For letting DS walk to and from school alone?

[IHaveBeenFallingFor30Minutes]

DS is 11 and in year 7. We live 0.6 miles from the school and DS knows the route. He also walks with a friend who lives 4 doors up.

AIBU for allowing him to walk to and from school alone? 95% of the time we are home when he is so he is not alone.

I am asking because his arsehole father has raised concerns about this and him being home alone as we are going through court at the moment.... this is one thing in a long list of concerns which keep being dismissed so he finds more!

Most secondary aged kids travel further than that alone, many come home to an empty house too. Completely normal

Absolutely fine in my opinion, soon as we started year 7 there was no bus and if your parents didn’t drive you had to walk. It was about 2 miles. I moved away but if I was still there I wouldn’t think twice about letting my kids do the same.

Walking to school is fine. How long is he home alone for?

YANBU any child being walked to school in Y7 is just asking to be bullied. Most children walk to school alone/with friends from Y5

Christ - it had better be normal. There’s no bloody way I’m still walking my child to school when she’s 11 🫣🫣🫣🫣

Picking up.a Secondary child that lives within walking distance or public transport is pretty much social death. I'm pushing it picking up my 11yo from an extra curricular club at 8pm a mile away apparently!

My DD walked further than that alone in Year 5. His dad needs to get a grip.

YANBU. It's very unusual here for secondary school kids, at least those within walking distance, not to make their own way to school.

Lol! I'm trying to get my 9YO used to the idea of walking home alone. We live about 500 meters from the school!

(He's autistic. If we start now he might be OK with the idea by the time he goes to high school!).

No that’s entirely she appropriate. If he raises it in court as an example of bad parenting he will be judged as the idiot he is.
I know of a dad who tried this and judge was extremely unimpressed - mum wanted child to go on girlguides trip and dad was saying how reckless etc - needless to say the court authorised the trip and she went.

Thanks all! I thought as much! He doesn't want me to walk him anywhere near it either..... but it's just one thing after another with his dad.

In reply to the poster who asked how long he's left for, he isn't left alone. I WFH and so does OH. There has been one occasion when I had a hospital appointment and he had to let himself in - we were home by 5:30 so alone for about 2 hours.

As others have said at that age its totally normal at that age. My 8 year old dd is asking to walk herself. I've said next September when she's in year 5. It's barely a 10 minute walk.

I wouldn’t engage if you can. He’s being ridiculous. Walking to school a short distance with a friend is ideal set up.
There’s no legal minimum to leave children. 11 year olds often come into to empty houses (no secondary schools have childcare!) Ignore.

100% reasonable. His Dad needs to butt out

DC round here walk further than that in Year 5.

DS was getting the bus and negotiating busy main roads in his first year of high school. And would have been coming home to an empty house had it not been for lockdown. Your ex is totally ridiculous!

Given that the school permits home walking from Y7 (as the children are not signed in/out by a parent), he would be hard pushed to prove that you are doi g anything you shouldn't.

He walks with a friend, even alone is fine. It's a short walk. He has adults at home (or soon to be home) after school.

That's the ideal set up for an 11yo.

I take my son to school on foot or bike and do the same coming home. He's in Year 7. He's also autistic with ADHD so I feel that it's the safest option for now. We enjoy that time before and after school. The front gates of the school are packed with parents dropping or collecting but many happily walk home. I think it's fine depending on your child.

Oh for god sake his dads being ridiculous

It would be weird if you did take him to and from school in those circumstances (SEN excluded).

I bet his arsehole father would also have done the same when he was at school and 95%+ of DC around the country do that journey alone/with friends rather than with parents/carers.

Many Y7s in London are navigating rush hour tubes, trains and buses by themselves over much greater distances. A short walk with a friend is absolutely fine.

Where we are year 3s aren't normally met at the gate, but around 0.3mile from the school. By year 5 a number are walking home by themselves, we're by no means the furthest and we're around 1.5 miles away.
By secondary most are on their own whether it's walking or bus.

We're not in a quiet roads hardly used area either.

My year 7 daughter walks 2 miles to school because the traffic is so awful (would take same time by car or bus). We can see her on our map app and it is a busy area. Sometimes walks with friends. Don't see problem at moment but may change mind in dead it winter....

Totally normal and standard for secondary school kids to travel to and from school alone and to spend a few hours at home alone. Your ex has absolutely no idea what's normal, by the sound of it. Most kids are walking a lot further than that to and from secondary school, or are getting public transport.

Your ex's complaint about your son letting himself in after school is equally absurd. What does he think happens with kids whose parents don't work from home? Does he think teenagers go to childminders?

Why would this be unreasonable

Most schools let yr5 students walk alone such distances and more