If you have DCs who go to secondary school together

[Cofkdsfw]

How long do you expect the older one to walk back with the younger one?

Like after the first few months, would you still expect an older sibling to walk back with the younger one?

If the younger one forgot their bus ticket would you expect the older one to also forego the bus and walk?

Same!! It was the same with their cousins - their elder cousin went flying towards DC1 at school and jumped on their back. The principal saw, and went to chastise DN, until DC1 said it was fine, it was her cousin!!

When my eldest 2 first started secondary (1 year apart) we lived in a village so they got the bus to to school so would technically walk home together because they both got off the bus and then walked home at the exact same time.
then we moved into town where the school was. I had to drive past the school to take youngest DS to primary in the village so would pick them up on the way (finish 15 min before primary)
when DS2 started secondary they take turns to walk home with him. Not sure how long that lasted. Few weeks i think.

Have to agree with this.

Yes, mine like each other, but they can spend time with their siblings any time (incl all thru weekend, all holidays, and every evening).

On way to and from school, is the time to spend with friends.

By your logic, I could ask "don't your dc have any friends?", but I won't, as I can understand that we are all different, and all in different situations (as in how far the walk is, where friends live, etc etc.)

The only time I walked home with my sibling was during Hurricane Fish (I know it wasnt a real hurricane) as the lower forms weren't allowed to leave without an older sibling or parent collecting them. It was sooo tempting to leave them there 😂

Mine have never walked back together.

okay, well by my logic I would answer that they also have a lot of local friends and they all walk together. Friendship can span ages where we live 😂

Honestly, I don’t recognise this scenario at all. My kids get on (and walk together) and so do their friends and siblings. Why is it so hard?

Why would they need to? My DS is still at primary but has been walking himself to and from school for a year. Yesterday he had an inset day so he went into 'town' capital city with his Monzo card to go to the Lego shop and Starbucks whilst I was at work in the morning.

I have boys and girls. They walk separately, and always have at secondary school.

I have 2 girls, they'd look out for each other, but would travel with their own friends. They'd walk to and from the bus stop this end together.

Neither ever forgot their bus "ticket" as it was on their phones, and everyone had a few quid in the bottom of their rucksack for emergencies.

Two boys, they love each other and spend lots of time together, but always walked to high school separately as they each walked with their own groups of friends. They’d walk slightly different routes to enable the friends pickups en route. And while they’re great friends, their friendship groups are different.

Different for walking to scouts / explorers - they walk up together and collect friends of various ages on the way, as they’re all part of the same group there.

OP sounds like your parents were somewhat overprotective, though it could depend on the actual route and any actual risks (eg known road for muggings etc).

It’s not hard - do your lot all walk one way to school I.e. are there lots of alternative routes leading into school or is there one main obvious way they all go? I can imagine if they’re all going down the same route anyway they may end up walking together, but ours is quite wiggly and there are lots of alternatives, and better places for people to collect and meet. It’s harder to coordinate 10 people all meeting and walking up than one group of 4 and another of 6.

Twins. They come home together through choice. I never came home with my sister two years below.

Mine chose to walk together. They didn't have to but they were happy to do so. If one had something else to do though they would go home separately.

I wouldn't expect the older sibling to walk back with the younger one at all?

Nobody walked with them (other than their mates). Why does their younger sibling need accompanying?

Hard to tell if overprotective based on one example.

I was expected to "look after" my younger sibling when they were doing things that I'd had to do by myself.

In my case I think it was a case of my mother favouring/babying the younger child and being too lazy to do the thing herself. (As in, if your mother was seriously concerned that you needed protecting on the way to school, then she should have taken you yourself, not delegated to older sibling).

Absolutely the answer is the same please don't teach your daughter she needs 'protection' instead teach your son to behave decently towards girls/women and encourage his friends to do the same!!!

My children adore each other but being 2-3 years apart they have separate friendship groups and each walks with their friends?! Doesn't mean they don't like each other, they aren't like blanking each other on the school walk 😂
But they obviously aren't in lessons together, it makes no sense to walk together as they'd have to faff finding each other / meeting at the end of the day? They just come out of class with mates and set off home.
Plus as PP have noted what if they go to an after school club?
So weird and patronising to require an older brother to escort their younger sister home, way to give both kids an unhealthy view of gender roles in society and the societal hierarchy - basically teaching them early that boys need to be in charge of girls 😳😳😳

This.

The automatic babying of younger siblings is what drives the achievement gap.

That's a different question.

Mine would actually choose to walk together (holding hands & skipping along if they thought no one was looking!). But that's not the point - the question was about not ALLOWING a younger sibling Y7 to walk home alone, which is ridiculous in my opinion.

But the OPs post isn't about choosing to - it's not about whether the dc want to do it. It's whether the parent tells the older one they have to walk the younger one home. Which is a different thing.

Kids choosing not to walk home together doesn't mean they don't like one another.

Mine, DS and DD one year younger always walked together both to and from school. I never told them to. They were always close, and still are in their late 20s

DC1 was never asked to walk DC2 home, but DC2 knew the walk from primary as the schools are next door. I did however ask DC1 to help DC2 learn the route to Youth Orchestra on public transport - I think for the first 4-5 rehearsals only. DC2 likes to get there early and prepare, DC1 runs in late, and so DC2 had an incentive to make her own way as soon as possible

DMum especially didn't want me walking back on my own after dark.

(We went to school some distance away from our home)

What @Talipesmum said in both posts (8.54 and 8.59).

@Florally why do you not understand that people are different ?
Mine walked separately as they walked down different roads, to meet up with their own friends.