How old is the safe age to walk the street by him/her self?

1. 70

   emimemoposted 11 years ago

   How old is the safe age to walk the street by him/her self?
   
   School bus driver drop kids off on the street and they do not check if the parent is there or not. When I called the school bus company, they said 8 years old ( 3rd grade ) can walk on the street by themself. Do you agree?

   replyreport
2. 60

   lindieslposted 11 years ago

   I think a lot of factors come into play when answering that question. How far the child lives, the childs maturity level, the area the child lives in, how the parents feel about this situation, etc. Personally despite all of the above I think that 8 is way too young to be walking the street or home from the bus stop by him/herself. It is the responsibility of the bus driver and the school to ensure the saftey of the child and to drop a child off with little disregard, they should be ashamed of themselves.   My daughter is 9 and in 4th grade and she is lucky that I let her walk the 1/2 block to her friends house by herself and even then she must call me as soon as she arrives. It isn't that I don't trust her or think she can't handle it but I honestly do not trust other people.

   replyreport
   1. 70

      emimemoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your comment.  The location of the bus drop-off is busy with traffic and the street doesn't have sidewalks. It seems to be that the bus driver's convenience is more the focus than children's safety.

      replyreport
3. 86

   Annsaloposted 11 years ago

   This all depends on your child and parenting style. My oldest is 8 and is trusted to walk around the block and up to two streets over by himself. I have a responsible son and I do not live a life of fear. I know that I can trust my child to be out of my sight. I agree with the bus company. Personalli I wish more parents would get informed about statistics. Very few children are hurt by strangers. Almost all cases of kidnapping and rape toward children is done by a relative. The media makes parents fear everything. When I was 8 I was riding my bike all around town.

   replyreport
   1. 70

      emimemoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your comment. If you are living in the safe town maybe you don't worry about it so much. But people live in the city where many  people comes and goes,  they have to watch out more carefully. Trust your son but do not trust strangers.

      replyreport
   2. 60

      lindieslposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Do you know that 34% of statistics are made up? Being cautious and showing good parenting is completely different than being fearful. I really do think it would differ depending on what area you lived in.

      replyreport
   3. 86

      Annsaloposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I have spent the last 11 years working with child abuse victims. Statistics for child abuse and kidnapping are right on point. Common sense should be used in all parenting. Of course location matters.

      replyreport
4. 59

   Kevin Peterposted 11 years ago

   I think after the age of ten children must be given the freedom to walk by themselves along the street. The thought that their parents believe in them will give them the courage to handle responsibilities in a better manner. Some parents due to over affection don’t allow them to go any where alone. It may spoil the child

   replyreport
   1. 70

      emimemoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your comment. 10 years old sounds good, but not 8 years old.  I am not worry about the trust or responsibilities. I am worry about the safety of the child. After 10, they might be big enough to protect themselves.

      replyreport