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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To report two infant age children walking to school alone

566 replies

ThePosieParker · 25/01/2011 10:36

... to the head of the school.

This morning I saw two siblings (I assume) walking to school alone, the oldest looked about yr2 at the most and the youngest a reception child. I wanted to phone the school as there could be a number of reasons these children are walking alone, not all sinister but in my mind none good enough,. This is Bristol, a busy city, not the place to allow children to cross roads and negotiate traffic and people at the age of 6 or below, surely.

OP posts:
BuzzLightBeer · 25/01/2011 10:38

Could be older but smaller, you really have no idea.

Piggyleroux · 25/01/2011 10:38

I would. Are you sure they are as young as you think they are? Could they just be very small.

Original poster
ThePosieParker · 25/01/2011 10:40

No Buzz....I have a tiny 7 yr old...4 yr old, 2 year old...

I am able to judge children's ages.

OP posts:
clevercloggs · 25/01/2011 10:41

thats incredibly sad

twolittlemonkeys · 25/01/2011 10:42

I probably would ring, like Buzz says they could be small for their age. I was very small and a concerned passer by stopped to see if I needed help when I was walking to the station (secondary school) one morning. I think he assumed I was a lot younger. I thought most schools had a guideline, eg children can only walk to school without parents once they're in Yr 4 or something... (Don't know - my DS1 is only in reception so it's not something I need to know yet)

BuzzLightBeer · 25/01/2011 10:42

Not all of them you aren't. My DH was acase in point (old photos are freaky) he was 13 when everyone thought he was about 8. When he was 8 (and walking to school with his brother) he looked about 4.

Who are you going to report to? And say what? Some children who may or may not be a certain age and who I have no names for were walking to school today. And....?

loopylou6 · 25/01/2011 10:44

I would deffo. the dc might be older than they look, but I'd rather take that chance.

TheCrackFox · 25/01/2011 10:44

Well, it is worth mentioning to the HT.

But.....some children are very short for their age. And their parents (usually) are better placed to judge if they are able to walk to school than you.

rolandweary · 25/01/2011 10:46

my friend lets her Y3 and Yr2 children walk to school together. They are very sensible and it's not far. How do you know how far these children are walking?

Original poster
ThePosieParker · 25/01/2011 10:48

Well I phoned SS, for all I know their mother/father could be a smack head, have cancer, be beaten on the floor somewhere.

My sister is 39 and 4'9", so I know small. These children were at least a head shorter than my tiny ds who is 7, they also had baby chubby faces.

Given the number of children overlooked by passers by even when they are crying out for help, I had to call.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThePosieParker · 25/01/2011 10:49

rol....I know because I know where the school is. They were walking in an area where last year a man was run over by his own car when thieves stole it.

OP posts:
BuzzLightBeer · 25/01/2011 10:50

and as for school guidelines, I and only I will decide when my children are old enough to walk to school alone.

clevercloggs · 25/01/2011 10:54

my friend lets her Y3 and Yr2 children walk to school together. They are very sensible and it's not far. How do you know how far these children are walking?

plus she is a lazy cow who cant be arsed to get up Grin

Original poster
ThePosieParker · 25/01/2011 10:55

Why would you let them to school alone? That's part of the nice part of the morning.

OP posts:
MarioandLuigi · 25/01/2011 10:58

I would have phoned - if you are sure of the ages of the children (and it seems that you are), then I think you have done the right thing.

BuzzLightBeer · 25/01/2011 10:58

Why wouldn't I let them walk to school alone if they are able to? Its not the nicest part of my morning since I am often still working at 3am. Hmm

rubyrubyruby · 25/01/2011 10:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mamatomany · 25/01/2011 11:00

No wonder you can't get through town at 8.45am with all the cars queing, perhaps if more people let their children walk there would be less cars around to squash them.
Our year 6's are having a whole day dedicated to walking to the bus stop, getting on a bus and crossing the roads , rolls eyes, at that age I was going off into a town centre, responsible for a 1 year old, having a day out.

GypsyMoth · 25/01/2011 11:02

Maybe the parent was behind trailing them?

GypsyMoth · 25/01/2011 11:03

And actually, it's not against any laws is it? I used to get a public bus to school age 5, had to.

What can the head actually legally do?

YeahBut · 25/01/2011 11:04

Because being allowed to walk to school teaches children independence.

coppertop · 25/01/2011 11:06

Our school has rules about how old a child has to be before being allowed to go home alone, but nothing about children walking to school.

BreconBeBuggered · 25/01/2011 11:06

DS1 had a classmate in P2 (Scotland) who always walked his P1 sister to school. But to give the mother her due, she did always tell her DC there might be 'bad men' lurking in the bushes so that they wouldn't go on any detours.

Punkatheart · 25/01/2011 11:07

I was walking behind a young boy after dropping off my child this morning. He was a small boy - perhaps only seven - and really jumped when I walked past. It was still pitch dark and we were the only two people on the pavement. He cowered close to the wall and of course, I couldn't say anything to reassure him - a stranger talking to him would of course have frightened him more.

I couldn't see which school he was from but I commend your actions. I am all in favour of not mollycoddling children but there are some important issues with smaller children:

Of course something could happen and they are small and weak.

They cannot at that young age really judge distances and speed - so crossing roads is reallly dangerous

Seeing a child actually frightened of being on his own means that he shouldn't be there - surely?

GoodDaysBadDays · 25/01/2011 11:09

Isn't it better to speak to the school and let them see if there's a problem than do nothing?

If the children are ok then no harm has been done.

I'm surprised the responses are so negative.

Fwiw, we had an incident where ds's school phoned ss thinking I was harming him. I wasn't. Yes I was outraged very cross at the time, and in this instance they should have spoken to me as we had a daily working relationship, but that's another story.

SS visited, chatted and went away again, no harm done.

If something did happen to these children we'd all be asking why no one had intervened!

Personally, I would have called the school, but good call imo opinion Posie