My kids school is too far as well so just drive them to school at least I know that they are at school safe and sound

Safety in numbers! If they are walking to school together and have been doing so for a while, no need to stop. My kids school is a 10 minute drive from home, so they won’t be walking at all. But when I was little I was taking the bus too and from school at 8 years old. I was also home alone at that age when my mum was out visiting her friends or elsewhere. We had neighbours that would keep an eye on us. But times were different back then. We could go out roaming the streets unattended at that age too. Maybe keep them in after school activities till the end of the year and reassess the home situation then. Or ask a trusted neighbour to check in on them when they will be alone. Have ready snacks that don’t require anything like heating available and specific rules in place.

I, know what other mums say too! It’s a great question

My boys would walk to and from school together when my youngest was in Year 1 and his brother was in Year 7. I was lucky because my Mum only lived up the road so she would be there when they got home from school while I was still at work. The best thing was that we just live across the road from the school so I felt safe letting them walk and there were teachers at spots where all the children were allowed to cross the road to see all safely crossing. We also live in a small country town so that is another reason why I had no issue with them walking to and from school.

I’m more on the overprotective side and do not let the kids walk to school or stay at home by themselves yet. They are nearly 9 and 10 and I don’t think I will do so for another couple of years.

It very much depends on the individual child and circumstances. Miss 9yr was left home alone to do home schooling during Covid lockdown. Her Dad had Skype running constantly with her so they could talk if need be & he would go home at lunch time for a bit. In our immediate community were 2 teachers home with their kids & other neighbours working from home so they were all close by if there was an emergency. Under normal circumstances we wouldn’t have left her on her own.
She’s in year 5 now and I would love for her to walk to school however the one road she’d cross is a dangerous one.

I remember when i was year 2 i walk to school with my brothers. My kids now in year 4.We are so close to the school. But i am still walk with them. May be i feel they need to be more mature.

My daughter’s school is too far to walk but I started leaving her home alone since she was 11 but only for an hour at the most. We keep in contact with text.

Personally I was almost 6 when I started walking to school and my eldest boy was just on 6 when he started catching a bus to his grandmother’s house where I would then collect him when I left work after picking up my two daughters from creche. Soon after we moved to a country town and he walked or cycled to school and my other children cycled to school once they hit 5 years old. This country town was a true village, and you were aware of every event occurring to your children even before they cycled home. Once again it depends on how you have reared your child, how responsible they are as well as location I guess. I lived in Potts Point and had to walk through the Cross, my eldest son caught a bus from Harbord to Cromer – but he had ridden buses with me from the age of 6 months and was a very astute young person.

My kids were 12 when they were allowed to walk on their own. …but i still worried about them alot!

Mine are too young yet but I’ve thought to myself when my oldest is in grade 6 or late yr 5 I’ll start letting her catch the bus and go home. After all it is only for a couple of hours.

I waited until high school, but it would depend on the child and how far the walk was.

I think you have to factor in age and maturing level.

By law you could face a fine or jail time too young to walk to school unsupervised .

It\\\\\\\’s good that the 10 year old walking to school but it\\\\\\\’s not a 10 year old responsibility to look after the younger ones without supervision from a parent. No different then them staying at home alone ,alone is alone . 10 year old not old enough too look after younger children they are child themselves and it is breaking the law you could be fines or face jail time lady

My kids are too little, but I remember being 11/12 years old when my mum let me go alone. I lived pretty far from school and not all my memories were great (I came into contact with a group of bullies from a neighbouring school…. eeek). At highschool age I felt confident and happy walking without any supervision.

I think your youngest are to young.

My kids had to bus it every day. Me, I was 6 when I walked to school by myself. Different lifestyle back then tho and I didn’t have far to walk

I agree that your youngest are too young to be left unsupervised. I let my 8 year old and 10 year old walk home from school alone, but they just have to walk down a bike path and not cross any roads. And I’m at home waiting, so I’d miss them in 10 minutes if something horrible happened. I won’t let them walk to school alone yet, because it might be longer before anyone noticed they were missing.

Not till she was in high school and even then she walked home from school with friends.