Is it reasonable to have a child of 8 walk home from school, or to a store or around the block alone?

Answer 1

In this day & age I would have to say no. Our son is 11 & the only way that he is able to walk to school (1-1/2 blocks away) is with a friend. I also would never allow him to ride his bike alone. Too many bad people out there are just itching to get a child alone to do God knows what to them. Our children are way too precious to allow that. It may seem like you are being over protective now, but at least your child won't end up being a statistic on the evening news.

Answer 2

It depends on the maturity level of your son. I recently let my 8 yr old walk home from school and it is giving him a sense of independence and self-esteem to know that he can accomplish that. We go over 'stranger danger' and not stopping off anywhere else and things have been going well. I know that this is a 'crazy world' and that there are a lot of unsavory things going on out here but this is the real world and you can't shield your child forever. So talk to him, see if he can handle it and walk with him the first few times, meet him halfway after that, then gradually he will get the hang of it.

Answer 3

I had a fit because the school bus dropped my 7 year old a block away from our home! I guess it depends how comfortable you are with knowing that your helpless 8 year old could be picked up by a stranger within 2 seconds. I realize there comes a time when you have to cut the apron strings but 8 years old is way to young!

Answer 4

NO not at all if the child is walking home tell them to at least use the buddy system you know more than one kid. An no still to young to go around the block alone. You gotta think it only takes a split second.I know that sounds like Im paranoid but if you read the news kids are getting snatched from their own fenced in backyard.

Answer 5

I wouldn't feel safe letting my 8 year old walk around the block. There are just too many sick people out there. Look how many kids even older than that are taken right out of their own yards, or own their way home from school.

Answer 6

It's obviously your call. Only you know your complete circumstances.

Maybe you can ask some other parents in the area and see if they let their kids walk alone. If they do, you could possibly pool the kids together when walking to and from school. Safety in numbers as it were. As for walking to the store, probably an unnecessary risk in my opinion.

L

Answer 7

I would say "not" in today's society. There are so many sick/mentally challenged people walking around that look like normal people. 30 years ago, that would not have been a problem. So just to protect your/a child of that age, who may not be able to defend themselves against a sick adult, I would say have an adult/teenager walk with the 8 yr old.

Answer 8

I don't allow my 15 year old to cross the highway. Yes she is 15 years old physically but still a majority of the time she is still 13 and scatterbrained. I feel she doesn't pay attention when she should. The same would go for your son. Is he a mature 8 year old.......do you live in a "safe " area. Check the Amber Alert or child molester location sites for your area. And remember they don't have to live in your area to BE in your area. And finally have you taught him what to do if he is being stalked, chased, or worse caught?

Answer 9

In the day and time we live in now, absolutely not. My son is 10 and I wouldn't let him walk to a store or anything like that without an adult with him. There are too many mean people in this world.

Answer 10

In this day and time the answer would be no. I wouldn't let my dog walk down the road or get out of my sight cause there are people out there that likes to kidnap and it is those types of people that makes our lives that way. I don't let my son out of sight because of how so much goes on in this world today. Better safe than sorry.