to an almost 10yo DS to walk to school alone?

[winnybella]

Well, he's 9.8 yo. He has to walk 3 short blocks and cross 3 roads, a busy one on front of our house with the lights zebra crossing, one small one leading off a tiny roundabout (cars drive slowly there) and one close to school with a lollipop man.

Ex thinks it's not a good idea.

DS wants to walk by himself. I have initially followed him and he's seems to be very good about road safety.

Yesterday I cunningly said that I'll walk with him half way as I need to get bread and he said "ok, but I walk in front and you in the back'

He needs some independance but I'm here every morning chewing my nails wondering whether he got to school ok.

Thanks, gethelp I hope so, too.

Bonsoir-yes, I especially worry about the drivers turning into the crossing iyswim-they often seem to come at great speed and stop in the middle of the zebra

I have a 9.7 year old and I WAS thinking about letting him start walking a bit of the way to school with his friends who also walk alone (we live too far away to walk fully) but yesterday a girl in the year above him (yr 6) got run over after she walked out in the road without looking properly yards from the school. She is a very sensible girl so if it can happen to her, I would not risk my DS who is quite often on a different planet to the rest of us!

It is good to give them independence but there is always the risk that they will be day dreaming or mis judge it. I don't think it is worth it at this age. Secondary school is early enough for them to walk/travel alone IMO.

My 8 year old walks to school by herself 2 days a week (on the other days my youngest has pre-school so I walk him but she walks ahead , We live about 1/4 mile away if that down the street and across 1 empty road, She has a mobile and she rings when she gets there then hands it to receptions and collects it at the end of the day.

I would hope that by the time my son is 10 he will be walking to school himself. Definitely old enough IMO.

But frustratedfranny. You can't live a life on what if's. There is a massive increase in rta's in yr 7 because so many of them have never been let out for short distances etc and started to gain their own judgements. Junior schools are often much nearer home than senior schools.

frustrated its awful what happened to the girl at your sons school BUT it is FAR better for them to start walking to school before they go to high school and let them learn how to cope with the independence etc rather than just wait till they are at high school and then just send them on their way, its not like there is some magic switch that flicks and they suddenly become responsible enough to walk to school on their own at high school age.

its something they need to LEARN and to do that we have to give them the opportunity.

fwiw my 9 yr old has on occasion walked to/from school on his own for the last year, so since he was 8, we have a half an hour walk with one VERY busy road (with a pedestrian crossing)

i think in the uk we have a bit of a peculiar attitude to kids walking to and from school on their own, i grew up abroad and walked on my own from 7ish? and they do in many other countries.

my son was in year 5 when we started letting him get to school alone he had to take two buses it took 45 minutes each way he was fine and unlike those who have only let their kids on the first day in year 7 he is now very confident and knows the routes very well even figureing out how to get home when the bus was diverted and went way out the route

i was very proud he didnt panic or cry he simply asked for directions from the bus driver and then walked

dont wrapp them up in cotton wool fyi dd never had a mobil phone and his high school dose not allow them but might be good for your dd go for a simple one thats cost around £10 so people arent encourged to steal it