Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 09:18     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
In 3rd my kid started walking to school on her own, BUT she would leave the house with us and walk across the two major roads to our bus stop before continuing the rest of the way on her own. If I had to, I would have let her walk the whole way on her own, but I never had to. I trusted her to be careful and follow traffic rules, but I trust drivers in this area almost not at all and in 3rd she was still really small and I would absolute stress about some idiot driver not seeing her as they made an illegal turn or ran a light, stuff that happens in our neighborhood all the time, especially at rush hour.

If I'd had to do this, I probably would have set a timer for her to remind her when to leave the house, or called/texted (and then likely had her call/text when she got to school just so I knew she got there safely). I could see doing it but I'd be very annoyed if the reason I had to was the district doing a 2-hour delay for no reason. That's a fake emergency, and I absolutely would have grumbled about it!
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 09:11     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
We live 1.5 blocks from school. Straight shot, one crossing at a light. I would let my 5th grader do it - would have let him walk to and from school alone in 4th, but he wasn't comfortable or wanted our company at that age, now he is fine with walking home himself after an after school activity. He'll be walking the 3 blocks to middle school alone next year.

However, younger sibling is in K and I would not make a 5th grader responsible for getting them both ready, out the door, and crossing traffic.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 08:43     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
Middle school, so 6th grade.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 08:42     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My child is in third grade. Parents are enraged about the two hour delay. These kids are 8-9 years old. Some of these people live 1-2 blocks away from school. There is no reason why a 9 year old can’t walk a block to school alone and parent can go to work.

Not talking about parents of younger kids.

At what age would you let your kid go to the bus stop or walk to school by themselves?

I remember walking home from school alone in kindergarten. I lived a block away. This was in the eighties.


Parents are enraged because they have no plan. Every two parent working family needs a plan in case of two hour delays or snow day. If that’s offering to pay a neighbor money to help cover then that may have to happen. But to be enraged about something that happens every year…get your affairs in order and figure it out like the rest of us.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 08:20     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
My 10 year old could have done it if it was walking a few houses down. But we live across a busy street from a bus stop and she's generally anxious. I see MS kids at the bus stop on their own. I did it around 10 as well as no parent wanted to walk me to the stop and it was a block away.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 08:13     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My child is in third grade. Parents are enraged about the two hour delay. These kids are 8-9 years old. Some of these people live 1-2 blocks away from school. There is no reason why a 9 year old can’t walk a block to school alone and parent can go to work.

Not talking about parents of younger kids.

At what age would you let your kid go to the bus stop or walk to school by themselves?

I remember walking home from school alone in kindergarten. I lived a block away. This was in the eighties.


Parents are enraged because they have no plan. Every two parent working family needs a plan in case of two hour delays or snow day. If that’s offering to pay a neighbor money to help cover then that may have to happen. But to be enraged about something that happens every year…get your affairs in order and figure it out like the rest of us.


Parents are enraged because schools can’t keep it together. Our school is open on time today. I would be unhappy if it were delayed.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 08:01     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
Anonymous wrote:I would allow this at 9, but my child’s private school would not, OP.

I would also not be ok with my kids getting upset that one of their friends is upset about something that has nothing to do with them. I teach my kids to stay in their lane and focus on them.

Why does it bother you that another parent has different standards and is upset?


I’m home now with my 9 year old. My oldest is in high school.

I was asking what age people would feel comfortable and it sounds like middle school.

I do think the kids we know are ultra sheltered, including my own.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 07:45     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
Anonymous wrote:My child is in third grade. Parents are enraged about the two hour delay. These kids are 8-9 years old. Some of these people live 1-2 blocks away from school. There is no reason why a 9 year old can’t walk a block to school alone and parent can go to work.

Not talking about parents of younger kids.

At what age would you let your kid go to the bus stop or walk to school by themselves?

I remember walking home from school alone in kindergarten. I lived a block away. This was in the eighties.


Parents are enraged because they have no plan. Every two parent working family needs a plan in case of two hour delays or snow day. If that’s offering to pay a neighbor money to help cover then that may have to happen. But to be enraged about something that happens every year…get your affairs in order and figure it out like the rest of us.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 07:45     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
I'd let my nine year old do it. She walks to school some days already. She probably wouldn't think to watch the time, but I could give her a call to remind her. She stays at home for similar lengths of time by herself without issue as well.

I would be mad about a silly two hour delay, though. School is important, even if the schools seem to have forgotten that.

Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 07:37     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
My 3rd grader could not do this. Home alone for a couple hours, sure (though that's longer than I've left her alone). But no way could she leave the house on time or walk to school on her own. We're about 30 minutes from school, through a heavily trafficked commercial area. But also she still just struggles with time blindness and most likely she'd lose track of time and not leave on time.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 07:29     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
I would allow this at 9, but my child’s private school would not, OP.

I would also not be ok with my kids getting upset that one of their friends is upset about something that has nothing to do with them. I teach my kids to stay in their lane and focus on them.

Why does it bother you that another parent has different standards and is upset?
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 07:16     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
Freedom, not bedroom
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 07:15     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
In an emergency, I think I could trust my 10 year old DD to get herself to school on time. She’d be focused and attentive to her new bedroom and responsibility and would set alarms for herself. On a regular basis though? Absolutely would space out and realize an hour too late that school already started. (Then cue resulting panic and self negativity spiral.)
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 06:43     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
12 for us. DD has adhd and there is no way she would have gotten out the door on time at 8/9.
Even at 12 it was rare and we set Alexa with like 3 different alarms as reminders.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 23:42     Subject: At what age would you let kids be home alone and get to school two hours late ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My child is in third grade. Parents are enraged about the two hour delay. These kids are 8-9 years old. Some of these people live 1-2 blocks away from school. There is no reason why a 9 year old can’t walk a block to school alone and parent can go to work.

Not talking about parents of younger kids.

At what age would you let your kid go to the bus stop or walk to school by themselves?

I remember walking home from school alone in kindergarten. I lived a block away. This was in the eighties.

Walking to school at 8-9? Fine. Being left alone for two hours? Not even sure that's legal.


+1

I don’t know anyone who would consider this for a 3rd grader. Some might consider it in 4th. A lot more (probably the majority) in 5th. Some would holdout until middle school. Most parents seem to drop before/aftercare in 5th grade +/- year. 3rd is too young for sure and well outside the norm. Not even sure this scenario would be legal TBH.