“There is no way in hell I’d let a nine-year-old walk alone to school?”
“She has to be kidding. A nine-year-old”
“Who even is this woman? What kind of mother would let a NINE-YEAR-OLD walk home alone?”
The kind of mother who might allow a nine-year-old to walk home alone from school is me.
I’m that woman.
I’m that terrible mother. The person who would actually consider allowing a nine-year-old boy to walk to school without a grown up right by his side.
What else makes you a ‘bad mother’. Mia Freedman addresses one concern in her ‘Hey Mia’ series.
It hasn’t happened yet – he still only eight, but it is something I am thinking about letting happen when he turns nine near the end of the year.
My musings about the subject became public last week in a post for Mamamia – little did I realise that even considering such a thing was taboo.
There was instant castigation.
The reaction I got you would have thought I was considering letting him pack up his PlayStation and his soccer ball and move out of home.
Top Comments
Have seen a few close calls and thats just traffic accidents from kids walking home alone from the local primary school over the years. Have heard of a couple stranger danger incidents as well. Not mature or strong enough to handle a dangerous situation. Once I had to bang on a drivers window to stop the driver from dragging a child away that ended up stuck underneath the car . Thank goodness he was ok physically. He had an older brother walking with him but didn't understand what was happening until a few minutes later when he turned around to check where his brother was. Sometimes things can go wrong, its better to be safe than sorry and wait a few more years.... it's worth the wait.
I agree. I personally wouldn't risk it, mainly because there are so many unsavoury looking people out there but I won't judge another parent if they let their child walk so young as it's their choice and if something happens it won't affect me. Lol I do think if they are walking to school that they should at least walk with other children.
Go for it. I walked with my son from the start of prep and taught him how to cross the road we lived on (it was a bit busy with school parents at that time of day). When he was 7 or 8 I got him to 'walk' me to and from school to see if he was ready. He was fine. He definitely got a boost of confidence walking by himself. Like you there were other kids and some parents walking the same route, and a crossing opposite the school. We lived 500m away, then moved when he was 10 about 1km away and I knew he would be fine walking that too. It is easy to prepare them just like we do with everything else in life. ie jobs around the house. He started mowing the lawn at 11yrs (12 now).