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When would let your lid ride bike to school

Littlejen22Littlejen22 member
in Blended Families
I live in a pretty safe suburb and about 1/2 mile from school. I have to say I am surprised that 4th graders are riding bikes, well one was left back so he is actually in 3rd.
Jen - Mom to two December 12 babies Nathaniel 12/12/06 and Addison 12/12/08
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Re: When would let your lid ride bike to school

  • Ginlyn0Ginlyn0 member

    In our district, there is no bus service if you live within 2 miles. We are such a large suburban district with large housing additions there is a elementary school for practically every housing addition. So we live 1 mile away and the elementary school and middle school are next to each other at the back of our housing addditon. Some kids in our neighborhood walk or bike to school starting in Kinder, seriously. When DD was in elementary she begged to walk or bike to and from school because everyone else did, but DH dropped her off and picked her up each day because at that time he worked for our school district. Seriously, if you drive through our neighborhood before or especially afterschool you will see hundreds of kids walking home. The elementary school releases 20 mins prior to the middle school and the middle school 20 mins prior to the high school (the high school is at the front of our neighborhood near our house).

    Last year in sixth, when DH changed jobs we started letting her walk home because she was in middle school and there is no after school care for middle schoolers in our area and we get off work too late to pick her up. I take her to school every morning though and she walks home with friends.

    DD(14),SD(13),SS(11),SS(9),DS(3)

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  • bebe11bebe11 member

    I started letting my DD (she is in 6th grade) walk home from school.  She would ride her bike, but she doesn't want to have to ride it to school and home.  We live in a really safe area and I am still nervous.  I have her call me when she is leaving school and then call me when she gets home (I am at work).

    I do see a lot of kids younger than my DD ride their bikes to and from school.

     

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  • OoglybearOoglybear member
    My 2nd grader and 4th grader have been riding scooters to and from school this year. I kind of feel like they are safer since they're together, but I've been second guessing the decision lately... 
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  • danac2010danac2010 member
    We live in a safe neighborhood but there is a questionable apartment complex across the street from the school.  I say questionable just because there are some high school kids that have been caught with drugs and a gun in the complex.  My neighbor won't let her 11 year old walk home yet because she just doesn't feel like it's 100% safe yet.  I walk the neighborhood with DD in the stroller but I always have my cell phone and someone always knows the route I take.  You just never know these days.
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  • Littlejen22Littlejen22 member
    I can see if there was no bussin there would be a lot more kids around. We have 100 complimentary bussing so there are not a lot was walkers, some kids take the bus is they live on the same bus not sure if that is because the specific kid I know of has autism.
    Jen - Mom to two December 12 babies Nathaniel 12/12/06 and Addison 12/12/08
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  • twister22twister22 member

    imagepiffle42:
    Especially given all the stories in the news lately I would be hard pressed to let a child do this before middle school.  I think it'd also have to be multiple kids riding together.  I'd feel a little better knowing there would be a group rather than kids going themselves.

    All of this. I would be too concerned for my child's safety - you hear the stories all the time "Sally walked to school every day, but on Wednesday she never came home. The walk was only 3/4 a mile." 

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  • J&A2008J&A2008 member

    We have been in two schools in separate states, and both schools release kids at 2nd grade to walk home alone.

    Not my thing, personally, but those are the school guidelines.

    Is there a specific reason why you are worrying about the fourth graders?

    Stay at home mom to a house of boys: two amazing stepsons, 12 and 9, and our 4 year old.
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  • kali55kali55 member

    We live a 7 minute walk from school in a quiet suburb.  This year, I started walking my SDs to school every morning and picking them up.  I got really sick this September and so SDs started walking home by themselves.  They are in Grade 3 and 2.  That being said, they have 6 friends in our neighborhood whose homes I can see from our front window and they walk home in a big group so I felt pretty comfortable with that. 

    Yesterday, after discussion with their Mom, we all agreed that they could ride their bikes to and from school.  I followed them in my car yesterday for a trial run and today they are doing it on their own for the first time. 



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