What age is it safe to let a child walk home from shcool alone?

[SuzieSweep]

I thought of this after reading another thread anyway my DD is only 5 so way too young at the moment I know but I was just wondering when you all started to let your kids walk home alone? And did they have a mobile phone with them?

I would say it depends on the individual child, how far it is, will they be back before it is dark, do they know the way, etc etc.

Mine keeps asking to walk home telling me he will be alright! I say not yet. He is 6.

DD1 started to walk home from school on own when she was 10 ( the term before she started secondary school)I do think it depends on the child though. I think she would have been fine before this but I just didn't want to let go.

At our school they have to be picked up until they start Primary 4 (aged between 7.5 and 8.5) My ds1 (8) walks to and from school by himself, but dd (6) doesn't. I would let her go with ds1 as a one off - perhaps if I was ill and dh was away.

We live in a small village and no main roads to cross.

I will not allow mine to walk home on their own until they are 10. As smartiejake says, the school year or term before they start secondary school which in my sons case he will actually be 11 by then.

I must admit I gasped when I saw your DS walks home at the age of 8 - not because I think it is wrong but my son is the same age and very sensible and capable but I would never let him walk on his own.

I worry more about safety ie getting run over or someone snatching him (rare I know, but it does happen) more than I worry about him not being capable as he is.

I would be worried sick until he walked in the door lol

Maybe it is different for us as we don't live in a village but I know when I was growing up I wasn't allowed to walk home alone until I was 11 going on 12 as that was my last year in primary school.

Plus, my 6 year old could do with a lead an flashing lights above his head as he is a loose cannon bless him.

My eldest did it from age 9, from the begining of year 5, on the bus both ways. My youngest is less mature, and also now in year 5 so I walk him halfway to school, and we're building up to him doing it on his own. I'm reluctant to give up the school run, but he needs the chance to grow up and do it on his own.

My brother and I were walking to and from school without any adults by the time we were 7 and 10. Once he had gone on to secondary school I walked alone. We had several roads to cross, none major, and the busier ones had lollipop people.

Ds1 is 7, and I think it's time to let him go to the park alone. There are no roads to cross. But dd would want to go with him, and she's not quite 5 - I don't think she's ready and I don't know whether ds1 is ready for the responsiility of looking after her. A dilemma.

DS1 9 walks to and from school himself and yesterday DD2 fell over outside the house and I asked him to walk DD1 who is only 5 and i'd catch them up. However I wouldn't give him the responsiblity of watching her while he is playing (i.e. at the park). I'm sure that DD1 will walk home from school when she is 8. I think walking home is the better one to start as if they walk there you don't know if they have got to school and if they are on time.

and no mobile phone either. I think that adds problems.

I've been thinking about this recently too, my dd is 6 going on 7, and her school is very very close. I can see it from my front door, there are no roads to cross etc.
They have to be dropped and picked up atm anyway, I think they're allowed to go and leave alone once they're in juniors and I will probably let dd walk alone then, she'll be 7.
Although I suspect I will stay where I can see the playground to make sure she gets there ok

Mine walked alone since 5 but then it's a different kettle of fish here (CH).

5 is a bit young ernest. What is (CH)?

ch is Switzerland, and at 5 they start kindergarten, and they are activeky encouraged to walk without parents (after initial settling-in period of course). In fact, I believe while the parents are probably not actually banned they are firmly discouraged. The child's autonomy and independance is rated very hghly here. AT 6.5 - 7 they start school and I don't know 1 parent who walks their child to school.

Mine walked alone from the age of 5 but at the time we lived on an island and the most dangerous thing they came across on the way to school was the odd sheep

Now we live on the mainland and the dds walk to school (they are 10 and 9) - they are sensible enough to walk by themselves. However I might think twice if they had to cross a busy road - they just walk through two housing estates on their way there.

I guess it depends where you live. Mine would have to walk a mile & across 2 main roads, so I wouldn't be happy on their own. (7&9)

let my son cycle in year 6, he started initially with a friend, at least cycling they can zoom away from harm. gave him key to the house then.
not sure whether i would let daughter, she hasnt asked.
walk with friends but not alone anyway.

My DS is 6 and he doesn't because all the school run mums driving make it too dangerous. There are two roads to cross. One is manned by a lollipop lady and is OK. The other is outside the school and full of parked cars, people manoevring etc and is too dangerous for a child who may not be seen by a reversing car. However when he is 10 he will go to middle school which is much further away and across more roads, but he will have to walk because his sister will be 7 and still at the first school. So it would make sense for him to start practicing while he is still at the local school.....

My son is 11 in February (year 6) in school. He walks to school in the morning (sometimes with a friend, sometimes on his own). He has to walk past 10 houses and then cross the main road (which has a lolly pop lady). Although I have to walk past his junior school to take my youngest to the infants' school, he still likes to leave early so he can play football in the playground before school. Because I have to collect my youngest DD from school and then have to walk home past his school, he invariably waits for me outside his school (although this is more because he wants a friend to come home that afternoon!).

My eldest DD did not start walking to school on her own until she started high school. The high school is on the same road where I live and the entrance is near the crossing lady but she doesn'thave to cross the road as it is on the same side (my garden backs onto her school).

The reason that she was "older" is because she did not want to go to school on her own in the morning and was happy to walk with me when I took her brother to school (who was in the infants' school at that time).

Saying that, my youngest DD has a few "special needs" and, although she is only 6, I cannot foresee that I will be letting her walk to school even at the age of 10/11 unless she catches up a lot in her development.

I think it is sometimes down to the individiual child.

Depends on child, distance to walk and the kind of area.

My eldest DS started to walk to/from school last year when he was 10. My DD who is 2 yrs younger (but much more sensible) started to walk with him at the same time. Now she walks alone if she wants to as DS often goes on his bike. But there are usually so many other children from her class on the same route she usually hooks up with one of them - so is never alone really. Neither of them need to do this as I have to take DS#2 anyway but they want to.

They have a walk of about .75 mile down residential streets with 3 roads to cross.

As DS#1 will have to walk to school next year I think it's good practice and is helping me to feel confident that he can.

My 7yo dd1 comes home alone but I get someone to help her cross the one slightly dangerous road by the school. Next year when she's 8 I'll let her do that too. The rest of the route is more or less car free and it's a friendly village where people do tend to look out for each other.

It's the cars which worry me, not strangers.

no she doesn't have a mobile though I let her play out alone a fair amount.

Sorry - yes DS#1 has a mobile. But as he's not allowed to take it to school (which we didn't know before we bought it!) it doesn't help much.

DD1 was nine - summer term of year 5. I will probably let DD2 do it next year when she is 8 as she is very sensible and has good road sense. DD3 is five and on current form I will be walking her to school until she is 18.