Is it acceptable to have them walk home from school on their own? I get done with work the same time school gets out- and would be able to make it home by the time they got there, maybe a few minutes later. Just curious what other parents think.
We live 3-4 blocks from our elementary school, and my kids are 4th grade, 2nd grade, 1st grade. The only main road to cross would have a crossing guard.
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If you don’t have to let them, I personally wouldn’t. I don’t even let my 12 year old walk home because sadly this isn’t the world grew up in anymore. If this is a last resort then more than anything you need to ask yourself if you believe your children are responsible enough to get home safely on their own. Distractions(especially among siblings), dangers, ect. By a couple blocks so .25 of a mile then I don’t see why it would be an issue if it’s necessary. Not to alarm, simply to educate the danger even with a crossing guard, there was a 5th grader that was struck in the crosswalk because a driver wasn’t paying attention at a nearby elementary school with a crossing guard out. If all of them are very aware of their surroundings and cautious you should be fine.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. Are my kids old enough to walk home from school? - Mamas Uncut
I wouldn’t let them but that’s me
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No…I never let my kids walk home til they were 12…what happens if someone tries to bully them or take them!? Your 9 yr old isnt gonna be able to save his 2 siblings…and u may not get there before them?!? What if u run into traffic and they’re outside afraid for 20 minutes or more?!! Easy way to get DCF involved…Don’t do it
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With the way the world is today there’s no way I’d let my kids walk anywhere alone.
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If they were walking together I would
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Personally I would not you never know what could happen.
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My son was 13 before i let him. And he only walked up the street off the bus.
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In today’s world I wouldn’t
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Personally no i wouldn’t
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Mine are on the corner and I go everyday.
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Maybe get to know one of the older kids that also walks the same way that can walk with yours kids home… otherwise I’d say no way not with the way the world is today. I wouldn’t let my son walk home alone but that’s just me.
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My daughters been walking home alone since 9. We are 2 blocks from the school. We have never had any issues. There’s always lots of other students and parents walking home at the same time
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Not in today’s world!!!
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When we were kids… totally. Now days I personally wouldn’t.
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My son’s 5 and his bus stop is about 10 yards from my drive way. I still walk with him because u NEVER know.
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I wouldn’t. My daughters going to middle school and im still not letting her
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I wont even let my 2nd grader walk from the bus stop right up the street home… not with the way the world is anymore!!
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Will there be other kids walking home with them? Are there any crossing guards in that area?
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I would NEVER.
I live in a small community, where everyone looks out for one another but I wouldn’t ever let my kids walk home alone, especially in this day and age!!!
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Not in today’s world
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My oldest is in high school and I still drop off and do pick up every day.
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No because Unfortunately it’s just not safe anymore!
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Nope. Not with all the weirdos walking around these days.
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Well the question should be …
**can your children fight off a grown man or woman or teenager trying to grab them ?
**can your children out run a dog ? A grown man or woman r a teenager ?
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Human trafficking nowadays is scary
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The way this world is set up… No
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There are psychopaths everywhere
Just know your surroundings and make sure they do as well.
Mine are 5th,2nd and Kindergarten and I freak out when they’re not in eye sight at the store or park
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I still plenty of kids walking to and from school that are in elementary school.
Some alone and appear young.
Open Communication is most important. Awareness for the kids. If there is a elderly neighbor near by that could keep and eye out their window while kids walk home.
3 musketeers they can be!
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My opinion they might be too young.
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In today’s world heck to the no! It takes 2 seconds for someone to stop and grab one of them and be gone. Trafficking is getting WORSE. Boys girls it don’t matter. No No No
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Hell no my boys are in second and first this year. Their bus driver won’t even let them off of the bus without their sticker saying their name and stop. Not only that but they can’t exit the bus without mom or dad there to get them. The stop is next door. In this day and age I would never trust anyone to get them home
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My kids have for years.
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Everyone is different but I have 16,14 and most 13… they could walk to school and only one road to cross
I won’t allow them lol
I think it depends on your neighborhood. In our old neighborhood we literally had 6 families per street in the subdivision that had several kids walking/riding to school. I would let mine after my oldest was 4th grade and youngest was 1st grade but it was literally a 5 minute walk and there was lots of other kids and parents around.
Now we live in the country and their bus stop is at the end of our driveway. They get busses to separate schools now my oldest is in middle school
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Personally I wouldn’t let my children. If you got off work around the same time, I would just have them stay at school until you got there. Even if they wait 15min.
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I personally wouldn’t as they can get kidnapped by anyone at any age, but you are their mother and you are the one who decides this and what is the right age for them.
