to be nervous about allowing my 7yo to bike to school.

[MMQC]

My son is 7 next week and is getting a new bike for his birthday. He's very excited and wants to use it to bike to school.

We're about a mile from school, with all bar about 100 yards or so on paths across the countryside. He is unlikely to meet another soul until he gets to the road.

He currently goes to school on the bus, so there's no extra convenience to allowing him to go by bike. It would only be sometimes anyway, in good weather, etc.

I can't ride a bike, so couldn't go with him. My husband is happy to go with him the first couple of times to make sure he's OK.

Would you let him go? I feel very nervous about the whole prospect, but don't know if I'm being sensibly cautious or wrapping him in cotton wool.

There was another thread on here (about two years ago??) where a poster wanted to learn to ride a bike - she signed up for classes & from memory did OK :)

As for those of you saying what if his chain comes off - you're showing your age that doens't happen anywhere near as much with modern bikes... and if it does, he'd do what we all did at that age - put it back on or push it!

MMQC - it's very easy to get put off doing something (in this case letting him ride his bike to school) by people who aren't living your life (in this case don't live where you do, don't know your son, don't know your route and don't know your schools rules). Whilst a 'no' might be a good decision in their situation it might not be the right decision for you or your family... we are all influenced by our own surroundings. Personally I'd talk to the school - & check out their rules first - it may save your brain from thinking about it anymore :) The next thing I'd do is ask myself if I would allow him to walk the route - if not, why not? If yes, it's another thing ticked off isn't it. If yes - why yes to walking and 'not sure' to riding?... basically go through it step by step. Good Luck with both your decision and learning to ride :)

It's not really up to the schppl though is it?

school-I'm 'p' happy!

wotnot - it is if the school wont let the child lock their bike up in the premises or wont let the child out at home time without an adult there to collect them.

I agree that the school is the first stop. Or perhaps the first step is to let him ride it a few times accompanied and see how well he takes it. The school may not be the issue inasmuch as he has to pass a couple of friends' houses on the way, so at a pinch could leave the bike there and walk in the last bit.

I wouldn't let him walk, merely because it would take too long. The bike would take 10 minutes at a guess, the walk half an hour. He'd have to be up too early to walk!

Yes - but would he be allowed to leave the classroom/school on his own? He wouldn't at our school - they 'have' to be collected. So in this case if you were to let him, you'd have to ask someone to 'be responsible' for him (as far as the school are concerned).

OK - but if time wasn't an issue, you'd be happy to let him walk it?

OK - so what is the difference?

I'm a bit baffled at the idea of school not letting you lock up your child's bike on the premises. What if you cycle to school with your children, what are you meant to do with their bikes? Sounds like a good way to push yet more people into driving their children to school.

Our primary doesnt allow children to leave without an adult until Yr 6 so it may not just by the cycling test to consider.

Wow - ds was walking home on his occasionally at the end of P4 ( = Y3, age 8) and all the time in P5.

But Scottish schools seem to have a very different approach.

I'd not let my nearly 8-year-old walk alone.

I have let mine walk alone occasionally from 6 or 7, but for cycling I made them wait longer, my children are more sensible when walking. Cycling is scarily fast for a confident child, I still get wibbles about my 11 and 9yo cycling, because they do still tend to be over-confident, plus mine will go on the wrong side of the road (especially cos we've cycled quite a lot in France for the last two summers), or just speed down a hill. in fact they had a bad cycling accident last summer due to 8yo merrily overtaking on the inside at 20mph. dd2 was lucky not to lose an eye. so I'm less likely to let my dc cycle alone than walk alone.