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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2006 > September > 01 > Entry
Walk this way?
Today, I took my six-year-old to her first day of kindergarten. And we did something really bizarre and radical.
We walked to school.
It’s about six blocks from my house to the school. Along the way, we could barely hear each other talk over the loud whizzing of a long line of cars zipping down a main thoroughfare.
On the other hand, the sidewalk was congestion-free — a lonely, unused concrete frontier.
I’ve been toying with the idea of allowing my two school-age kids — second grade and kindergarten — to walk to school on their own. But I wonder, is a 0.6-mile unsupervised walk down a public street by children this young grounds for criminal neglect charges these days?
I walked to school in second grade with my younger brother. And using Google Maps, I looked it up — 0.7 miles. Almost exactly the same walk my kids made this morning.
My kids walked through leafy Kettering, a typical suburban neighborhood. When I was young my walk was a bit more elaborate — across a college campus and through the center of downtown in a mid-sized college town.
But then again, this is a different world.
Today we send four-year-olds to self-defense classes and parents sit and watch every soccer and baseball practice (my parents dropped me off and picked me up). We’re terrified to let the kids out of our sight.
But walking to school is good for kids. Did you know there is even an international movement to encourage walking to school?
So put yourself in my shoes and give me advice. Would you let these young kids walk to school alone?
UPDATE: Other posts on this issue:
Permalink | Comments (41) | Categories: My Favorite Posts, Student Health and Safety, Young Children
Comments
By Jen
February 7, 2007 11:08 PM | Link to this
As if my other comment weren’t long enough… My only real advice is don’t drive them! In terms of their current safety and the effects of all those parents driving all those kids in cars on air quality and global warming — now there’s some real danger!By Jen
February 7, 2007 11:06 PM | Link to this
Wow, I’m amazed at some of the responses — like the 11 yo who is only alone for 30 minutes at a time? My neighbor has had my 12 yo babysit her two kids already — even I thought that was a little young, but since we’re next door, I allowed it. However, the problem at 5 and 7 yo, they do get distracted and do silly things…things which could involve getting hit by a car. I’d be inclined to either run ahead or lag behind and then sprint up at the corners. Do what you can to see what skills they have and how trustworthy they are about crossing streets, etc. But in a year or two, I’m all for your idea and maybe more parents will join in and there will be more walkers. And you know, even if you aren’t flying, a plane could land on your house, so really, no one is safe. ;-DBy J
September 28, 2006 9:16 PM | Link to this
Oakwood is a unique example with regard to students walking. Probably not a representative example.By Allie
September 28, 2006 2:48 PM | Link to this
I don’t know. I’d play it safe. Walk with them or drive them.By ryan
September 16, 2006 12:55 AM | Link to this
we live in oakwood. most children walk to school. oakwood children are also able to come home for one hour at lunch time and most do. sure we have plenty of parents driving too. the difference in oakwood is that so many kids walk to school that safety is not as much of an issue. sure some kids walk alone, but there are so many walking that there are always other kids and parents around. we also have police patrol before, at lunch, and after school. sexual predators have always been around. the big difference is that now we as parents have the ability to know where convicted ones live. fifty years ago we did not. most suburbs are not designed for children to walk to school. most are designed around automobile driving. in oakwood everyone lives within one mile of the schools and the city is designed for pedestrians to safely walk to school, shopping, parks, etc.By Tegan
September 15, 2006 12:06 PM | Link to this
I walked four blocks to and from school during the late 80’s and early 90’s without a problem at my Baltimore City schools. (I attended two schools one Catholic and one public every day long story short these schools were more dangerous on the inside than what was outside the building because of the school rivalries, bullies etcetera.) Of course I had older siblings to accompany me to school when I was younger but by the time I was seven I was walking back and forth to school alone or home with the school patrols fine. The area changed rapidly as I grew older and sometimes encountered trouble on the way from school. If I still lived in that area I certainly would not let a second grader and a kindergartener walk without an adult or a larger older group of children to school. But I suppose your area is different and not Baltimore city. With two children that young age if possible I would try to arrange walking patrols with older children at first because it really discourages trouble from bullies and preditors. Then again I am not a parent so maybe my opinion is biased. I think I gained a lot of self-esteem from walking to and from school alone. I was proud that my parents had confidence in my ability to aviod harm and potentially bad situations.By Scott Elliott