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This world is way too wicked
Nope. Too many crazy people.
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Not quite yet. I would wait for middle school at least
We live across the road from their school and I still will walk them across.
A fourth grade is like 9bto 10 years old, 1sr grader 5 years old. I would said no especially if they will get home n no one is there. U r better of paying another parents that u trust that has another kid there keeping them for like an hour to give u time to get from work. Maybe offer them like $20.00 even if all your kids are super train I fixing of a kidnapper, they can never fight off a train kidnapper, I did study to be a homicide detectives n one thing I learned is that the main person that hurts kids are other kids .
No, personally with the way this world is going I don’t trust anyone
The school I went to and the one my kids go to do not allow you to walk home till you are in 4th grade. No younger siblings can walk with them, they have to be in 4th grade or above.
I say it’s fine. I pick up my kids from school walking and it’s about a mile… there are alot of kids walking the same route and I can’t speak for other parents but I look out for the kids that are walking In our direction weather they talk to us or not I kinda just keep an eye on every kid that is in my eye sight so there’s that too. I think they will be fine but more than anything go with your mom instincs
I went with the legal age to be home alone. For most states that’s between 10-12. So my 10 and 12 year old can but I’m still having them take the bus, lol
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Personally I believe if you shouldn’t let them walk home to school but you’re also shouldn’t let them take the bus you should just drive them to school seeing as most people are paranoid that something’s going to happen to their kids I’m not saying you shouldn’t let the kids take the bus that’s your decision if you want to I’m just saying it might fix this problem then again if you only live like literally down the street from a school I don’t really see what the problem is
It doesn’t matter what others say. It matters if you believe its safe enough in your area. People can’t use “these days heck no its not safe” or “Not with all the human trafficking going on”
What people fail to remember all of that stuff has always been happening not just “these days”.
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Depends on the area. I personally don’t feel safe having my 3rd grader walk home. I am pissed they denied his bus application considering that our apartment building is unsafe and there was a shooting in front of the school just before the end of the year. My suggestion is to find an after school program that picks them up from school and that gives you more time to pick them up. Plus they have something fun to do. Since our apartment is bad news we put my youngest into after school karate to make sure he doesn’t play with the neighborhood delinquents as much but it helps with the fact that I can’t drive to pick him up. Hubby gets off work and picks him up from karate.
Noooo mama…pick them up at school
Maybe 15-20 years ago the 4th grader could have. But today, heck no! To many weirdo’s out there. Definitely not a 1st grade or 2nd grader. 
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No, they are still too young. There’s too many sick people out there, you never know.
If your 4 grader has a phone, Download a app it’s called familyLink my son was in the same boat last year, and today he stars fifth grade. But I get notifications as soon as he leaves the school, the street he’s crossed and when he gets home.
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Do what works for you.
No they are too young pick them up from school
Sadly in this day and age I’d have to say heck no kids are getting kidnapped too often everywhere! If anything if they gotta wait at school for a bit to be picked up so be it I’m sure the school will understand if you communicate with them and let them know your situation they may not even allow your first grader to walk home! Please be careful with your kids people it breaks my heart every time I see a missing child report on the news! There’s too many sick corrupted people out there!
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I personally wouldn’t.
No I wouldn’t! Too many crazy people out there.
4th grade is how old?
I would not. Just have them stay in the office until u get them. That’s what my sister does
Well personally I wouldn’t let them cause they’re still young, and you can’t depend on other people to help if something were to happen cause they’ll just stand there and watch and record or by God a good Samaritan is around…you do what is best, but as you mentioned you get off work in time when they get home, if you have that time then pick them up, this world is crazy, but it’s your kids and you do what’s best!
Not in this day and age. To many sick people out there waiting to snatch kids for trafficking
Absolutely not!!! They can wait those few minutes for you at school!
I walked home from school but times have changed in 60+ years so my children never walked home. You also have to think about getting them home during in-climate weather.
Hell no! U will regret even thinking about it if anything bad should happen to ur kids, and in this day and age it is pretty much an everyday thing, people loose their kids to family members and neighbors, I would never trust my kid to walk home by himself. If it’s easy for people to hurt them that’s known to them, imagine how easy it is for a stranger to grab ur kids and just disappear
Personally, I wouldn’t. My 8th grader doesn’t walk half of a block to the bus stop by herself. She’s mature enough to go on her own but people are crazy.
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Now and days the world isn’t safe. We’ve had kidnappings infront of parents at parks… this town is so small too. Better to keep your kids safe. Walk with them, or have someone walk with them. Never alone.
