swamp
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Post by swamp on Jun 21, 2012 12:59:07 GMT -5
Next year, my kids will both be in school
DS is 6 and will be in 1st grade. DD is 4 and will be in Jr. Kindergarten. She will be 5 in October.
They go to a babysitters after school. The babysitter lives very close to the school. The kids need to cross the street in front of the school, go 1/2 block west, and then 1/2 block north. It is a very quiet residential neighborhood.
This year, I hired a 5th grader to walk DS to the sitters after school.
I think they can walk over there on their own in September. DH thinks they need to be walked over.
DS can cross a street, but he's a wanderer and he would wander away to go pet a dog or go to the park that's just past the sitter's house. DD can't cross the street on her own.
Together, they seem to do well.
What would you do?
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Jun 21, 2012 13:00:42 GMT -5
No, I wouldn't allow my 4 and 6 year old to walk to school alone. But I've been called a helicopter mom....
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jun 21, 2012 13:01:12 GMT -5
Not that I have kids, but I wouldn't let my kids do this at that age. You've acknowledged that DS, who's the older one who is basically in charge, might wander. I'd have an older child walk them again.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jun 21, 2012 13:01:35 GMT -5
No, I wouldn't allow my 4 and 6 year old to walk to school alone. But I've been called a helicopter mom.... I'd drop them off at school. They just have to go to the babysitter's after.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Jun 21, 2012 13:02:31 GMT -5
No, I wouldn't allow my 4 and 6 year old to walk to school alone. But I've been called a helicopter mom.... I'd drop them off at school. They just have to go to the babysitter's after. I still wouldn't do it. I wouldn't be comfortable at taht age and you said your ds is a wanderer. I would be a nervous wreck
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jun 21, 2012 13:02:44 GMT -5
Not that I have kids, but I wouldn't let my kids do this at that age. You've acknowledged that DS, who's the older one who is basically in charge, might wander. I'd have an older child walk them again. Actually, the younger one is in charge. OR at least she acts like it. But she fully recognizes her brother has to walk her across the street. If he did wander away, she'd nag him to death until he came back.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2012 13:06:03 GMT -5
eh.... I don't think so.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jun 21, 2012 13:07:26 GMT -5
damn, where is everyone who thinks I'm coddling my kids?!
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Jun 21, 2012 13:09:10 GMT -5
Nope, for a number of reasons
Lena
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Peace Of Mind
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Post by Peace Of Mind on Jun 21, 2012 13:09:21 GMT -5
I wouldn't even let somebody I don't like do it.
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Sam_2.0
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Jun 21, 2012 13:09:38 GMT -5
Why doesn't the sitter pick them up from school if its that close?
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Jun 21, 2012 13:12:00 GMT -5
I would continue with hiring the 5th grader - at least until your little one is a first grader.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jun 21, 2012 13:13:38 GMT -5
Why doesn't the sitter pick them up from school if its that close? I would guess the sitter has other kids to be watching at that time.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Jun 21, 2012 13:13:41 GMT -5
Swamp, your kids should be walking 12 miles in the rain/snow/heat to school everyday by now. Quit coddling them!!!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2012 13:13:54 GMT -5
damn, where is everyone who thinks I'm coddling my kids?! you took them to WDW, you child coddler!!!! I bet you paid for their plane tickets, too!
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mollyanna58
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Post by mollyanna58 on Jun 21, 2012 13:19:35 GMT -5
Is there a crossing guard where they have to cross the road? Even if there is, they are a bit young to be responsible for themselves.
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Plain Old Petunia
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Post by Plain Old Petunia on Jun 21, 2012 13:21:59 GMT -5
No, I would not allow them to walk by themselves. DS is too young to be responsible for walking himself and DD across the street safely, even if he weren't a wanderer. If something were to happen to DD, that would scar DS for life.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Jun 21, 2012 13:39:09 GMT -5
It's crossing one street and then walking a block. I certainly did more than that without a chaperone in kindergarten and 1st grade. I would certainly agree with Swamp and let the kids walk it themselves. And it's not like the sitter doesn't know when school gets out, so she'll be expecting them.
