To let 7 year old walk to and from school alone?

[RLE2]

DS is in year 3, we live about a 10 minute walk away from the school. We live in a quiet area, he won't be near any busy roads, the only roads he has to cross is our road and the school road. The school road isn't too busy as it's only people going to the school using it and our road is empty apart from neighbours. Is 7 too young? It's not unheard of for year 3's to walk by themselves at his school but most still walk with a parent, a few don't

Sorry not meant to be a ? after way too young. It is too young imo.

Way too young.. my ds is 9 and has started asking if he can walk from the school to the car which will be 2 mins away with me waiting in it but I'm still unsure

At our school (also a quiet area) they say that they can walk home once they have turned 8 in Year 4. I think 7 is a bit young to walk completely their own.

Pretty sure I did that age. My mum forgot to come get me one day so I walked partly home before I met her speed walking to get me. After that she decided I was okay to walk back by myself. It was probably 5 min walk crossing one quiet road a couple times

Was like 20years ago though so I don't think they checked kids leaving

My DS is 8 (nearly 9) and he does walk with his 10 year old sister but not generally on his own.

Mmmmm I'm a bit on the fence. My DD is 10 and she's only now walking by herself mainly to get her ready for high school this year when she'll be getting a bus.

My first instinct is that 7 is too young. You say it's a quiet route but as a pp pointed out this isn't always a good thing as it could be desolate rather than quiet. There is a difference. In our case she walks "with the herd" IYSWIM and there are several other mums walking younger ones in who have said they will keep an eye out for her as I would for theirs. If there's an emergency there will be someone who can call me (I'm not giving her a phone just yet there really isn't any need). Equally she knows there is a friendly face close by should she need help.

The other reason I waited so long isn't because I don't trust her or even due to a big stranger danger issue it's more she has her head in the clouds ALL THE TIME . Literally she loves daydreaming and for her time walking by herself is prime daydreaming time so I've been worried that she isn't paying attention to her surroundings.

It's your call OP but as has also been pointed out waiting another year or so unless there is a practical reason why you can't isn't so long. Maybe agree do do in stages and practise the walk at weekends too.

I miss this school run DD used to hold hands all the way and have lovely chats. And stopping for ice cream from the van on a sunny Friday afternoons >hears Abbas Slipping through my fingers and sobs

We also live a 10 minute walk from school and no way will I be letting DS walk it alone until he's in year 6.

Yes, most 7 yr olds, given a bit of guidance initially, are ok to do this.
Whether it is safe to do so depends on your area andthe route .

Start of Y2, kids here (not uk) are released from the classroom to catch their bus - and most kids are bussed. Yes, I had kittens the first few days and was watching the clock. But he's been fine. It is also different when people are expecting kids to be doing this - everyone keeps an eye out for each other, whereas if it's just one child, no-one knows they are on their own, iyswim?

In our case she walks "with the herd" IYSWIM and there are several other mums walking younger ones in who have said they will keep an eye out for her as I would for theirs

If you need other mums to keep an eye on her then surely she's not ready. Why shift responsibility onto other parents? Just walk her in yourself.

@bigs
You won't let a 9yr old walk out to the car? That's perfectly reasonable at that age. Does no one let their kids out to play in the street?
Kids need to learn to be aware and capable. If it's a simple route the best thing to do is let him leave 2 mins ahead of you then follow on to see how he does, the streets won't be deserted other folk will be heading to school. If more people would let their kids walk we wouldn't see the ridiculous and dangerous volume of cars around schools being driven my paranoid mummies.

I think in the UK parents generally limit their children’s independence for much longer than other countries, eg Germany.
I walked alone to school from age 5, as did virtually all the kids in my primary, so there was a crowd of us streaming along the street each day.
I let my own kids walk alone from age 6 - they had to cross the village Main Street outside the school, but the headmistress came out to act as a lollipop lady each day and stop the local potato lorries as required!

No 7 is too young and I imagine school would have something to say about it too. I don't know what happens at your school but at mine there are at least 3 members of staff on the gate in the morning who would notice a 7 year old turning up on their own.

My eldest started walking on her own at the start of year 6.

He's been asking to for a while but I'm still uncertain. He'd be walking by himself (unless he does have a friend he can meet) but there are lots of parents and children walking the same way. I didn't let my older DD untill she was in year 6 and even then she walked with a friend who's mum wasn't far behind but we lived in a completely different area then and part of the walk was next to a busy road, this route is much safer. I also feel like it might help with his confidence to be more independent

Funny I had just had a conversation with DD the same age, telling her at her age I used to walk to school myself (very different area, no main roads and only ten minute walk) she asked if we lived there would I let her walk alone now and I (who’s always encouraging independence) said oh yes! but even just reading the title I realize I would definitely not!

No, 7 is too young. My children didn't go on their own till Year 5, and they only had to cross one road via a supervised crossing.

The school would be fine with it as other students the same age walk by themselves. It fairly normal from year 3 and onwards

I think it's completely child and area dependent so only you can make that call.

^^ This
Where we use to live, I might have let DS walk in at age 7, now he has to cross 3 main roads and its a much longer walk, so will have to wait

I definitely wouldn’t. Can you walk him part of the way then watch him walk the rest alone?

No, and most schools don't allow it till year four anyway....just get off your arse and walk him.

All the kids where I live (Scandinavia) walk to school alone/with friends at that age too. Six years old and the school prefers drop off (it's the first year at school for the kids so they want them to get used to it). Seven years old and off they go, walking or getting the bus by themselves.

If your kid is mature enough and the roads are safe then why not? You could do a trial run and walk some way behind him for the first few tries if you want to be reassured but I'm pretty sure he'll just get on with it.

Too young.

Our school only allows y5/6 to walk to school and back.

I think that's a good guide.

Also they're young for a small time, I loved walking mine to school!

Omg NO! Why would you want to do this?
I've only just started letting my year 7 son

I wouldn't feel comfortable to do this. You can't pass over responsibility to other parents walking their children to school, he has to be 100% reliable totally on his own.

Do you know how he is at crossing the road on his own?