Walking to school alone - advice please

[chickensarnie]

DD is 9 (early may baby)

DS is 15 and usually takes her to school but lately has been making my life a misery because he doesn't want to. Even though it's the same road as his own school!

I can’t change my work hours, I commute so I leave at 740. I don't have any family or friends who can help.

AIBU to let DD walk alone? She's not allowed a phone at school which is my only worry, how would I know she got there?

It's 2 streets away, no main roads. Takes less than 5 mins to get to school. Theres a pelican crossing to cross the road, which she knows how to use. It's not a main road but it can get busy.

I think it's fine but I'm worried school will say it's not.

It's a village not a city if that makes a difference.

My only worry is how would I know she got there safe?

@rawbloomers awful solution? I think thats quite a reach. What I said was I dont understand the logic between not allowing a child to have a phone yet expecting them to be independent enough to walk home. Make it make sense.

It’s the school that doesn’t allow the children to have phones, not OP. And the maturity to not use phones in class or to not misuse/be adversely affected by social media is entirely different to the maturity required to walk yourself 5 minutes down the road.

There are quite a few adults who find aspects of phones difficult, given the pressures of social media.

Exactly this. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that access to smartphones is extremely harmful to children. There is no evidence to suggest that allowing a developmentally ready child to walk 5 mins to school is harmful.

Unrestricted access to the internet (though of course you don't have to let children have that even if they have a phone but not all parents place proper restrictions on their children's smartphones) is far far more dangerous than walking to school alone so yeah, I'd expect children to reach the ready to walk alone stage first.

I was driving through town yesterday at quarter to 8, which is when school starts for many children. Saw so many children walking and biking to school, some tiny 6/7 year olds. Not a single parent was with them. All managing fine.
Well, I did see one boy riding his bike with his helmet dangling oh so usefully from his handlebars, but otherwise fine.

You simply tell him/her that you’ll terminate his SIM card in his phone and disconnect the WiFi if he doesn’t. Your younger one needs guiding - as you say it’s a busy road. The older one has to accept life involves doing things you don’t like. Time to lay down the law.

Yes absolutely fine, there are probably other children walking too. The school can’t have any say in walking to school but you’ll need to give your permission in writing if walking home (probably).

It is the norm in tons of places to have kids aged 9 or even younger to get themselves ready to school and fo there and back independently. And spend a few hours alone until parent gets home from work.