Sorry, no. My daughter’s in 5th and i still won’t let her until she’s closer to home/in the middle school
I think it really depends on your neighborhood and where you live. I grew up in a small city and walked to elementary school everyday. I walked to my bus stop for middle school and high school everyday as well until I could drive. My elementary school was about 3 blocks away and the bus stop was 2 blocks away. As I got older I also had younger siblings that walked with me as well. And btw, my mom taught me very well about be very careful and watching out for strangers… but ultimately, it’s whatever works for you 
everybody is different
No. Too much going on nowadays. Pick your babies up.
I would say no! Too many missing children now.
Personally no. I would be telling them to wait around school and you will be there 10 minutes after the bell
Yeah nope. Not now days.
Definitely not!! I wouldn’t even consider it.
Freaken heck no.these days their are way to many crazy people out there.i protect my last child and she’s 17 there ain’t no way in crap I’d let your small aged kids walk alone.yep I’m blunt but that’s asking for the unfortunate…PROTECT THOSE BABIES.
Tbh… no… not with everything going on in the we world today… too risky imo… my oldest 2 graduated, my youngest is homeschooled thankfully…
My son is 12 and I still drive him to the bus stop lol mainly because he’s lazy but I don’t trust this sick world. Also… MIGHT get home a few mins later? So No one is home when the kids get there? That’s neglect … they’re too young to be alone. Something could happen and you can’t get there fast enough…. When my kids were little I had part time jobs and was waiting at the school in the courtyard with all the other parents before the bell even rang to let them out. No way would I chance that. If you need to work those hours I would get after school care or pay a teenager or someone you trust to pick them up from the bus and bring them home till you’re there.
I second the woman saying it depends on your school/neighborhood… in the big city I probably wouldn’t but like where I live (if I lived close enough for walking to even be an option) I’d totally let them walk! But we are in a very small town small school everybody knows everybody ect. But I live on the outskirts a good 20 minutes from the school so the kids in turn have just shy of an hour bus ride 
I wouldn’t put the stress on your 4th grader to make sure the other two made it ok and nothing bad happened
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Do you think your 4th grade child mature enough to take care of two young ones? That’s alot of responsibility for a fourth grader. I don’t let my kids walk home alone and they don’t even have to cross the road also my daughter is a fourth grader too my sons a in first grade and I feel she’s not mature enough to walk them home alone and we only live 2 minutes from the school.
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See if a high schooler could walk them home and pay him or her a little money.
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Depends on where you live.
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I think it depend on a lot of things… where you live, how mature your oldest is, how comfortable they feel, do they have a cell phone to get in touch with you if something happens? This is a personal or case-by-case opinion. My son would call me and talk to me the whole way home and it was so relieving. Do your kids have that or FaceTime?
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Yeah I’m going to have to go with everyone else no I can literally see the bus stop from my apartment window and I still don’t let my third grader walk to the bus by herself
They are way too young.
That’s too little for my comfort.
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There not even old enough to defined them selves or even fight of someone trying to kidnap them. Sorry its a huge no for me.
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Depends on if they listen well to the older one. I walked home with my older brothers. They always walked ahead. To the point that I was alone. I was attacked by a bully once. They had to one back when I didn’t show up and rescue me. But, they need to promise to always stick together. Listen to the older one. If the older one is dependable and responsible I’d say sure.
No way I have a 1st grader and school is across the street. I would never let him walk alone or with the “older” kids. They are in elementary school they are babies. Even in safe neighborhoods all it takes is one distracted driver or crazy person and your child is gone forever.
Hell no. I was born in the 90s, walked home & had creeps on my ass. We’re now in the 20s & its even worse now, my babies just turned 4 & 5 on the 10th & 27th. I’m very protective & wouldn’t want them leaving home or coming home without me there.
No, just pick them up a few minutes late
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I walked a further distance home at the youngest age, always with siblings or neighbourhood kids. Now this was 20 plus years ago when things in the world didn’t seem so crazy, but bad things can always happen then or now. I’d say as long as you think your kids (your oldest) are mature enough to understand the dangers an surrounding an are aware to wait an stick together on the way home, you could definitely try it out an see how it goes.
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Have them wait at school🤦‍♀️
Depends on where you live. My children have been walking home for the last few years. My son is now in in 6th grade, daughter in the 4th.
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Nope, not safe for this day in time in my opinion
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who cares what other parents think… every kid is different… are they equipped with the knowledge to get home safely? will the young ones listen to the older ones without any fuss? what’s your neighbor hood like? if you think they are capable trial it for a day and see how they go 
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Please don’t. They’re way too young.
No they aren’t old enough to walk home.
No way. It’s too dangerous. Not worth the risk.