At the same time. DH and I have the "whoever says 'no' wins" agreement, which means that if I thought it were ok and DH didn't, DH would win the argument.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Jun 21, 2012 13:42:11 GMT -5
damn, where is everyone who thinks I'm coddling my kids?! I wouldn't at that young an age. Maybe next year but not this. My DD started walking to the bus stop on the corner of a state highway in 3rd grade by herself. If it had been a smaller road I might have felt differently. Is there a crossing Gaurd to help them cross?
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Peace Of Mind
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Post by Peace Of Mind on Jun 21, 2012 13:43:16 GMT -5
damn, where is everyone who thinks I'm coddling my kids?! I'm here. Oh good! If reminding her that you are lurking around her children doesn't keep her from doing it nothing will!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 21, 2012 13:51:26 GMT -5
Tough choice - I was wondering the same thing, but our school wouldn't allow it. They stop kids from walking alone either away from the school or home from the bus. My kids are allowed to circle the block all day every day to get to their friends' houses, but I have to pick them up 4 houses away at the bus stop. Is the 5th grader (now 6th grader) no longer available?
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Jun 21, 2012 13:54:30 GMT -5
.
;D
You could be describing my kids. My kids are more like 3.5 years apart. When DS was 12 we started to let the kids stay home alone after school. DD was about 9 and she was really in charge. Girls are just more mature/responsible at a younger age.
Btw, in answer to your question, I would have an older kid walk them accross the street. Someone will probably be willing to do it for little or nothing. When my DS was in K5 and 1st grade we had an older cousin who was in 3rd/4th grade meet him after school and wait with him for Grandpa to pick him up. Worked well for all involved.
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Colleenz
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Post by Colleenz on Jun 21, 2012 13:56:02 GMT -5
I would allow it based on how close the babysitter is. They would be missed within 5 minutes if they did not show up. Are they allowed to play outside unsupervised for 5+ minutes now?
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Jun 21, 2012 14:02:58 GMT -5
I'm sorry - I've watched too many episodes of Law & Order SVU and I am scared of little kids running off or vanishing without a trace. I would still hire the 5th grader for a couple more years.
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Plain Old Petunia
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Post by Plain Old Petunia on Jun 21, 2012 14:04:55 GMT -5
It's crossing one street and then walking a block. I certainly did more than that without a chaperone in kindergarten and 1st grade. I would certainly agree with Swamp and let the kids walk it themselves. And it's not like the sitter doesn't know when school gets out, so she'll be expecting them. At the same time. DH and I have the "whoever says 'no' wins" agreement, which means that if I thought it were ok and DH didn't, DH would win the argument. What good does it do for the sitter to be expecting them? By the time they are missed, it has already gone down.
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Peace77
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Post by Peace77 on Jun 21, 2012 14:05:12 GMT -5
I would have the babysitter meet them st school or pay someone to walk them. They are so young and there are too many pedophiles around.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Jun 21, 2012 14:07:36 GMT -5
Tough choice - I was wondering the same thing, but our school wouldn't allow it. They stop kids from walking alone either away from the school or home from the bus. My kids are allowed to circle the block all day every day to get to their friends' houses, but I have to pick them up 4 houses away at the bus stop. Is the 5th grader (now 6th grader) no longer available? Are you talking about kindergartners? If they are older how can they even do that? At my kids school they have a no walking policy. EVERY kid is supposed to use the bus. there are a few kids who live literally across the street and are supposed to take the bus. The parents just wrote a note that "katie" is allowed to walk home and they would let her. It ws up to mom and dad not the school TYVM. Guess what? They let them. ;D
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milee
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Post by milee on Jun 21, 2012 14:13:38 GMT -5
You wouldn't be a child abuser or anything if you decided to let them walk. On the other hand, if it were me, I'd think that sounds a little risky. Probably worth a small payment to a 5th grader to avoid any issues. Small price to pay for peace of mind, IMHO.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jun 21, 2012 14:19:00 GMT -5
Why doesn't the sitter pick them up from school if its that close? she has a bunch of other kids, she'd have to get them dressed in their coats, boots, hats, mittens, scarves, etc and walk them to meet the kids. if it's nice out, she will meet them half way. Not if it's crappy weather.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jun 21, 2012 14:19:35 GMT -5
We let ours walk to school when they were that age, and we lived about that distance from the school.
ETA - We're like weirdos though that subscribe to the free range kid idea, which used to be mainstream, and then the helicopter parents took over and now we're fringe. As far as I know nobody has called CPS on us yet, and the kids are alright, so it's all good.
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