How old to walk to school alone??

[Tygrrkttn]

Hello all,

How old to walk to school alone? My city has pop of 521,999. At 730A as I was driving back from dropping my son @ his highschool I saw two litle girls, sisters obviously, holding hands, (awww) and walking to the elementary by my home.

They appeared to be say 5 and 7, walking alone. At the intersection (with crossing guard) where I saw em, they were STILL @ least 2/3 blocks from school.

Too young or not? If too young, how old Is old enough in safe yet urbanish area for children to walk alone? Does having an older sibling affect answer?

Yes, I know, it's based on the child. I'm more just looking for a general opinion or your own personal experiences either as a child or as an adult.

TK

[Addy's Mom]

I wouldn't feel comfortable around my area at all, regardless of age. But in general, probably around age 8. Never alone, always with friends or crossing guards, etc.

[velochic]

I personally would not feel comfortable with my 8(in Feb.)yo walking to school that is several blocks away now or anytime in the near future. I have lived in a town that is about your population. I now live in a town that is only a stone's throw from an urban area with a pop. of 1MIL. I grew up in a town of 5K people. So, I've lived in a lot of different types of urban and rural areas.

In the US, no, I wouldn't be comfortable with a 5 and 7 yo. walking to school several block from home by themselves. We used to live abroad and I would be comfortable with it in those places more than the US (Germany most specifically).

[mamazee]

I'm sure my 7-year-old could handle it. She wouldn't have been able to at 5, but probably would have with an older sibling. So I don't see a problem.

[Drummer's Wife]

Not sure which part of ABQ you are in, but I know I would not be comfortable with that.

[lindberg99]

I don't see a problem either. My kids walked to and from school by themselves when they were 1st and 3rd grade. It's probably about 4 blocks and there is a crossing guard on the busy street.

[MJB]

My son will be 7 this month and has been walking home from school (.4 miles/4 blocks) since October. We drive him in the morning because it is too cold. We live in a very safe city of only 110,000 people. He gets upset if I am there to pick him up in the afternoon because he likes the walk home alone to clear his head after a busy school day. I think 1st grade is a good age to start walking to/from school. I walked or biked to school in first grade and it was farther than my son walks.

[Llyra]

I would allow it, as long as there weren't major roads to cross on the way. I think 5 is a bit young, though. I let my 5 year old walk home alone from the bus, about a quarter mile, but she doesn't cross anything but a nearly-empty parking lot and a field. 7 sounds just fine to me for a walk home of several blocks or even more. I don't understand what it is people fear about this scenario, other than traffic accidents.

[MissLotus]

What I fear, including traffic accidents, is that there are a lot of weirdos out there who will do bad things to little kids.

It's easy enough to keep my kid out of harm's way by walking with him. Simple as that.

I'm not an overly fearful person - I had enough of that with my nervous mother - but I don't see a point in putting my kid out there at a young age. I live in an affluent little village (though I'm certainly not affluent!), it's a nice place, no "bad" neighborhoods, but I remember when the school was concerned about some creepy guy that would park in a minivan and watch the kids come out of the school. Anyone who thinks their kid couldn't be a victim is fooling themselves.

[mommy2maya]

statistically speaking, your kid is way more likely to be victimized by a known assailant than an unknown one. I feel quite secure in my 1st & 3rd graders walking to school together in the morning. I certainly am aware that there is always the potential for bad, and so I lower the odds by requiring them to stay together at all times, be aware of their surroundings and to come home right away.

[ann_of_loxley]

It would certainly depend on the area and the child....and well, the parents comfort levels (and they will be able to know their children best) too. Circumstance could be a factor as well...such as 'alone' or with siblings and/or friends.

I would never live in a city if I didn't have to.
We live in the country. A small village very close to a small town...its the kind of place where most people know your name! lol
The school is also, literally, right next door to us.
If my son were going to school (hes not lol) - I would be comfortable with him walking alone at the age of 6. Even if that included a road or two to cross.
For comparisons sake - I would probably feel comfortable with him walking the mile to the store and back at the age of 8 alone where we live.

My answers would probably be very different if we lived in the city, and/or we did not have the kind of child that we do (that is, hes very smart, aware, road wise, and cautious).

[Twinklefae]

I'll be the voice of dissention. My kid will likely walk from age 5 when he starts school. The 7 year old I babysit walks back and forth from my house everyday. It's really not a big deal.

[BrittneyMarie]

It really depends so much on the area. In my neighborhood now, I'd never let dd walk anywhere without an adult. so hopefully by the time shes old enough we'll be out of this neighborhood

[phathui5]

Where we live now, I would let my older two walk 2/3 blocks together.

[LynnS6]

I'd be fine with it. They're walking together. There's a crossing guard to help the across the street.

[mrspineau]

Personally, I wouldnt be comfortable with my child walking to school alone at any age.

[lilyka]

my two walked to school together last year and they were 5 and 8 when school started. so long as they are together and/or with some other buddy i feel comfortable with it. I wouldn't want either of them walking around the neighborhood alone. we live in a low income neighborhood with a lot of pedofiles. honestly come time to go back and forth to school everyone in the neighborhood is watching out for the kids. I would feel a lot less comfortable in a safe neighborhood where no one expects trouble.

[elmh23]

I live in the same city as you and if my children attended the local public school, then I would let them walk without an adult from probably around age 7 or 8. But, to get to the neighborhood school there is only one busy street to cross and it has a crossing guard (and is also the street the school is on.)

Which area of ABQ was this? There are a lot of scary places here where I would not let my children walk until they were MUCH older.

[TiredX2]

My kids (11 & 8) walked to school this morning without me. I watched til they were 1.5 blocks away and met their friends to go the rest of the way (another block til they were on school grounds). DD has been allowed to walk by herself for the past year or so. DS is still not ready for that. BUT, He has younger friends who can. He is just a pretty anxious little guy and *for him* I don't feel it is okay. I generally go with them not so much for safety at this point but because it's a nice time to spend with them and their friends.

In our neighborhood it is not uncommon to walk "alone" starting in kindergarten. But there are additional adults walking, its a fairly safe neighborhood and it's a walking school, so if you are walking in the about 20 minutes before school starts it's vitually impossible to be truly "alone" (out of eye sight of another walker).

Originally Posted by mrspineau

Personally, I wouldnt be comfortable with my child walking to school alone at any age.

Are we talking children below a certain age? I wouldn't let my kids walk to Junior High or High School because it's MILES (and mostly non safe walking roads), not because it's not safe.

[ScarletBegonias]

my mom walked us back and forth to school the 4 blocks until i was 11. we lived in southern california.

when we moved to northern ca, i walked to/from school everyday with a guy friend who was big and strong.

if my kids ever did go to school (we hs), i would never let them walk by themselves. even if it was only a block. then again, i live in california and child abduction seems pretty rampant here. almost everyday i look on the news and see some young girl or even groups of young girls who escaped abduction or was solicited for sex.