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Original poster

Child walking home alone from school - age?

29 replies

Beezknees · 05/09/2023 08:57

I'm posting this on behalf of a friend who doesn't have MN, I'm unsure what I'd do myself so haven't been very helpful to her.

She starts a new job working from home soon - there are 2 days a week that the wrap around club is full so she's struggling for childcare. She's debating whether to let her child do the walk home alone (or cycle) - the walk is 40 minutes long. There are 2 main roads to cross, both have traffic lights. The walk would take child through the small town centre past shops/pubs, etc. My friend will be at home anyway but she can't leave work to do pick up as it's customer focused.

Child in question is just going into Year 6 but they're a summer born so only just turned 10.

Would you let your child do this? I know most kids walk home alone at that age but my friend is concerned by the distance and that there are sometimes not very savoury characters in the pubs in town which child will have to walk by.

OP posts:
IvorTheEngineDriver · 05/09/2023 09:01

No. Not at that distance. If it was shorter, yes.

Yalta · 05/09/2023 09:02

Dd was getting herself across London to go to school at that age

Is there a bus she can get on for some of the way

Original poster
Beezknees · 05/09/2023 09:19

There is a bus some of the way.

OP posts:

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topshotta · 05/09/2023 11:56

no no no

topshotta · 05/09/2023 11:56

can child go to friends house for tea on them days?

Zanatdy · 05/09/2023 11:58

that’s way too long for age 10. My kids started coming home alone end of summer term year 6. One train and I met them at the station

Eachpeachpears · 05/09/2023 12:02

Nope absolutely not.

BarbaraofSeville · 05/09/2023 12:02

topshotta · 05/09/2023 11:56

no no no

Well it's not ideal but it's likely she's going to have to start doing it in a year's time, so might as well start practising now, especially if she can get the bus some of the way.

If the child was German or Scandinavian, chances are she'd have been doing it for a few years already.

noctiscaelum · 05/09/2023 12:03

I wouldn't let a 10 years old walk 40 mins on their own.

Womblegreen · 05/09/2023 12:14

In Year 6 they should be old enough to walk home alone. But not the 40 minutes of the walk you describe.

Is there anyone doing the same route? An after school activity? A friend who can accommodate 1 or 2 nights regularly?

NerrSnerr · 05/09/2023 12:18

In year 7 they need to be getting to and from secondary independently (or at least they should be). I would give it a try but make sure she has a phone with tracking on.

Monkeybutt1 · 05/09/2023 12:18

My DS has just started year 6 at school 10 minutes walk away in a nice quietish village. He has started going to and from school by himself this week, he is 11 in 2 weeks so one of the oldest in his year. If he had just turned 10 he probably wouldn't be doing this walk until a few months time. There is no way he would be doing the walk you described, and he is very mature. Also in a couple of months they will be doing that walk in the dark.

Iwasafool · 05/09/2023 12:21

Is it a route that lots of families will be using? I wouldn't be keen on child doing that if not but if there are regularly lots of parents walking the route, or the majority of the route, I'd be more comfortable about it.

Seeline · 05/09/2023 12:24

My DS switched to the junior form at an indy for Y6. He was walking to the station, getting a train for 2 stops to the town centre then getting a bus outside the station for the rest of the journey. And reversing it on the way home. This was in outer London.

As long as she practices it with her DD and makes sure DD has a phone and knows how to use it etc I think it would be OK. Make sure she knows what to do if she feels something is wrong - eg go into certain shops and ask for help. Is there anyone she could walk part of the way with?

Crazycrazylady · 05/09/2023 14:09

Yalta · 05/09/2023 09:02

Dd was getting herself across London to go to school at that age

Is there a bus she can get on for some of the way

That was wreckless imo.

London location , absolutely not.
10 is still too young

mumyes · 05/09/2023 14:11

No, too young I think.

PuttingDownRoots · 05/09/2023 14:12

Main question... does the child know the way? Will they panic if they take a wrong turn... or remain calm and retrace their steps?

BananaSlug · 05/09/2023 14:13

40 mins no personally not. I’m so lucky Ds is in a secondary school 5 mins walk away. But no I wouldn’t allow that personally

PuttingDownRoots · 05/09/2023 14:15

Incidentally its normal for Scout troops to send groups out on hikes or free time on camp from when they start. Which in theory can be start of Yr5.

I know my DD had a fantastic time on camp this summer, between Yr5 and Yr6, including a funfair and a town visit with minimal supervision.

Laiste · 05/09/2023 14:19

the walk is 40 minutes long. There are 2 main roads to cross, both have traffic lights. The walk would take child through the small town centre past shops/pubs

Just turned 10? Doing this alone? No. Personally i wouldn't let one of mine do this at that age.

My 9 year old has been walking to and from school since the middle of year 4 (so 8 yrs old) BUT we live about 40 meters down the lane from the village school and i'm waiting at home for the text to say she's there AND she walks with 2 or 3 of her friends who go by as she leaves the house.

In one years time i would not be letting her do a walk through a busy town for 40 mins.

Eastie77Returns · 05/09/2023 14:26

Crazycrazylady · 05/09/2023 14:09

That was wreckless imo.

London location , absolutely not.
10 is still too young

Show quote history

I took the tube on my own aged 10 as did many of my friends. Perfectly fine. I think children are pretty safe on a busy train/tube. Not sure why a ‘London location’ makes it an absolute no. Are children statistically safer outside of the capital?

Laiste · 05/09/2023 14:35

I took the tube every day aged about 13 to 16 and was not perfectly fine at all.

Groped, flashed at, chatted up nearly every trip through central London. I would not put a 10 year old of mine on a tube train alone.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 05/09/2023 14:39

It totally depends on the child, and the area.

With ny eldest DDs (twins) I could have let DD1 from about 7 or 8 years old. Mega sensible child. Calm in a crisis (at 11 she was the first to react when a child was knocked down outside after school club). Very logical if she encountered any problems. So I could have let her easily.

DD2 I still worry about in her early 20s. She has a health issue. She’s also easily sidetracked and forgetful. She missed her stop on the bus three days in a row at 19 because she was distracted by lambs in the fields… Not a chance I’d have let her at 10.

Also where we lived when they were 6 there’s no way people let 10 year olds walk home. Where we moved when they were 8 pretty much everyone did.

It’s not something other people can answer.

longestlurkerever · 05/09/2023 14:42

Tricky one. I'm not sure why the distance should make that much of a difference safety wise really. Why is ten mins safe and 40 mins not? Though I suppose I would take comfort from them being more familiar with their immediate home turf. 40 mins is a fair slog in winter. I think they'd be better with the bus.

tedybear · 05/09/2023 14:42

No I don't think I would at age10. 40mins is a long walk. Does anyone else do the same route? Especially with the darker days about to come on us it can be nearly dark dependant how far south u are at 3pm.

Wld her new employer let her use her lunch break to pick them up until she can get a space in childcare. She def ask the question. Either that or try and get a childminder that picks up from that school for those 2 days.

Maybe I'd allow it at age 12 but I still wouldn't like it but wld possibly let them, especially if they had other friends to walk with.