My 9yo goes to school by herself - d'you think that's okay?

[Sazisi]

Title says it all really

I should add that we live directly across the road from her school, I usually (though not ALWAYS) watch her from the porch until she goes in the gate.
It is a busy road, but she always waits for the green man, and then double-checks for red-light breakers before scampering over. She's really careful.

I ask because she gets disapproval from her teacher over it
Am I a bit lax?

Depends how responsible she is with the road, if you think she will be okay she probably will be. You know your child better than any teacher.

I didn't realise I'd written always in caps must use preview facility!

if you live directly across the road and there is a pelican crossing then I see no issue at 9, lots of children at the school I worked at came on their own younger than this, how do teachers know she comes alone?

What's the teachers issue with this?

If i lived across the road from school, could see my child go in the gate and there was a proper crossing, then i would let my 9yr old go alone.

If you live so near the school, don't see why it's much different from a parent dropping off at the school gate and then going - as I used to do when my dd was nine.. Tell teacher to bog off?

Do you think it is okay?

What has it got to do with the teacher? If she has a problem she should speak to you about it, not your daughter.

I would do this if I lived where you describe.

It sounds Ok but if it's that close, why don't you go too? It wouldn't take long.

Fwiw I walked on my own from the age of 9 or 10 and although I was safe, (sensible etc) I felt utterly miserable. It was a 2 mile walk.

One day I remember counting all the steps I took - nearly 2,000 I think

God I was such a sad little girl.

Sorry, bit of a tangent!

ds(15) walked to school on his own at that age, about 10 minute walk

But FA when they're nine, you surely don't need to stand in the playground with them? They just used to line up in the playground and wait to be let in at our school. Very few parents hung around...

My DD-9 is also walking on her own. It's a five-minute walk and she is sensible. She likes and thrives on the responsibility of it. You know your own child best.

DD thinks another parent has said something to the teacher about it, implying that DD is dangerous at crossing the road. DD's quite indignant about it because she's very careful and takes it seriously.
I don't see her teacher much tbh, she stays in the classroom when the kids come out at home time. Maybe I'll raise it with her at the parent-teacher evening next month. I don't like my child being made to feel bad about it. And don't like the implication that I'm a bad mum, iyswim.

I do think it's okay, but I easily doubt myself

Flight, I have 2 little ones too(1 & 3) who are quite slow in the morning (as am I!)

Thanks mumsnetters, feel better about it now

My 8 and 7yo dds often go to school on their own (dd3 is slower and starts a bit later so if we are late the older two go on ahead). It's a 5 min walk and then a road which isn't busy but isn't totally simple either and no crossing patrol (school deemed too small to need one [hmmm].

They really like the independence and whenever I do watch them from a distance they are being very sensible - more when I'm not there than when I'm with them. They're aware they have to look out, rather than relying on me.

I do really think it is fine, honestly, I was just hijacking your thread to have a little reminiscense there which wasn't relevant at all! Sorry

My dd walks to school and calls for her friend on the way - it is round the corner then across one road and round another corner to her friends house. Then they walk around the block and across the road to school. They are both 9.

The two friends (sisters) that they play with at school get dropped of in the car a way away from scoll and walk the rest of the way. Use a pedestrain crossing across a main road and then round and up to the school crossing another road on the way. They are 9 and 10.

I walked to school from the age of 9 and my eldest dd walked to school from aged 8.

My 8yo walks home alone (has to as I have to be home when dd arrives in the disabled taxi. He's not the only one doing it either. It's a 10-15 minute walk.

God, yes. Fine.

Mine are 10,8 and 6 and they all go together without any grown ups. There's one road with a lollipop lady and floods of parents and kids all heading in the same direction to the school.

My biggest concern has nothing to do with cars or kidnappings. It's that others might judge me because so few, if any, other parents seem to allow this.

Crazy.