when do you let them out by themselves?

[toomanypushchairs]

My dd (who is my eldest) is in yr 6, so this time next year she will be going to school by herself. Hopefully if she gets into our 1st choice school, this will also mean a bus trip. In the last few weeks I have let her come home by herself, its about a 15 minute walk crossing 6 roads, 2 of which are main roads, one with a crossing and one with a bridge. What do I let her do next? I'm scared! should she have a mobile? thanks for reading this, If anyone can help i'd be grateful

Told mine when they are 22 at least !!!

i think i would give her a mobile,for your sanity too.Then you can call her if she is late or if they have been kept in she can text you she will be late.Do you have a corner shop that is safe to go to,if so try sending her for a paper or something this will give her more confidence when she has to go on her own.my kids are only 6 and 8 but i am dreading when they go to secondary school.

I would defo get her a moby for safety issues.
My ds1 was in yr6 last year and I was worried over same prob as you.
I started allowing to the shops with his mates, and then into town, swimming baths, cinema which is a bus ride away but always made sure he had his moby switched on.
Start off small journeys and then increase them gradually when the child gains confidence.
good luck

well, my ds1 is 8.5. he has been going to the end of the road for about a year now. am thinking about letting him go down to the nearby shopping parade, about a ten minute walk away. no main roads to cross. but just a bit hesitant. keep waiting till i have to do it, iyswim.
i think a mobile is definitly a good idea. i will probly let ds1 come home from school himself next year, yr 5.
having said that, he ran away from the school disco last year, and got home safely. age 7. i went a bit hysterical when he came to the door. there is a major road to cross.

i used to walk to school and play in the park on my own when i was 4!!!

(not being helpful, just marvelling at how times have changed...)

Dd4 is in Year 6 and she has a mobile. She walks 2 roads to school and back, 1 small road to cross and I worried so much at 1st but she is never late and even phoned me from school once to say she was leaving school 2 minutes late and not to worry
She is allowed to the park which is at the back of our house (almost!! it takes less than 1 minute and I can see it if I walk out of my back garden) She is allowed to the shop at the end of the road and to her nas which is opposite her school.
I know in September she will be at High Scool but I chose the nearest one mainly because it's a 5 minute walk and no main roads to cross.
It's hard letting them do stuff but it needs to be done

*nans

thanks for the advice, may try local shops this week. it is almost same route as school, just one more road. maybe mobile for christmas...this would make her day!

Dd is only in year 2 so will be a few years before I start thinking about this one, but I have the idea that by the time she in is Year 6 she will be walking to and from school herself. However I will still have to get ds to and from school. How do other parents manage this? I wouldn't want to appear as if I'm following her down the road or checking up on her. But obviuosy I'll be walkng the same route with ds, so how to do it while still giving her independence?

Are any of her friends going to the same secondary school? You probably haven't found out yet, but might she be able to meet up en-route and get the bus together?

I should imagine you'll want to do a couple of dummy runs with her once you've found out for definite about the school. It's a big step but it sounds as though you're doing well in getting her ready for that extra bit of independence.

Dd1 has just started yr7 and is on the bus (10 mins walk to stop-safe route, but shes travelling for2hrs a day).I was reasonably protective -walking her to primary school etc but sent her on errands at the local shop in the village from 9 years. First with other slightly older sensible children ,then with school friend , then by herself.If you are mindful of what you feel is safe and get her used to safe routes in stages , She'll be ok. No mobile phones for me though, She'll be more of a target with one and at 11 she should not be away from adults anyway.

laligo - Like you I used to walk 3/4 mile to school in the 60's by myself , and thought that was normal, although I was stopped once by a bloke who wanted me in his car-I must have looked really vunerable- so preditors arn't a new phenomenon. We wern't scared to go places ,because we didn't think grown ups would hurt us.