I am sitting at my computer writing the most ridiculous letter right now. I am writing to the school my children attend and the bus company that transports them to give permission for my kids (6&9 years old) to get picked up and dropped off without me standing at the bus stop. No they don’t have to cross a busy hi-way, walk along a busy street, or walk for a half an hour to get home. They have to walk by six houses. That’s it. It is all on the same sidewalk and I can see them the whole time.
For anyone that have experience with school bussing you know they are never on time. Totally fine. Shit happens. I don’t blame the driver for having to go through construction, wait for a kid, etc etc. What I do not like is having to stand out at the corner waiting for 20+ minutes in the cold if they are late when I can see them get off the bus from my window.
Why is this a thing?
As parents aren’t we able to be the ones that choose whether our kids can do something? Why have we become so scared that someone is going to take our kids, the kids will get lost, or they will encounter a rabid dog off their leash on their walk home from school? We recently have started letting the kids go to the park alone. They are completely out of our sight. But they aren’t able to walk past six of our neighbours (that we know!) houses alone because a blanket rule was placed by the district?
I know every school is different and I hope that more schools allow their students to walk home if the parent chooses but that is the point – the parent should be able to choose.
We want to know:
What is your school routine like? Do your kids walk home from school without you? Or do you prefer to be with them. At what age would you let your child walk by themselves?
