Is 7 yrs old old enough to walk to and from the bus stop alone?

Question

well, he really isn't alone, he is with his 6 yr old sister in the mornings, and he walks home with the other kids in the trailer park in the afternoon. My husband thinks he is too young to walk with out me taking him to the bus stop in the morning, and meeting him after school there in the afternoon. It is almost a quarter mile walk, and I'm just too tired to get up in the morning and walk it, since it wakes me up, and i can't go back to sleep afterwards. In the afternoon, I simply don't want to walk it again, after doing it at lunch time to pick up my 6 yr old. What is ur feelings on this?

Answer 1

its too young a gt u might b gettin bored of havin 2 go every mornin bt how bd wud u feel if somthin happened 2 thm, in a couple of year thy can go alone an thn u can av yr lie in

Answer 2

I'm almost in your same position. We live in a trailer park and the bus stop is a couple blocks away. I have 1 daughter in school. I get up and fix her cereal get her dressed and take her to school. This way we get to sleep an xtra 1/2 hour. We are getting up while other children in the neighborhood are getting on the bus. I choose to do it this way 2 years ago because i figured if I have to get up and take her to the bus I might as well drive the other 3 blocks to school.

However on the way home she walks with the other children in the neighborhood. There is safety in numbers and if you have 8 kids walking together I see no problem in allowing the boys walking home from the bus stop. With there being 2 sons I don't really have a problem with them walking to the bus stop.

We have a very safe neighborhood where the kids play and ride bikes sun up til sundown. There are always parents looking out and again safety in numbers. We only have 1 way in and out of our park and people are not just passing through. They are in the park for a reason. My daughter has also been through "escape school" 3 times.

Again this would depend on many factors, safety of neighborhood and traffic on the street they have to walk, how responsible the kids are. etc.

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Answer 3

He's plenty old enough. When I was 5, I walked 2 miles to Kindergarten, often in upstate NY blizzards. I did a 200 customer paper route before I left for school, also. I made my own lunches to carry, and I let my mom sleep.

If your kids are complaining at 6 and 7 about a lousy 1/4 mile, then you need to do some tough love with those pansies.

Answer 4

I would walk my kids (or dirve them) if it is that far. A lot of things can happen in 1/4 mile. I just started letting my kids walk the 1/2 block to our bus stop by themselves and they are 9 and 11.

Answer 5

at the age of 7 i believe that is to young to walk alone i would not let them walk alone till the age of 10.

Answer 6

Get up out of bed and walk them to the bus stop, too many kids are abducted, sexually abused and murdered!!! A 7 & 6 year old kid do not need to walk 1/4 mile without your supervision, anything could happen to them in that short distance, some weirdo could put them in his car and you may never see them again, I totally agree with your husband. MOM protect your kids!!

Answer 7

What is your son, 2nd or 3rd grade?  That is still pretty young.  It'll depend on the city and neighborhood you live in, but generally that is pretty young.  A 1/4 mile isn't too bad, but things can happen between that time.  

Besides, you should enjoy walking your son and daughter while you still can, before they grow up and spend all their time with their peers leaving none for you.

Answer 8

I also had to re-read your question because I couldn't believe that a parent would actually say they didn't want to walk their SMALL child to the bus stop because they didn't FEEL like it...I think you know the answer to this by now, you're ridiculous.

Answer 9

these days- i would NOT trust it..alot could happen in a quarter mile, I'm all for Independence, but not this kind

Answer 10

Yes is is too young for both of them to walk alone.  I'm sorry but a quarter mile walk is not that far.  It is your responsibility to take care of your children and keep them safe.  What would you do is something really serious happened to one of them?  How would you feel about your sleep then?  As a mother you should be getting up with your kids, making them breakfast, helping them get ready, and then see them off on the bus.  If you are too tired in the morning to take care of your responsibilities then I suggest you get to bed earlier the night before.  I had a friend once that wanted her husband to get up and take her to work.  He, like you, was too tired to do it.  That night on the way home from work she wrecked her truck and burned alive in the wreckage.  Is this the type of situation you think you can live with?  I suggest you start taking your mothering responsibilities more seriously.

