked there by an adult. It’s a fairly densely populated area though, so probably none walking as far as your DS would be.

We let our 10 year old (year six) walk a mile home crossing two major roads (pelican and zebra crossings), tram crossing (pelican crossing again) and then six smaller side roads. But he is only just doing this and we have deliberately started now while it is lighter and we are home to receive him. I didn’t let him do so in year 5, despite protests, even in the summer.

Good God no! Not that far with that many roads (especially busy ones) to cross at that age.

My just 10 year old (Yr6) has recently started walking to and from school alone. A 6 minute walk, crossing two minor roads with crossings and that’s been giving me enough heart palpitations.

Surely if you WFH, you can take a break to pick him up . It’d only take 5 mins in a car.

Our year six is desperate to walk a similar distance home. Through the city center and across two a-roads. He can walk half of that way with a friend. I’m interested to see what people’s views are to your dilemma. I’m leaning towards letting him do it.

Sorry meant take a break at school finish time to get him so no after school club necessary? No way would I pay for after school club if I was WFH. He’s old enough not to disturb you until you finish.