Walking to school alone-what age?

[Anonymous]

3rd grade in our house.

My kids both spent a considerable amount of time walking me to school before I let them go alone. They had to stop at each intersection and narrate through "look left, look right, look left" and "make eye contact with the driver". I'm big on eye contact because plenty of drivers in our neighborhood pull up to the stop signs and only look left because their only option is to turn right. Then they have a panic attack as they're pulling out to the right and suddenly notice us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:3rd grade in our house.

My kids both spent a considerable amount of time walking me to school before I let them go alone. They had to stop at each intersection and narrate through "look left, look right, look left" and "make eye contact with the driver". I'm big on eye contact because plenty of drivers in our neighborhood pull up to the stop signs and only look left because their only option is to turn right. Then they have a panic attack as they're pulling out to the right and suddenly notice us.

Only problem is you teach them but many kids don't do this and keep walking.

[Anonymous]

We let our 3rd and 1st grader.

[Anonymous]

We live a 15 minute walk to school and I haven’t let my 3rd and 5th graders do it because there is a fairly big road to cross. So I drive them the short distance. I know no elementary kids who walk alone where I live. Unless they happen to live immediately adjacent to the school. It starts in middle school in my area, although-side note-I don’t live in DMV and it’s seems people are less helicopters there.

[Anonymous]

If the kid is mature and their are no busy streets to cross (or a crossing guard is present), angr you are comfortable with the safety of the neighborhood, I would let my kid walk as young as 1st grade. 0.3 miles is about 3 full blocks? But then, I'm not a helicopter parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the kid is mature and there are no busy streets to cross (or a crossing guard is present), and you are comfortable with the safety of the neighborhood, I would let my kid walk as young as 1st grade. 0.3 miles is about 3 full blocks? But then, I'm not a helicopter parent.

Thanks, autocorrect. Please ignore errors.

[Anonymous]

It's very location-dependent, and we can only offer you general advice. I suggest you consider the route from the height of your children. Is there good visibility at the intersections? How fast do the cars drive by where they will cross? Etc...

We are separated from our elementary school by just one, heavily trafficked and dangerous street. It's a two lane street, and it's tempting to let my kids get to school themselves, but it's actually unsafe because the cars *do not stop* and race to get the green light at the far end, which they can see from afar. I let my 5th grader walk home a few times, before realizing how dangerous it really was: my friend was nearly hit TWICE this year at the same crosswalk.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid of course, but 3rd or 4th grade.

My older child started in 5th grade - she has to cross a pretty busy street. I would have been uncomfortable with that before 4th grade I think.

[Anonymous]

We have crossing guards at the busy sections, one four way stop and one t-stop. Is that unusual?

[Anonymous]

I let my 4th grader walk home by himself starting last year (so 8 years old, 3rd grade). I would love to have him grab my 1st grader and have the two of them walk home together, but the school won't release her to him. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

I'm wondering why kids walk alone?

I walked quite a distance by third grade -- but I was in a gang of neighborhood kids and we all walked together. There were always at least 5 of us, and we ranged from K to 5th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have crossing guards at the busy sections, one four way stop and one t-stop. Is that unusual?

It’s common to have crossing guards at intersections immediately next to the school, but it’s uncommon to have them at other intersections.

[Anonymous]

Oldest DD wanted to walk “alone” (with friends, without adult), younger DD wanted me to walk with her. I let DS leave before us and I promised to stay at least 1 block back while he was with his friends starting in 2nd grade.

I think it was 4 blocks to their school. The intersections were small and mostly untraveled at that time of day, except the main road he crossed in front of his school. There was a crossing guard there so we felt as safe as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I'm wondering why kids walk alone?

I walked quite a distance by third grade -- but I was in a gang of neighborhood kids and we all walked together. There were always at least 5 of us, and we ranged from K to 5th.

In my DC neighborhood, young families are moving in, but there are still lots of elderly homeowners, so not a ton of kids yet. Also, many kids attend private or charters.

[Anonymous]

Our walk from the bus stop to school is about the same distance. 3 blocks.

We did a very gradual release of responsibility. Starting around 7 years old, he was "in charge" of road crossings. He told me when it was safe to go, and we also practiced checking with drivers and waving acknowledgement. By mid-year, he'd go and cross ahead of me and would end up 20 yards or so ahead on the walk.

At 8 yo I'd walk as far as the last crossing, let him cross, and he'd go from there. At 8.5 I'd just let him go, but I'd get off the bus and wait at the stop until I saw he was well on his way.

Now he is 9 and he gets off the bus and walks by himself (and I stay on the bus).