Couple warned over allowing children to cycle to school alone

[OldLadyKnowsNothing]

From the Telegraph.

I too used to walk to school with my older brother at a young age but

1. Thee were fewer cars on the roads
2. We didn't live in London with rush hour traffic
3. There were lots of other children alone/children with parents walking the same route so, going to the same school (so people we knew/knew us) there was always someone to keep an eye on us. Plus we knew lots of people that lived in the area, and along our route, so there was always a "safety net" if something did go wrong where by there was a very high chance of someone that knew us well/we knew well being able to help us

At 5 this child is either one of the youngest YR1's or still in Reception.

Interestingly it says in The Times that the father grew up in Germany so perhaps there is also a cultural aspect

yes I would have the same view - and as I've already posted - my 9yr old walks my 6yr old to school............but not a mile, and not along side busy roads (and no side streets to cross)

I agree TheShriekingHarpy-whether people would do it or not -it is madness to involve social services-in fact it is a complete waste of their time when they are overstretched with real cases of parental neglect.These parents think they are giving their DCs the best start in life-and I agree with them.

my exH used to walk 5 miles to school when he was in primary school - with his siblings and other young children.

It was the cultural norm, and the most "traffic" he was likely to meet on the way was the odd bicycle or cow and cart.

I have photos of me when I was younger outside the school (no idea why I have photos outside the school at the start of school days but I do) the streets were virtually empty of cars. We used to play ball on the street before going into the playground.

FGS, it's ridiculous. Why is it too much independence in this day and age when this day and age is no more dangerous than it ever was? Only perception of it is.

Whilst I wouldn't let my 5 yr old do it I would let my 8 yr old do it. My 8 Yr old DS often goes to the local shop over gasp two roads and by 8 yrs old I was going a lot further than that.

actually I remember walking down the MIDDLE of the road when walking to school there were so few cars.........these days you have to wait 5 minutes just to cross the damn things.

Personally, I think 5 is too young to be cycling in an urban setting without adult supervision, and that's nothing to do with paranoid Britishness: I know far too many adults who have been knocked off their bikes.

Walking is different, safer, more control.

And fwiw- it's not only Continentals in idyllic rural settings who let their children walk to school. My Swedish family live in a city that is twice the size of the one we live in here in England, there are cars, there are main roads, all the hazards of modern life- yet children have far more freedom.

My dh grew up in London, which was certainly a lot more dangerous 30 years ago than our own smaller city is now.

Yet there seems to be this perception that everywhere has to be more dangerous these days, by mere virtue of being 30 years later, or not on the Continent.

My two DS, who are 6 and nearly 8, walk the half mile to or from school unsupervised sometimes. The headmaster is quite happy for them to do this (as long as I am happy). But I don't live in London, I live in rural Wales, and they don't have to walk along a main road. I also don't let them cycle it unsupervised as I feel that is less safe.

They bike on the pavements, not on the road. There is one road to cross with a lollypop lady. So I can't see a problem from a traffic/safety point of view.

As from a child snatcher point of view - well I believe the statistics show that child abduction is no more likely now than in the 1950s/1960s. Kids of this age certainly went to school by themselves then. My mum started school early (age 3) because of the war (so she says, not really sure why) and she used to catch a bus across Nottingham by herself at this age. Her mum didn't even walk her to the busstop. I certainly walked to school aged 5 by myself.

Can't believe the parents are paying 12k a year to a private school who are going to report them to SS. I'd be looking for another school.

oh heck, I have only just started letting my 14 yo pick up the 10 yo from school....

never mind the 5 yo, I think 8 is too young

as they've been saying on the radio, really depends on the child and think it's great for children so young to be encouraged to be independent.

ironically the most danger is probably school run parents who drive.

are there REALLY stretches of road in London that have absolutely no side streets to cross for that distance

I don't think fractures from falling off a bike should be an argument against letting children bike ride per se. In that case, you wouldn't let them bike ride when supervised by parents along a forest path either, and you certainly wouldn't let them do sports.

However, I do think there is a real danger when cycling on pavements near a busy road that you will either be pushed into the road or accidentally end up too near the kerb- and then there is a very real danger of being hit by traffic. This is not the same as falling off your bike on a cow path. Most pavements round our way are both narrow and near very fast traffic.

Whether 5yo and 8yo are ok out together is a case of the individual child. Would have been happy for my sensible ds and his equally sensible younger cousin to be playing outside or walking to the nearest shops at that age, but would not let my 13yo supervise the neighbour's 8 and 10yo because they are pretty well out of control, and even I find it hard to manage them safely.

no - but a child falling off a bike and grazing their knee and wanting a parent is quite high compared to the risk of them falling over while walking (how many 5yr olds do you know that fall over and hurt themselves and don't get upset?)

Obviously I don't stop my children riding bikes in case they hurt themselves - I've only just sourced 2 cheap (well one free) bikes for my older DS's

I have never said this before, but I think 5 is too young to be unsupervised - and 8 is too young to be the supervisor. 8 on his own is fine, 7 and 10 fine, but 5 and 8 too young even for my hands off style of parenting!

toccatanfudge- they always get upset when mum is hovering, but will generally pick themselves up and get on with it if she's not.

I wouldn't be brave enough to let mine do it, but I wish I was. I know my main concern would be being judged like this, rather than the actual risk. Mine will both be in junios bt next year and I hope I will feel OK with lettign them do it at 7 & 9.

My Dad Recons his mum took him the 2 miles to school on his first day and after that he was on his own (and he had no older sibling with him)

A mile on a bike is, what, 10 mins? and they ride on the pavement, along back streets using a lollypop lady to cross the only road.

well - I was obviously very odd as a child then as I always wanted my mum when I hurt myself at that age (and we were left to play outside and wander where we wanted from after breakfast until dinner time )

it doesn't say they go along back streets it says

"The children?s route takes them along a pavement beside roads busy with traffic on the school run"

7 & 9 very different from 8 & 5 imo.

that makes sense Riven.......but until that's done then there's no way in hell I'd let my children travel that sort of distance (and particularly not at those ages) unsupervised, and especially not on a bike, and particularly not in a city....

You know me - I'm lax parent of the year, but it just seems too extreme iykwim.

I grew up in Switzeland and from 5 we were walking to school (just under a mile). Our parents got us there the first day to show us the way and then we were on our own.

I would definitely do the same if the road was a bit safer (cars go past fast). Saying that, sometimes Ds2 and 3 (9 and 6) go on their bike (pavement). I walk and they wait for me before crossing the road but pretty much do the rest on their own and from what they have shown me so far, they would be perfectly able to do it on their own all the way.
IMHO parents supposidely know their Dcs enough to have an clue of what they can or cannot cope with.

My 3 DC are very close, and if neither me nor DH are there the younger two will go to the eldest for comfort. I know that this happens in school, when DD was ill and the teacher phoned me to pick her up DS1 sat with her on his knee giving her a cuddle until I got there. So I am pretty confident that if DS2 fell and hurt himself on the way to school DS1 would deal with it. In fact if DS1 fell and hurt himself DS2 would probably look after him too