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

At our school part of the issue is what children get up to between arriving in the playground and going into class. The school was concerned about children being alone in the playground with adults milling around. This may have been part "bored kids on their own get up to trouble" but they did a general safeguarding blitz e.g. parents can't go into classrooms, strict limits set on when parents can be in the playground etc. and this was part of the same discussion.

The teachers at my kids school wouldn't have a clue how someone gets to school. Parents aren't allowed into the playground after the first week of P1, where the teachers are, or into the building (unless you have a specific reason for being there). You drop them at the gate, which you can't see from the playgroup, and they walk up to the playground. That's it.

I wouldn't let my 7 year old do it, but plenty of them do. It's generally accepted as being normal from P4 onwards.

No, I wouldn't, and after 5 DC 3 of whom are grown up I am about as laid back as it's possible to be.

I was mature enough to walk to school at 7 (albeit 40 years ago) Swiss, Norwegian, German etc children are mature enough what is so different about UK children that they are not mature enough even at 9-10?

Precisely. There is nothing inherently different about British children that makes them less mature than their continental counterparts, nor are the European children freakishly lucky to not have issues with this, just a different culture that expects them not to be able to cope versus cultures that do expect it and prepare the children from a younger age accordingly.

Just wondering, those who don't let their DC walk untill year 6 or so do you let your DC play out? It doesn't seem as common these days but DS is allowed to ride his bike or go to the park right by the house. Most of the time he just goes in the garden, front or back. I check on him and he has a watch to know when to come in. I have a feeling some people will be horrified by this but he's sensible whilst doing this, walking to school isn't too different to this.

However I'm considering leaving it till september as my youngest will be starting nursery then, most likely mornings. So I could walk him in and then let him walk back by himself. He'll be in year 4 and quite far into being 8 by then. Although I am feeling quite guilty over considering this with all the comments

@RLE2

My ds is in year 6...he walks to school and back by himself occasionally...(i have to take my younger DD so we generally all go together). He is also allowed to walk to the shop ten minutes away.

As for playing out...we live in London and there really is not a culture of playing out here. Kids may meet in the park to play but there is always a parent accompanying them.

I lived round the corner from my school, with no roads to cross and my mum wouldn't let me walk alone until I was in Yr6.

My Y6-er has in the ,past week just been allowed to "play out" on a green opposite the house or walk to her friends and back. That is it. She has a watch and has to check in every 20 minutes or so. I know lots of kids her age and younger who have much more freedom and many who have less. We seem to be in the middle.

Still to young! Does your school even let the children go without an adult there to pick them up my children's school don't until year 6 and even then we need to let school know.

@RLE2 Mine play out. They were, for a while, the only kids in the street who did. Now the street is a bit more like it was when I was younger and most of the kids play out.

You know your kids and your area so do what you think is right because no matter what option you choose it’ll never be the right one to many.

You can only make the best choices for you and yours in your specific circumstances and hope for the best outcome no matter if that choice is which school or playing out, or anything in between.

I think some of the responses have been very ott op, the 9 yr old only just allowed walk to the car etc. You sound like a reasonable parent whose assessed risk.

It would be most unusual to see this at our school.
Dd is 8 and in year 3. She's mature beyond her years and very independent but no way on god's earth would I allow this.
We live 10 minutes away from her school too and the only main road to cross is a busy one directly opposite her school and there is a lolly pop lady but still no.

There is a girl in year 5 who walks to and from our school every day and people always say they feel sorry for her. She looks
Scruffy and dad all the time. I know that's nothing to do with her walking alone but just made me think of her when I read this.

A lot can happen in 10 minutes.

I wouldn't, because that walk is such a bloody lovely part of bieng a parent. You get to chat about stuff, answer ridiculous questions about life, look at snails and seasonal stuff going on. I think that time togther is far more valuable to a child than a bit of early independence. Aged 9 I let them play out in our (quiet) street wiht friends. Age 10 they went into town by bus with friends but never alone. By Yr 6 they went to and from school alone.

Definitely not. There have been a few local incidences of children approached by strangers so I just don’t think it’s worth the risk. I have a 6 year old DD and her school is 5 minutes walk away with no roads to cross but I still wouldn’t consider it for a few years yet, maybe P4 or 5.

If I remember, ours walked on their own when they were in Year 6. Something like a 10 minute walk with one road with a lollypop lady. No worries with that at all.

I would let my child from 7 for a walk less than 20 minutes and no busy roads, but I'd have expected them to play outside and bike around without supervision at that age as well.

“that walk is such a bloody lovely part of bieng a parent. ”

That’s so so true. DD started secondary school in September so I no longer do the “walking to school” thing. I thought I’d be glad to not have to bother but omg I miss the chats we had. Makes my heart ache a little bit just thinking about it.

No... He's definitely too young

DS started walking/cycling to school by himself about a month before his 8th birthday. He's very mature and sensible. A couple of roads to cross on a very quiet estate and just under 10 minutes walk. He had just started playing out with friends around the same age. Quite a few friends locally did the same, so he was always bumping into them on the way to school.

I was one of the posters who said no and yes my DC always played outside. We live on a reasonably safe cul de sac and know a fair few of the neighbours.

Hmm, I'd probably be a no, although where I live dc do walk alone at this age.

Dc1 started walking the 10-15 min back home alone (through a small town, a few roads to cross but none hugely busy, and with crossings) at 9. Dc2 started at 8, and for the first few months I met him partway. Then we moved house and he did the (a bit shorter and more straightforward) walk by himself no problem and began cycling it at 9. 8-ish feels about right to me, and I suppose that might be the tail end of 7 in some circumstances, but 'properly' 7 I think probably not. 'Far too young' is an exaggeration, though.

The difference with playing out is that you can stick your head out to check/call them in!
A child could be missing and it wouldn’t be until after school you’d even know. I wouldn’t be able to rest easy all day.

Enjoy this time

Hey OP, no I wouldn't allow my seven year old to play outside either on his own.

Out of interest:
If people acknowledge that a few decades ago children walked to and from school on their own at a very young age and that, today, children in other European countries are given this independence with no apparent adverse effects, why are people so against it here?
If you think your kid is too young, fine. But the posters wailing "How could you be so lazy and thoughtless? They're still teeny babies! I could never do this in a million years." How can you justify that when so many manage successfully?

You can't justify the 'they're teeny tiny babies' thing. But a few decades ago - and in many European countries - there were/are a lot fewer cars on the road. We're a pretty densely populated country. And I hate to say it but culturally we're not all that nice to each other. Especially to kids.