In my neighborhood, I constanly see children that couldn't be much older than 6 or 7 walking home from school alone. What age should a child walk to and from school alone?
2006-10-21 12:41:59 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
Never! I am a teacher and scary things can happen at any age. I know high school kids are better off but you still can't trust their judgement all the time.
2006-10-21 12:51:08 · answer #1 · answered by cab 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
We live on a military base and the elementary school is within walking distance of most of the apartments in our housing village. The policy here is that Kindergartners have to be walked to school and picked up, but that starting in 1st grade kids can walk to and from school alone. Personally, I feel that is still too young and I always walk my daughter. And most of the 1st grade teachers have their own policy in place, they walk the kids to the crosswalk, and the don't send them over until they see the kid's parent or baby-sitter or older sibling. Yesterday nobody showed up to pick up a little girl from my daughter's class. She lives on the same block the school is on, but the teacher wouldn't release her to walk alone, she took her to the office and called her Mom. I don't even think second graders should walk to school alone. Yesterday a car blasted through a stop sign and the cross walk just as my daughter and I were about to step into it. I had to pull my daughter back. All I could think of was what if I hadn't been with her or what if it was some other kid walking without an adult. Kids just don't have the reasoning and judgment and reactions that adults have, so I think it's best to walk them to school at least through 3rd grade.
2006-10-21 13:57:10 · answer #2 · answered by nimo22 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
6 an 7 is really bad but i have seen younger. It depends on the area and how far they have to walk. Mine was 10 but she was getting a bus from beside her house an it stops at the school. Sometimes she'll walk home with friends, but never alone!!
2006-10-21 12:46:07 · answer #3 · answered by cheryl 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would say that it depends on where you live. We live across a busy intersection and have no crossing guard, so, my son will have to wait until he's in fifth grade to walk across the street. Plus, our local middle school has had three abduction attempts in the last year and my eighth grader still is not allowed to walk home alone.
~Small town: 8 to 9 years old.
2006-10-21 12:54:29 · answer #4 · answered by lynnguys 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He/she should be old enough to under stand the dangers, and defend him/her self to soem extent.
I would think it depends on the body size, the neighbor hood(some neighborhoods are not safe for grown men to walk down the street). It depends on the child. Like some adults some children grow faster than others and develope a noly strenght physically but mentally to handle difficult situations better.
I thik for most girls/boys it's not safe under 16 unless you live
in nice quiet neighborhoods. But often preditors sek thses neighborhoods due the safe feeling, laid back atitude of kids who never experienced trouble, and are easy to mislead.
2006-10-21 12:59:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
honestly never. if u have the option of walking with them/driving them or having a school bus(if u dont have those options arrange something so that ur kid walks to school another kid.i.e 'the buddy system') than please just do tht bc it doesnt matter how old the child is their will always b som perv tht will wanna take advantage of them
IT DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE AREA OR WHERTHER U LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN VS. THE CITY
2006-10-22 06:12:43 · answer #6 · answered by Simply Me 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think until they start middle school, you should walk with them. Or if your child has many friends his age that go to the same school thta likve in the neighborhood, around 4th grade you can argange for them to all walk together
2006-10-21 12:50:13 · answer #7 · answered by Tonte 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It depends on where you live. I remember when my little brother told me that he was just 6. I started to fret but after a while I let him walk and I was behind him so that i could see him but he couldn't see me. But remember we lived near to his school. So if you do not feel comfortable with him dong it wait a while. Or let him walk half the way and you stand near by and let him/her walk in to the school yard.
2006-10-21 14:03:25 · answer #8 · answered by NADS 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it depends on the neighborhood, how far, and how much traffic. I walked home without an adult about age 7, but with my older sister, and a few other older neighbor kids, in a suburban neighborhood with no traffic whatsoever.
2006-10-21 12:50:47 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
I agree with Uncle Billy. Children of all ages are being abducted these days, and there is safety in numbers. You should walk with them every step to and from school. Don't get complacent and let your guard down, and talk to them about strangers.
2006-10-21 12:46:23 · answer #10 · answered by snvffy 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