Answer 11

My first thought when reading the first part of your question is: It depends on where you live and how far from school you are. But then I read that you could actually be walking becuase you are home I WAS PISSED!!! GET OFF YOUR LAZY @$$ and walk your children all of them too and from school. This is something that some of us wish we could do every day. And children will be better for it in the end. ITs' a great way to start conversations and talk about school. They will love for you to be part of your day...but I guess all you want to teach your kids is that sleep is more important to you than them. Who feeds them breakfast? themselves becuase you want to sleep. My feelings on this question is that you are a lazy and a poor excuse for a mom..I don't know how you can actually call yourself one when you have to ask this question..you are setting yourself up for us to mean to you.

Answer 12

You want to be the mom on tv begging for someone to please bring your baby home??? Didn't think so..In today's society only a fool would take that chance...Deal with it.. the walk won't kill you..

Answer 13

My 8 year old catches the bus in our driveway and I DO NOT let her stand there without me there! Just the other day there was a man that tried to take a little girl from her bus stop, not 10 miles from my house! It is getting way too common to let your guard down! I'll probably wait at hte bus stop with her until she graduates! I might just stand to the side so that noone sees me and makes fun of her because her mom still watches her get on the bus!

Another thing; there are college students that come up missing all the time, and if they couldn't protect themselves, what makes you think your 7 year old can? PLEASE walk with him! Better safe than sorry!!

Answer 14

밑바닥 헌납자, you forgot to add in the story about how the two miles in the blizzard was uphill both ways.  I have to agree with you.  At 7 after school I was walking to my 1 year old niece's babysitter, picking her up, taking her home and watching her for two hours until my mom got home from work.  Your kids have it too easy.

Answer 15

i think you should because whats going to happen if one day either of them come home?? your going to wish you had walked them and walked to go get them ..stop being selfish and just do it ..its you responsibility as a parent to watch them and make sure they are safe and if you don't like it maybe you should have never had kids to begin with...with being a parent comes responsibility so get used to it stop being lazy and do the right thing ...

Answer 16

My 6 year old has been going to the bus by himself since he was 5 this is something that is up to you the bus stop is 2 blocks from my house and he goes in snow rain or shine I quit walking him after the first week However this is something you should take into consideration I lice in a very close community my town only has 700 people in it and everyone kind of watches out for other peoples kids. You need to do what is right for you

Answer 17

I am so bothered by your question.  Are you kidding me?  What other things are you requiring your children to do for themselves.  You should act like the parent and not put off by being a parent.  If you can't then give your kids up.  I am concerned that your children are not being taken care of.

Answer 18

I let mine walk, but I could watch them at the window.  If one or the other was running around or something, I could walk over and embarrass them...lol  But, if they are not in your line of vision, no way.  Kids have been kidnapped, in front of other children, at bus stops!  It happens.  And not only that, if you are not supervising them, they are free to misbehave.

Answer 19

Why not roll your house closer to the bus stop?

Answer 20

go to bed earlier and get up to take them both.  It is your responsibility for their safety and their comfort.  Think of them, not yourself.

Are you disabled?  If not, then act like a parent.

Answer 21

get off your lazy butt and walk them out there  they are too young to be out there alone

Answer 22

I feel that you should walk them to the bus stop. Its a mom's job to make sure that they're kids are healthy, happy and safe.

Answer 23

Walk with them to the bus. That's part of being a mom.

Answer 24

A quarter of a mile should be no big deal.  I think they are both too young.  I lived in a great neighborhood where most kids walked to school- some the same distance.  Every year, especially in the fall and spring when the weather is good we would have to call the police about suspicious vehicles.  There are instances in close by neighborhood of attempted abductions as well.  People know when the kids are out for school and when the weather is nice.  Your kids are too young to take care of themselves if someone were to try to take them.  Go to bed earlier if you're too tired.

Answer 25

i wouldn't recomend it. all the s*x predators are there...... at least i wouldn't feel comfortable leaving my 7 year old sis walking alone. they are so vulnerable and although i have taught her not to speak to strangers, there is always that risk of her doing it.

Answer 26

I'd walk.

If you could see the bus stop from your front window, I might think differently.  But my son's school is about 1/4 mile from our house.  Between here and there lies traffic, dogs and of course, the simple temptation to stray from the path and not get where he's supposed to be on time.

I don't know what your schedule is, but it's worth adjusting something else to be able to be there.

You might also try finding other parents to trade on and off with - my mother worked nights, and so she and a neighbor traded mornings to stand with us at the bus stop.

Which was important because there were always morning where the bus didn't show up on time, or where there were fights at the bus stop.  Adults aren't optional at this age.

Answer 27

there are way too many pervs out there. walk with them