to consider getting dd, 10, to walk home and let herself after school, one night a week?

[ElaineReese]

I did ask this on an old thread, but it was in its death throes, so I'm going to ask again if that's alright.

It turns out I have a seminar group from 2.30 to 4pm one night a week this semester - starts 1st Feb. Dd, in year 6, finishes school at 3.15.

Sometimes she walks halfway home if I'm not going to be back for 3.15 and dd1 meets here there, as her school is halfway between primary and home - unfortunately on this day, dd1 has an afterschool activity she can't change. So dd2 would have to do the rest of the walk (cross a big road at proper crossing, then straight to our road), let herself in, and wait for about 45 minutes until I got in.

She's a sensible girl and I trust her, but not, of course, traffic and Other People. I'm also concerned that she'd be lonely and worried in the house alone. I could feasibly work at home until my seminar, and make sure I left her a note and a snack ready - just not sure this is quite good enough.

WWYD, please?

Just make sure she knows what to do if someone knocks on the door.
Get her a phone in case of any problems.
Is there someone she can go to if she forgets her key?
Road safety is vital - too many children are knocked down on their way to and from school so drum this into her as hard as possible.
And don't go round telling neighbours, you don't want the whole district to know that your child is home alone on a certain day of the week.

I would let her do it. My DDs started walking home in year 6.

How far are we talking about? 6 miles would be a bit Victorian but then she could boast complain about how awful her parents are.

My eldest two started walking home from school in year 6 - I would let her do it - it will be a gradual start ie one afternoon which may then build up

I'd let my Y6 DD that. She stays at home on own for about an hour sometimes). Can't walk home, 3 miles of single track lanes, but walks back with friends in the village.
Some of the old Y6 did (quiet village, but a busy road with no crossing). No idea how long they were on their own for, but both had to cross the road.
School get huffy below Y6, even if you live 100 yards down a car free path.

WRT the issue of lost keys, we have had a key safe installed on the outside wall of our house behind a gate where it can't be seen from the road. This works really well so we never have to worry about whether dc will forget their keys and has also come in very handy for me when I've locked myself out too! We ran it past our house insurance company who were happy for us to use it.

How do you get into the key safe? With a key?

I know that under flowerpots and stones is the first place people look for spare keys. There is nowhere outside our house that is safe enough to store a spare key so when dd has forgotten her key she's just had to wait.

It's usually a code for a key safe I think.

WRT to key safes make sure they are in a sheltered spot - the poor boy next door to my parents' had to spend some time at theirs one afternoon last winter as the lock on the safe had frozen shut. It's a good thing my Dad's retired because it was far too cold for him to be outside for the whole time.

I could definitely put a spare key somewhere - inside the washing powder in the porch at the back, or something!

I don't know how far it is in miles, but probably a 15/20 minute walk (I will probably time it over the next few weeks so I know when to worry).

I'll get her one of those v. cheap phones in Tesco (birthday not until April!)

There are lots of things here which are really useful as reminders of what to tell her (not opening the door being probably the main one!).

Anyway: all the friends whose mums I could ask go to football; dd1's thing is a twilight class which doesn't finish until half four, so school unlikely to be comfortable with a ten year old loitering for that long; I can't think of anything else she could do or anyone who might be able to sit with her at that time, so I think I'll have to grit my teeth (and hers) and we'll see how it goes!

Thank you so much for all these replies, they've been very reassuring.