Could your 9 year old walk home from school?

[Anonymous]

OP here again.

OK, I have a solution!

DS could go to the nearby library to wait for me, it's even closer and there's only one, much safer road to cross.

Do you think public libraries allow 9 year olds to read/do homework in the children's section, even if they're unaccompanied?

Thanks for all your advice!

(BTW I agree with 19:09 that safety is primarily reducing distractions. I was talking to my friend when I got hit by a car at 10 years old. I should have heard it even if I couldn't see (we were crossing at the top of a hill and round a bend) but I didn't because of our conversation.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP here again.

OK, I have a solution!

DS could go to the nearby library to wait for me, it's even closer and there's only one, much safer road to cross.

Do you think public libraries allow 9 year olds to read/do homework in the children's section, even if they're unaccompanied?

Thanks for all your advice!

(BTW I agree with 19:09 that safety is primarily reducing distractions. I was talking to my friend when I got hit by a car at 10 years old. I should have heard it even if I couldn't see (we were crossing at the top of a hill and round a bend) but I didn't because of our conversation.)

You could check your library's website. Just as with walking, there being no rule against it won't save you or your son from being accosted by busybodies who think you're America's worst parent. Talk with your son ahead of time about what to do should someone approach him when you're not there, and practice what you'd say if someone comes up to you as well.

[Anonymous]

Of course the library will allow him there! I haven't accompanied my DD to the children's section since she was 5.

[Anonymous]

I let mine _ about a ten minute walk.

[Anonymous]

OP, Also check whether there are any afterschool club on that day at your school? Many parents do that at my school or a taekwondo/karate pickup etc. Library is also a good option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course the library will allow him there! I haven't accompanied my DD to the children's section since she was 5.

DC libraries will allow this. Montgomery County requires kids to be 12 or 13. I'm not sure which, but I know that when my son started middle school at 11 he was too young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, Also check whether there are any afterschool club on that day at your school? Many parents do that at my school or a taekwondo/karate pickup etc. Library is also a good option.

OP here again.

That's just it, the school PTA is apparently incapable of dishing out info before September and the extra-curriculars start a few weeks after the first day of school, and many end earlier than the holidays. So even if we are lucky enough to find an activity that DS doesn't detest at that day and time, for every semester, I still have to cover some weeks here and there.

I checked on the MoCo library website. It's very vague: "Children over the age of 8 should not be left alone for prolonged periods of time." OK, he's 9. Is 2 hours a prolonged period? I suppose it's up to each branch to enforce this as they wish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP here again.

OK, I have a solution!

DS could go to the nearby library to wait for me, it's even closer and there's only one, much safer road to cross.

Do you think public libraries allow 9 year olds to read/do homework in the children's section, even if they're unaccompanied?

Thanks for all your advice!

(BTW I agree with 19:09 that safety is primarily reducing distractions. I was talking to my friend when I got hit by a car at 10 years old. I should have heard it even if I couldn't see (we were crossing at the top of a hill and round a bend) but I didn't because of our conversation.)

You could check your library's website. Just as with walking, there being no rule against it won't save you or your son from being accosted by busybodies who think you're America's worst parent. Talk with your son ahead of time about what to do should someone approach him when you're not there, and practice what you'd say if someone comes up to you as well.

I wouldn't do it because someone is going to call CPS. Just have the kid walk home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You could check your library's website. Just as with walking, there being no rule against it won't save you or your son from being accosted by busybodies who think you're America's worst parent. Talk with your son ahead of time about what to do should someone approach him when you're not there, and practice what you'd say if someone comes up to you as well.

I wouldn't do it because someone is going to call CPS. Just have the kid walk home.

I agree about the busybodies. But I can't imagine that CPS would take seriously a report of a nine-year-old by himself at the library after school for a few hours. If he behaves himself, acts like he knows what he's doing, and is prepared with responses for the busybodies, everything should be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP here again.

OK, I have a solution!

DS could go to the nearby library to wait for me, it's even closer and there's only one, much safer road to cross.

Do you think public libraries allow 9 year olds to read/do homework in the children's section, even if they're unaccompanied?

Thanks for all your advice!

(BTW I agree with 19:09 that safety is primarily reducing distractions. I was talking to my friend when I got hit by a car at 10 years old. I should have heard it even if I couldn't see (we were crossing at the top of a hill and round a bend) but I didn't because of our conversation.)

You could check your library's website. Just as with walking, there being no rule against it won't save you or your son from being accosted by busybodies who think you're America's worst parent. Talk with your son ahead of time about what to do should someone approach him when you're not there, and practice what you'd say if someone comes up to you as well.

I wouldn't do it because someone is going to call CPS. Just have the kid walk home.

