To let 7yo ds walk home by himself?

[LiegeAndLief]

Ds will be 8 in August and is in Y3.

We have about a 20min walk home from school. I already let him walk a little way by himself, less than 5min with two tiny cul de sacs to cross (I go another way round and meet him) to start giving him some practice at walking alone. He has asked to walk a longer way by himself. Would be about 10mins, with a further 3 roads to cross. These are busier than the ones he currently does but still pretty quiet.

He has been walking to and from school since reception on this route and I think has quite a lot of road sense. I often ask him to tell me when it is safe to cross and I can't ever remember him saying yes when it wasn't. We have talked about finding a safe spot to cross and what to do if eg a van is parked at his usual crossing point.

I was going to say yes. Dh thinks I am mad and he wouldn't be safe. I know there are children in his year walking to and from school by themselves so I can't be the only person who thinks this is ok! What is the MN consensus?

Yes, Scarlett, that's exactly right. We are already doing this, but only for a very very short way - he's asking to go a but further by himself.

Unfortunately there isn't really anyone he could go with. Although oddly I think I would be more worried about him walking with friends his own age, they can get a bit silly together...

Our school is split into infants and juniors on different sites. Infants they let them out one by one to a waiting adult, juniors they just chuck them all out into the playground. I would be picking him up from school though, just going a different way for the last bit of the journey.

I think wait until both parents are comfortable with it.

My rule is that other people don't need to be ok with stuff we let our kids do. We both need to be ok with it.

We let our kids (7 and 8) walk to and from the school bus pick up/drop off to home because we're both comfortable with it.

I think you're right bragmatic and I certainly wouldn't make a unilateral decision if dh didn't agree. I was just a bit surprised I guess as I had thought it was a sensible decision and dh really didn't, so I wondered what AIBU would say!

Dh did start to come round to the idea a bit when I explained my reasoning.

I walked without a parent from pretty much y1 onwards. Ok, was 45 years ago but it was pretty much the norm in those days.

I would be inclined to give it a go then Liege.

Most of the big steps towards independence with my boys have been my suggestion that requires talking round and reasoning with their dad, he is over cautious with everything.

Usually I am able to make my point and then he comes round to my way of thinking and it has (up until now) always worked out ok. You know your own children and their capabilities, and your son is keen to do it so I would give it a go tbh - a cheap mobile or walky talky would keep contact between you if that would appease your husband a bit?

I walked to school alone at the age of 8 in the early 80s, but there were less cars on the road then.

I also walked alone at this age but it was a different world 30 years ago. Less traffic, and people looked out for each other in a way they simply don't now.

A no from me. I wouldn't.

We live 5 mins walk from school and there is no way I would let 8yo DS walk it by himself

yabu but it's your call.

Ds3 is 8 next month and will walk home alone after the summer (as his brothers did) but we are only about 5 mins from the school with one, fairly easy, road to cross. Most of his friends have been walking by themselves for ages, some living much further away.

Our school chucks them all out into the playground after the second week.

I walked by myself from a young age ( as I imagine most of us did in the 70s and 80s) the rule was to eithercross at a crossing or wait until the road was completly clear even if that ment waiting 5 minutes.

I think 7 is old enough for short walks like that.

Fewer cars

No I wouldn't. My dd is just turned 8 and very sensible and also has really good road sense. However twice when I've been with her, something's happened like she's dropped something in the road or someone's called out to her from the opposite side and she's just stepped straight into the road without thinking. It only takes a momentary distraction.

My younger sister did at 7, there were two girls in her class that also did so she began walking with them and all 3 really enjoyed it. Until one of the girls mums called my mum saying that the girls were best friends and the mums had organised that the two of them walked home together and could my mum stop my sister walking with them bitch it was horrible! She suggested that my sis set off a couple minutes earlier/later so that she wasn't walking with the girls

it all depends on where u live/traffic/distance from school. Its lovely for kids to walk to school i think but if DH isn't happy just yet perhaps suggest it again after the summer hols or after Xmas??

I think the road I used to cross to get to school is a lot safer now than it was in the 80s. It's now a 20 zone with 3 crossings. When I used to cross it was a busy main road with a higher speed limit

Personally...I absolutely would not allow this

Why do you feel the need ? Do you need to be elsewhere ? I could possibly see the reason if you were not able to pick him him up but I am puzzled as to why you would do this.

They grow up so fast...He doesn't have a lot of time at junior school left, dont make him grow up too fast

I don't understand why you split up on the last leg? Can't he go half way from school by himself and you meet him after 10 minutes?

I let my DS's walk to school by themselves, they are 9 and 7. It's a short walk with only one road to cross (which, ironically, is only ever busy during school run times). Recently a friend has started walking with them (she's 8) and they also pick up another friend on the way (he's 7). Trust your instincts, but also listen to your DH's.

Speed awareness is poor in young kids even to age 11/12. Give it another year or so

Too young IMO.