To report two infant age children walking to school alone

[ThePosieParker]

... 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.

There are plenty of anecdotes on mn where, as a child, the poster wishes that somebody had stepped in and shown concern for their welfare. Especially when it was out of the norm and below decent parenting standards.

At least Posie did something, by the sounds of it a lot of you would have done nothing.

But of course not, Alouise! We all lived in an era where we brought ourselves up in the spirit of independence!

Every day I thank the stars I didn't have lazy parents who used the pretext of making me 'independent' in order to sit on their arse instead of doing their job.

my apologies if I misunderstood you mamatomany.

Below decent parenting standards? Could you show us all you chief of parenting badge, I'm not sure I understand your credentials.

ButterflyEffect
What do you mean re. noobs?
Who has got huffy and de-regged?
If they are a twat, is it a problem?

I haven't read the whole thing yet but OP did you report the nine year olds smoking to anybody?

I would feel really upset to see that. And the smoking may not be a crime but somebody must be providing the children with cigarettes.

Do you think that the children you saw were from this rough estate where five year olds say fuck off and nine year olds smoke?

I have mixed opinions about the walking because I wouldn't do it here but I realise that when I emigrate I will be expected to let my dd2 walk to school on her own. It is normal there I understand, and encouraged. She is 5.

Will read the rest now. I'm only on page 9. Late night for me.

from everything you have said, (rubbish trucks-tuesday morning, the man who got run over last year, not very good school) i think you were in my area of bristol... its not THAT bad

i'm confused about the busy road though with 5 yr olds swearing? busy rd.. yes but not with young children all the way along it unsupervised

anyway, do you still think you were right to call anyone seeing its not actually illegal for children to walk alone?

I have noticed, but I don't know who are the noobs who have got huffy and de-regged on thisse threadye (you are still in your Medieval dysgyisse lovye) - hence the scratchynge of myne heede

SS was way over the top in this instance. I get the feeling had these children been walking through a 'naice' area the OP might not have been so quick to involved them rather than going through the school...and unless I've missed it I don't understand how the OP knew which school they attended, esp as it doesn't appear to be the one her own children attend?

Children do, unbelieveably, walk to school on their own. As a primary age child I was the only child in my school who didn't walk to school on their own/with siblings/with friends. Less than a generation ago it was the norm. In the last 10-15 years with people living further from schools it has become a rarity.

From what has been said about these children, at the very most a call to the school was appropriate. Anything more is going over the top.

My DS2 (in Yr 5, will be 10 in April but the size of a 6-7 year old and with a young round face which probably makes him look younger than that) walks with his brother (Yr8) half the way to school, then walks the second half on his own.

I would be livid if someone reported him for doing so, because of the wider ramifications, not just for us as a family, but for me professionally, and as I know what mileage my Ex would make from it.

Threads like this frankly make me concerned about any parenting choice I make being subject to SS scruting at the whim of a passerby with no information.

It worries me that the criteria of what justifies to many people a report to SS seems to be growing ever wider.

its not even a bad area...

op is talking about horfield in bristol... thats the only place a man has been killed by his own car in bristol while it was being stolen...

the children must have been walking to upper horfield primary school, there is one big road but it can't have been that road that the op saw them as you wouldn't get stuck behind a truck on that road, its massive. the rest of the roads are small estate roads where the speed limit is (i believe) 20 mph if not less

the estate is not rough.... unless op is a snob

or maybe it was toronto rd where you saw the children? still not that busy...

Horfield If the OP thinks that's the ghetto I wonder where she lives...

Hah spect OP lives in the Dizzy Heights of Clifterrrrrrrrrrrrn

sneyd park moon

i'd rather my kids walked to school in horfield than clifton mind you...

Sneyd Park, it all becomes clear.

OP have you ever reported on any of these nine year olds smoking or tiny children playing unsupervised and the five years olds that say fuck off?

the op has probably seen ONE 9yr old smoking.... and i expect even that was speculation as we know she doesn't like asking kids their ages when she can just guess instead

I see three children on my bus every monring going to school alone.

They arrive at the bus stop alone, ride the bus alone and have to cross roads after they get off to get to the school. The eldest doesn't look older than 8. They seem perfectly happy and manage.

It was a bit OTT to phone SS. But it is a known fact that a chi;d under 7 cannot judge the distance of traffic and even older children have trouble. So young children should not be walking to school on thier own.

Even when they don't have to cross roads, or only where there is assistance like a lollipop person? More leaping to conclusions without any of the necessary steps inbetween.

But what about in Switzerland where it is normal to let your children from a young age walk alone. Are we so much better than the Swiss? This would be normal there.