So someone calls CPS and CPS laughs at them. Or, more likely, they walk up to OP and just threaten to call CPS. It's the sort of thing you have to learn to deal with if you want to give your kid any kind of independence at all these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, Also check whether there are any afterschool club on that day at your school? Many parents do that at my school or a taekwondo/karate pickup etc. Library is also a good option.

OP here again.

That's just it, the school PTA is apparently incapable of dishing out info before September and the extra-curriculars start a few weeks after the first day of school, and many end earlier than the holidays. So even if we are lucky enough to find an activity that DS doesn't detest at that day and time, for every semester, I still have to cover some weeks here and there.

I checked on the MoCo library website. It's very vague: "Children over the age of 8 should not be left alone for prolonged periods of time." OK, he's 9. Is 2 hours a prolonged period? I suppose it's up to each branch to enforce this as they wish.

That's interesting. I'm the PP who said 12 or 13. Our local library is Little Falls, which is right next to Westland Middle School, and when we first moved to the area the librarian overheard me telling my 11 year old (looks 11, not a tiny kid who might be mistaken for a younger child) that he could stop on the way home from school (so making it clear that this was at least a sixth grader) to pick up a book and made a point to tell me it wasn't allowed in unless I was in the building the whole time. When I asked for clarification they said that he could stop long enough to return a book, but couldn't stay and browse or read it.

I would be more OK with my kid walking a few extra blocks and crossing a few extra streets at nine, than I would be with a couple hours in the library alone. To be clear, if I knew the library staff wouldn't kick him out, I'd be OK with both, but to me walking home is the less worrisome of the 2 ideas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on the neighborhood. I like the idea of having an older kid do it and pay them a few bucks a day to do this.

My sister reminded me that we walked 1.5 miles to kindergarten in a less than safe area. I would never do this today. I wouldn't want to risk a child molester.

Are you seriously worried about a child molester? Oh well.

Traffic is much more dangerous. A car that drives 30 miles per hour can easily kill a child [or adult, for that matter].

So true! We specifically bought a house to be able to walk to and from school. Lo and behold, it is a neighborhood where everyone drives through, so the risk is much greater than anything anyone could have told us, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, Also check whether there are any afterschool club on that day at your school? Many parents do that at my school or a taekwondo/karate pickup etc. Library is also a good option.

OP here again.

That's just it, the school PTA is apparently incapable of dishing out info before September and the extra-curriculars start a few weeks after the first day of school, and many end earlier than the holidays. So even if we are lucky enough to find an activity that DS doesn't detest at that day and time, for every semester, I still have to cover some weeks here and there.

I checked on the MoCo library website. It's very vague: "Children over the age of 8 should not be left alone for prolonged periods of time." OK, he's 9. Is 2 hours a prolonged period? I suppose it's up to each branch to enforce this as they wish.

That's interesting. I'm the PP who said 12 or 13. Our local library is Little Falls, which is right next to Westland Middle School, and when we first moved to the area the librarian overheard me telling my 11 year old (looks 11, not a tiny kid who might be mistaken for a younger child) that he could stop on the way home from school (so making it clear that this was at least a sixth grader) to pick up a book and made a point to tell me it wasn't allowed in unless I was in the building the whole time. When I asked for clarification they said that he could stop long enough to return a book, but couldn't stay and browse or read it.

I would be more OK with my kid walking a few extra blocks and crossing a few extra streets at nine, than I would be with a couple hours in the library alone. To be clear, if I knew the library staff wouldn't kick him out, I'd be OK with both, but to me walking home is the less worrisome of the 2 ideas.

I would fight the library on a horrible rule like that, especially since it isn't county policy.

[Anonymous]

I suspect they said that at Little Falls because often after school the library gets quite noisy from energetic Westland and Little Flower kids who walk over after school. I have no problem with this, btw, but you know those librarian types like it quiet Meaning I bet the librarian wasn't saying it out of a safety concern ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You could check your library's website. Just as with walking, there being no rule against it won't save you or your son from being accosted by busybodies who think you're America's worst parent. Talk with your son ahead of time about what to do should someone approach him when you're not there, and practice what you'd say if someone comes up to you as well.

I wouldn't do it because someone is going to call CPS. Just have the kid walk home.

I agree about the busybodies. But I can't imagine that CPS would take seriously a report of a nine-year-old by himself at the library after school for a few hours. If he behaves himself, acts like he knows what he's doing, and is prepared with responses for the busybodies, everything should be fine.

My 12 year old sat alone playing on an ipad at a table in the cafe area of Balducci's recently (many were open/unused) while I shopped for about 15-20 min.

A man nearly accosted me for leaving DS alone "while I [the man] sat here and watched him" and took it upon himself to berate me.

So...if you go the library option, know that there are busybody nuts everywhere!