AIBU to think it’s ok for my DD to walk school?

[alwaysgonnaloveyou]

I have been offered a job but my 9 year old DD (soon to be 10) would need to walk to school alone. It is a mile away. I would need to leave the house at 7.30 to get to work but the out of hours club provided by school doesn’t open until 8. I am a single parent and do not know anyone who would be able to pick her up from our house and drop her off at school. I have a 14 year old DD also who is super sensible but goes to a different school so she would be looking after him until he has to walk to school. Her school is in the opposite direction so she can’t walk her halfway or anything.

Given that it’s teaching, might your kids school be sympathetic to opening breakfast club just a wee bit early and if so would that help.

I think, if it's feasible, using a trusted taxi service would be the best option

Take the job, she will be fine. 9 is fine to get herself to school. The job is a huge win for all of you.

That would be a hard no for me.
1 mile walk in the dark Winter & all weathers. Far too many risks. Plus, her sister having to look after her beforehand & be responsible for getting them both out of the house, ready, breakfasted, lock up, etc - also a no.

Is there a taxi service that is dbs checked near you? I know councils put on some taxis for kids that live far from school so thinking there must be a safe way to do this.......I wouldn't feel so bad leaving a 14yo in charge for half an hour if she could see your youngest into a taxi, who would drop at the school gate. If only once a week it wouldn't be a huge cost

Some people seem to be talking about a mile like it's a long way, it's only a short walk.

I was walking the mile to school at younger than 9, but that was in the 80's, there was a minimum of two of us and we picked up more along the way, it was quiet back roads and side streets, and all our mums were in the house to see us off. It's not the same now and I think a school would have serious safeguarding concerns about such an arrangement these days, rightly or wrongly.

i disagree with the others. A 14 year old is well old enough to supervise a nine year old for a short period.
A nine year old is well old enough to walk a mile to school. I did it at that age and so did most of my peers.

This very recent trend to think kids are not old enough to walk to primary till year 6 is ridiculous. Of course they are old enough before this.

For most of human history in most cultures this would have been normal.

There has been a real generational shift to think of children as incapable.

Make sure your daughter has good road safety awareness.

It would be madness to turn down such an opportunity for you, your children and your future for this reason. Make sure you take that job!

Other posters are advising you to stay poor from their own position of comfort and affluence. Don’t listen to them.

Congratulations OP

1 mile walk in the dark Winter & all weathers.

By the time winter comes around she will be 10 and a half in year 6 and off to secondary the next year where many children walk to and from school everyday.

We have a middle school system where we are and it is expected that children walk themselves to and from school from Y5 when they start. My 9yo scoots about a mile, although because it's the 'done thing' there's always others walking the same route. I'm sure she'll be fine assuming her and your 14 yo get on and are sensible.

It’s not too young at all. It’s an aboslutely fine distance to walk on your own in the daylight.

More Risk from online stuff than anything happening to her in these circumstances.

Locator app on phone - she texts that she’s at school safe before she has to hand her phone in.

Can she uber? Is 10 too young to uber?

Yes, a mile’s not far, it’s a 20 minute walk!

As it's one day a week, Is give it a go. That's assuming that the walk is neither through deserted woods or having to navigate very dangerous roads.

I'd take the job and give it a go : you can always ditch it if your son hates it rather than turn down the job.

Also, presumably your daughter is year 5 and so in just a few months even the school would think she is old enough to walk to school.

Its madness to turn down such a large increase in income and opportunity to keep to this arbitrary cut off of when a child is and is not ready to walk to school.

Try a childminder near the school, drop your DD off before going to work. Or drop her off with a classmate. You might need to leave home at 7.20, but you'll know she's safe. I would much rather one of DS's friends was dropped here a day each week than left to fend for themselves.

How are you jumping from 25k to 40k by changing teaching jobs?
I'm assuming you'd be going from PT to FT.
Can you do supply on your none working days, at schools much more locally?
I think she's a touch too young. Leaving the house was the last thing we let DS2 do alone.
Although for only 1 day, perhaps.
Are your parents walking distance to school? Anyway you could drop her there once a week?

Where I live P5 (age 9) is when most kids start walking to and from school. My DS walks home alone a couple of days a week. DD 6 still in after school club. Quite surprised by all these responses. I guess it depends where you live. We're in a village and the route to school is a well trodden path with plenty pedestrians and parents around.

More Risk from online stuff than anything happening to her in these circumstances

This is so, so true. Culturally we are obsessed about danger on the streets, but actually, the danger has moved online and most parents who fear for their kids on the streets, happily allow them online.

My 10yo walks or cycles half a mile to school in the mornings and a couple of afternoons when she's finished sport clubs. Depending on the walk itself (like pp, road size, crossings, pavements, etc) I would be prepared to let her walk further.

The sticking point for me would be not being there when she set off. Could you compress your hours somehow, start later in the mornings, finish your work in the evenings, something like this?

I'm completely sympathetic to your situation, and well done getting offered the role! I hope you find a way to make it work.

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread but there isn't a friend she could walk with? If happily take my child's friend to school 1 day a week if asked.

I think I would, as long as you can talk to her during the journey if she needs it and she's pretty street wise. Clothes/everything she needs laid out the night before, sibling there to remind her to brush teeth hair etc. It will be dark in winter so bright warm clothes and a torch and maybe one of those fancy gps kids watches you can get. Strict instructions to go to school and back.
How does she feel about it?

Having read through more responses I'm shocked at 'safe-guarding' being raised - eh? At my DC primary school only P1-P3s gave to be released to an adult, the rest are deemed able to find their parent, walk home etc. I'm in Scotland though. Are we more relaxed up here? DD can't wait to walk home when she gets to P5. And I can't wait to stop spending a fortune on wrap around care.

For only one day a week, I'd find a way to make it work for that salary jump. Post in the class WhatsApp or similar to see if someone could take her one day a week and pay. Allow the walking with a trackable device if she feels ok doing it. Do some trial walks.

I let mine in Y6 so it's literally a few months before she'd be doing it anyway, it's only one day a week and it's spring/summer while she's getting used to it.

You need to take the job, it sounds good and this is a temporary problem. Give it a go with walking , especially in summer term. Someone may come out of the woodwork, another friend who walks, a friend who is going that way. Or even better a friend who you could drop him at 7.30. I'd focus on making connections with his friends parents , it's no hardship for them I'm sure , you could perhaps help in the holidays for them?