For Discussion: How do you feel about this?

outnumbered

dandelionhater said:

Flame me to hell I have every intention of letting DD walk to school this year she is 7, it probably won't be until the end of the year when she is 8. I thibk saying you wouldn't even consider it for an 8 year old is a little over the top.

No flames here.  My 2nd and 3rd grader walked home last year.  It was 0.7 miles and they even had to cross a semi-busy street.  During winter I picked them up because the snowbanks were to high for them to see cars.  They loved walking home and it gave them a sense of accomplishment and pride in their independence.  I cannot imagine waiting until 12.  That would be embarrassing.  

outnumbered

amy052006 said:

MrsMuq said:

DC2London said:

I hate when people use the "I did it as a kid" argument.  This is not 1980.  We are so, so far from 1980.

This is funny. A lot of us weren't even alive, let alone old enough to walk anywhere alone, in 1980.
:P

This is doing nothing to help with my hating everyone!

If my school was not 6 miles away I could have been walking to school in 1980.  

notkateanymore

fitmom82 said:

zbeesma86 said:

what's the difference between walking to school or the park at that age?

when I was 7 I walked to school with my sister and a couple other kids.

because if you're not at school someone will probably call within an hour.  Who knows how long this mom expected to hear from her son again.  Alot has changed in 20 years, I'd never let my 7 year old walk to school unless I was parked outside every few blocks to make sure she made it.

Where the fuck do you live? Baghdad? They're 7...not 2. Get a grip.

Ilumine

I have only scanned most of the responses. 

But I want to say that in Europe (or at least in the part of Germany where we were stationed/lived for 3 years) children as young as 5 would walk to school along busy roads every day.  Many times alone.

I would also see them go to the neighborhood parks - though always with a buddy.