Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

Depends on the child and when I feel they are ready. Also depends on where I am living. I was walking to school by myself by the age of 8 and with my brother at 7. I know it won't be that young, but I can't say what age I will allow it.

As tragic as this story is, it happens all the time, in every decade, in all different types of neighborhoods, and it usually is done by someone the child knows, not by strangers.

I can't keep my child in a bubble, and I don't want to because eventually they are going to go off on their own, and I would like them to have some street smarts.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

13-14 ???

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

50!

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

Posted by BabyLove08

50!

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

I remember I was walking home from school with just my brother in kindergarden (or at least 1st grade) by ourselves. My brother was only in 2nd or 3rd grade at most.

And by second or 3rd grade I was walking by myself or with my BFF. I am sure my mom worried, but it wasn't a big thing. I knew NEVER to get in a car with someone I didn't know and, maybe because my neighborhood was, I don't know, more neighborhoodly? then now - like there were people outside, people talked to each other, etc - it didn't seem so scary.

I remember one time, I must have been in maybe 4th or 5th grade, my BFF and I were walking home and decided to follow the arrows on the ground (you know, I think they get painted there for water pipes or something) so our walk took probably an hour more then usual. My mom was freaking out!! OOPS.

That said, I feel like I will never want to let DS walk by himself anywhere. It seems like such a scary world now. Honestly, I'm not sure that there are more bad people, we just seem to know about them so much more now.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

My DD is 10yrs old. We are not even close to letting her go anywhere alone!!!

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

Middle School as there was no other choice.
(6th grade-age 11)

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

Never.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

After that story....maybe never.

I remember being allowed to walk to elementary school by myself in second grade. I was with two friends, but still, I was young. I can't imagine allowing that for my DS.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

That is one of the most horrific stories I've ever read, especially being a parent now.

That being said, he will only be allowed to walk with a group at around age 10.

Alone - probably in High School.

I started walking by myself at 9, which was home from school. Luckily, there was always tons of kids heading the same way from school. So even if I walked alone, I never really was. I had to call my mom immediately when I got home.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

I used to ride the J train when I was 13, my parents thought (lol!) that I was riding the bus though, the Q54...and when we lived closer because we moved, I was walking to and from school with my older brothers when I was 10...I live in Suffolk now though...The elementary school is right down the block so I will probably allow my DS to walk home alone at about 13 yrs old if he really wanted to walk by himself, otherwise, I would meet him of course! I am also considering the fact that we do want at least 2 more kids so he would be walking with his little sister(2)/brother(s)

that's a tragedy what happened with that little boy

Message edited 7/13/2011 2:17:34 PM.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

Maybe 16

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

From this house, probably never. We are too close for a bus to the elementary school, but there are no crossing guards and people don't slow down at the school. Nobody lets their kid walk to our elementary school alone.

Jr & Sr high, we're a far walk and they'd have to cross Merrick Rd & Sunrise, so I expect them to take the bus or call if they need to be picked up after extra-curricular activities.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

Alone, Alone? Not for quite awhile....

My girls are 12 they are allowed to walk certain places in groups. But never alone....

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

The way the world is right now the answer would be never and the way the world most likely will be when my DD is say 16 the answer will probably be NEVER. There are way too many nutjobs out there nowadays and it really doesn't matter where you live.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

my heart is breaking.

i was allowed to walk home from age 9 up. It was a different time though. 20+ years ago.

DS will be going to a school 2 blocks from our house so he will probably wont walk home alone until he is about 12-13 mostly because its "uncool" at that age to walk home with your parents. My MIL and SIL work at the same school so that helps ease my fears.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

We were walking to the end of the block to our bus stop in groups at like 7-8. We also lived down a block with neighbors that would call our moms for any transgression on the way.

If it were up to me, middle school but I'm co-parenting with DH who feels that at 9-10 they should be able to ride around the block to their friends' house.

It's really hard to let go of that fear no matter what age. I think it's a matter of easing into it. Go in groups, then down the street by themselves.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

After hearing this story - NEVER. I don't care if it's 1/2 block or 20!

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

35 sounds good! Around the time we let her start dating.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

NEVER!!!! My brother who just turned 13 last month still get picked up by mom. The funny thing is my mom lives very close to that evil POS who killed that poor boy right there in Kensington. I was talking to my mom last night and she said people would make comments to her that my litlle brother Matt is old enough to walk home from school by himself but she said that these are the reasons why she cannot let go and she will be forever overprotective.

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

never alone... in a group, we'll see how mature he is and how mature his friends are.

I agree that it was a different time when we were kids- or maybe for me its just because I grew up in Jersey in a suburban area where all the parents knew each other and watched out for each other's kids

Re: What age will you allow your DC to walk home from school/camp./wherever alone?

I grew up in bklyn. i think i was about 9 or 10 when they let me walk to the Dunkin Donuts down the next block.

I live in PA now and live right around the corner from an elementary school. Im not even sure DS will go there, if we'll still be living here or what, but Im terrified of the thought of letting him go anywhere ALONE.