AIBU - Walking home from school

[troisgarcons]

TA approached me Yesterday to see if I would be agreeable to DS and her daughter walking home together.

DS3 (11), Y6. Primary is 2 miles away (I anally did the walking route in the car today). He is oldest in year group (September birthday).

They have to cross 2 main roads, it's a busy route, passing 4 other primaries on the way (so plenty of parents etc), several sets of traffic lights, pelicans and zebra crossings.

The way I see it is: DS2 was very young in the year, so when he went up to Y7 and school 5 miles away, he had 2 buses, the busy shopping mall bus terminus and 4 schools converging all at once to deal with. He managed.

So at 11.6 - he is old enough now to find his way home, given DS1 and DS2 were only 11.4 when they started secondary school.

Damn, someone will ask me what the AIBU is...... so am I correct in giving life skills to my child before he commences secondary school?

At 11 I walked home from school two miles including roads etc... My Dc will go to middle school in year 5 and have to negotiate a bus and DS2 will be 9 and one week old at the time.
11 seems plenty old enough to me.

I think it's fine for an 11 year old to be walking home so long as they have good road sense.

He's 11.6 now and in a few months will presumably be at Secondary where he'll have to do the bus/mall thing anyway? Get him ready now. Go for it.

I didn't with DS2 - I babied him right to the end of Yr6 (and he wanted that). Starting Yr 7 and a long walk to High School was a hell of a shock for him - with DS3 I'll be getting him used to travelling alone much sooner.

Yes, I think it's a good idea to "train" them about what it's like to be out on their own when they are on a very familiar school route. Especially if they will soon have to travel alone to secondary.

You might want to wait until the evenings are a bit lighter, though.

Mine started aged about 10, and it was an absolute blessing on nights when they had different finishing times because of clubs.

It sounds like quite a lengthy route but he is definitely old enough IMHO. My DD is 9 and has just begun walking half of her route to school on her own. I cross her over the road and she then walks up the hill. I think by Year 6 not all kids are walking to school in our area but most are.

DD1 (year 6) and dd2 (year 3) have been walking on their own to and from schol since September. It's a 30 minute walk, but there's lots of other parents around and dd1 is sensible and fairly good at coping in emergencies. She has a (small) list of places/people on the way that she can get help from if necessary (including infant school she passes) and three people they can accept a lift from (and no one else whoever it is).

They enjoy the independence most of the time, although walking wouldn't be their choice of transport. In the summer I give them money to get an ice cream from the van a couple of times a week. Good bribery!

Defintely old enough, DD1 is only 3 months older (yr7), has SEN very little road sense and walks home from school with friends. Gets a lift in the mornings due to an arrangement with another parent.

I can't be at 2 schools at the same time and there is no viable public transport option so I have to trust her to get on with it.

I think he is old enough.

i was walking to school which was one a half miles away when i was the tender age of six(i walked with my ten year and eight year old sisters)

I'm a bit muddled. How is he getting home at the minute? Why is the TA asking if he's not currently walking?
At 11 with 2 of them they should be fine so long as you and he think he is old enough.

Sounds fine to me. I was walking over a mile home on my own when I was 7yrs-but things were different then-we all did.

Harecare

I'm a bit muddled. How is he getting home at the minute? Why is the TA asking if he's not currently walking?

After school club, which the TAs daughter also attends.

What's the fuss about? I was 7 and had a long walk to a bus stop, caught a bus, got off in a village and boarded another to get to school. Aged 7! Just do it a couple of times with yourDCs and they'll be able to do it themselves. Oh, and homewards as well.