PLEASE GET OFF YOUR ASS AND WALK YOUR KID TO/FROM SCHOOL!!

[Anonymous]

I saw this last week near Oyster and assumed it was Oyster students. Six or seven, no adults in sight, crossing the street near Open Cities or whatever that place is called. Too young to be walking alone in my book.

[Anonymous]

I think it's mostly 4th and 5th graders who attend Adams that people refer to. If it's also at the lower school now that's out of control!

[Anonymous]

Til what age?

I walked to school by myself starting in 1st grade. Given, I grew up in Mayberry.

Obviously, I take my child to school, and never let her out of my sight. But at what age do the nosies stop clucking about an unaccompanied child? Given that the only "child" ever involved in one of these walking-home-alone accidents in my town was 16 years old, I'm sincerely curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw this last week near Oyster and assumed it was Oyster students. Six or seven, no adults in sight, crossing the street near Open Cities or whatever that place is called. Too young to be walking alone in my book.

Aren't there crossing guards at that intersection?

[Anonymous]

It's very sad that any child would have to walk himself/herself to/from school everyday. It's extremely dangerous for a child to be all alone in the city. But, most likely the children's family members are working in order to provide for the family, and they do not have the option to take them to/from school. There are many people who go to work well before school starts and come home late in the evening. This is not a choice, just the reality for some families who are working hard to provide for their family. OP's assumption that these children's family members are just sitting at home being lazy is most likely incorrect. The children are probably latch key kids. I hope that someone will help these children.

[Anonymous]

I rode the public bus to school every day starting in first grade too. And I grew up in NYC, not Mayberry. And I was the rule, not the exception. And it wasn't 1952. Not saying that I will let my DD start with public transportation at 5, just saying I was raised with a lovely, responsible mother and managed to make it to adulthood without having a chaperone every minute of the day. So as PP said, at what age does this type of outrage at other people's level of supervision stop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's very sad that any child would have to walk himself/herself to/from school everyday. It's extremely dangerous for a child to be all alone in the city. But, most likely the children's family members are working in order to provide for the family, and they do not have the option to take them to/from school. There are many people who go to work well before school starts and come home late in the evening. This is not a choice, just the reality for some families who are working hard to provide for their family. OP's assumption that these children's family members are just sitting at home being lazy is most likely incorrect. The children are probably latch key kids. I hope that someone will help these children.

Why is it automatically tragic that children would walk themselves to school? Has this not largely been the case in the United States for well over one hundred years? Are we inherently better off as a society by dropping off our children from our SUVs every morning?

[Anonymous]

Also, I still fail to see where in the article it states that the child was alone to start with. Kids get hit with their parents present too.

[Anonymous]

I walked to and from school starting in 1st grade and was a latchkey kid starting in 2nd grade. My much older brother was supposed to be watching me but he wasn't as reliable as my parents supposed. I do remember feeling sorry for the kids stuck in after school care, even at my placid suburban school it was boring and kind of a zoo. Don't know why my Dad never signed me up, I'm guessing because it was too expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very sad that any child would have to walk himself/herself to/from school everyday. It's extremely dangerous for a child to be all alone in the city. But, most likely the children's family members are working in order to provide for the family, and they do not have the option to take them to/from school. There are many people who go to work well before school starts and come home late in the evening. This is not a choice, just the reality for some families who are working hard to provide for their family. OP's assumption that these children's family members are just sitting at home being lazy is most likely incorrect. The children are probably latch key kids. I hope that someone will help these children.

Why is it automatically tragic that children would walk themselves to school? Has this not largely been the case in the United States for well over one hundred years? Are we inherently better off as a society by dropping off our children from our SUVs every morning?

I wrote the above comment. I got myself to school from K - 12th grade - either walking, taking the bus or driving. If a child lives in a safe neighborhood, then certainly a child can walk himself/herself to school, and that's great. But, I don't believe Washington DC is a safe place for a child to walk home alone - they can be kidnapped or anything else. I will never let my children walk home alone in Washington DC until a certain age (I don't know which age yet because they are only 3 and 5 now). My main point is that OP should not assume that the parents are being lazy, because the parents probably have circumstances which limit their ability to take the kids to/from school.

[Anonymous]

Another one here who walked to school starting in kindergarten, then took a public bus to middle school starting at age 11, and in a big city. I see no harm in kids walking to school if they are responsible.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I was wrong to suggest that the parents who do not walk their kids to school are lazy. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I do realize, due to work commitments, that some parents may not have a choice. Before/After care is often cost prohibitive, as well. I would just underscore the point of my "rantful" post. I genuinely worry about accidents/predators. These are my biggest worry as a father. Let's take the sting out of our posts on this issue -- there is no need to be hostile, as I was in my original post. And since kids walking alone is a reality of our time, let's commit to looking out for them when we see them. Peace.

[Anonymous]

My child started walking the two blocks to elementary school with a friend at the end of 3rd grade (almost 9), and continued into 4th and 5th. I was very cautious about it, but it was important to her. Now she is a very street smart kid who walks with authority and confidence. I still remind her at least once a week to beware of strangers and almost daily about cars. There may have been more risk to her initially, but I think she's better off now than her older sister, who did not walk alone at that age. My two cents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very sad that any child would have to walk himself/herself to/from school everyday. It's extremely dangerous for a child to be all alone in the city. But, most likely the children's family members are working in order to provide for the family, and they do not have the option to take them to/from school. There are many people who go to work well before school starts and come home late in the evening. This is not a choice, just the reality for some families who are working hard to provide for their family. OP's assumption that these children's family members are just sitting at home being lazy is most likely incorrect. The children are probably latch key kids. I hope that someone will help these children.

Why is it automatically tragic that children would walk themselves to school? Has this not largely been the case in the United States for well over one hundred years? Are we inherently better off as a society by dropping off our children from our SUVs every morning?

I wrote the above comment. I got myself to school from K - 12th grade - either walking, taking the bus or driving. If a child lives in a safe neighborhood, then certainly a child can walk himself/herself to school, and that's great. But, I don't believe Washington DC is a safe place for a child to walk home alone - they can be kidnapped or anything else. I will never let my children walk home alone in Washington DC until a certain age (I don't know which age yet because they are only 3 and 5 now). My main point is that OP should not assume that the parents are being lazy, because the parents probably have circumstances which limit their ability to take the kids to/from school.

This is nothing but ignorant alarmism. We walked to school in the 70s from first grade on. Kids are considerably safer today than they were back then. Even (especially) in the city. Educate yourself. Clutching at irrational fears is no substitute for informed decision-making.

http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Okay, seriously? I'm OP and the father of 4 elemetary-aged kids. Aside from the fact that allowing this to happen is extremely dangerous traffic-wise, these kids are predictably walking routes that makes them easy targets for pyschos who prey on kids. I don't mean any harm in my post -- it just breaks my heart when I read about a child getting hurt or gone missing. This is preventable folks. That's all.

You are 100% correct! I cannot believe the other posters are arguing with you. You aren't telling them to quit their jobs BUT RATHER line up another responsible adult to ensure smaller children get home safely. I don't understand the controversy of your post. Wow, this is just sad.