September 14, 2006 9:48 AM | Link to this
Allyson, your first comments are very interesting and thoughtful. But I have to call you on the second comment. Two points. First, most abducted children ARE supervised. They are taken by adults who are known to them — a parent, a relative, a family friend, a neighbor. An off-the-street kidnapping is exceedingly rare. Second, your rationale doesn’t hold. It’s like saying the only people who get struck by lightning are those who walk in fields. So we should never walk in fields? Or those who die in plane crashes are only the ones who fly planes. Again, not flying for that reason would make you irrational even if it would guarantee you would never be in a plane crash.By Allyson
September 13, 2006 10:03 PM | Link to this
An added thought is that although abductions may be low in numbers one factor is likely constant that is that abducted children are always the unsupervised children, think about that point.By Allyson
September 13, 2006 9:38 PM | Link to this
Nowdays we unfortuately are much more aware of the crimes that have been committed against children. Shows like American Justice and Cold Case Files and Americas Most Wanted and the News Papers articles. Then there is the terrorist scare that we live under and are battling at airports and border crossings. The list of information sources on the bad things goes on. Now a comparison. If we want to buy a lottery ticket we hope to be the lucky winner. We can more take control that the bad things dont happen to innocent children by the guarantee of walking them to school. The idea of a period of innocence and growth is sort hard to achieve if the environment to be innocent has been tainted even if in the ideological sense. The constant bombardment of our awareness with actual incidents of crime invade our mental space as red flags against the idea that the environment embraces with love our innocent beloved children as the make their clumsy way about the world. And the increase in sharing can increase evil deeds can potentially increase this as a learned behaviour. In the end if something happened to our child as we insisted on their right to unadulterated freedom wouldnt we ask ourselves if really we had not been warned and if we should have known better. On this issue I think I will error on the side of caution.By Dee
September 12, 2006 11:30 AM | Link to this
Let them walk- but maybe get the 2nd grader one of those kids onlty cell phones? You program in 2 or 3 numbers- she can press one button and reach youBy James Walden
September 8, 2006 4:06 PM | Link to this
“I like the analogy of flying. But, this isn’t about you or me or anybody else being irrational: it’s about safety! Stay with flying for a second. Suppose if, after 9/11, the government hadn’t stepped up security? Would anybody fly anymore? This is a simple safety issue.” Flying is a great analogy, because it shows how poorly people evaluate risks. Even in this decade, you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a terrorist. Ten times as many people died in car accidents in September 2001 than died in plane crashes. We’re afraid of big splashy events that make the news, and we’re afraid of situations that we don’t control, even though we’re more likely to get killed in not so newsworthy car crashes where we are in control. As for letting your kids walk to school, every type of violent crime is down since the 1970s. Even though you hear more about such crimes on the news, it’s safer for your children to walk to school today than it was 30 years ago.By MS MSRY
September 8, 2006 3:57 PM | Link to this
No, they should at least be 10 years old before walking to school without an adult. But I live in a dicey area where all the kids are escorted to school so that could sway my opinion.By Nellie
September 8, 2006 1:03 AM | Link to this
My 10 year old is walking to school by herself - 10 blocks, suburban neighborhood. She calls me on her cell phone to let me know she arrived at school, and then I leave for work. She begged me to let her do it, and other than my own reluctance, there was no good reason to say no. She is thrilled with this new freedom/responsibility, and it will help increase her self-esteem.By Polski3
September 6, 2006 7:17 PM | Link to this
As a kid, I either walked or usually, rode my bike to school. My sons? They walk to school or are driven by their mom (or driven by me on occasion). WHY? It is a different world. And, their route to school is along a moderatly busy street, and we live in a town in California where they could be in Mexico within 30 minutes. IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK.By Margaret Paynich
September 5, 2006 11:40 AM | Link to this
I agree with my mom (Twigsy). And it really depends on the kids, like my mom says my 9-year old sister looks like she’s 6. It’s just a tough call and all the information needs to be taken into account. But kids do need to experience things for themselves, if they do not they will not be prepared for the real world. You can not protect your kids forever.By twigsy
September 5, 2006 11:04 AM | Link to this
Hi Scott, I wouldn’t let them walk just yet - maybe next year. When you do walk with them, you can teach about things like traffic and safety, which will prepare them for walking on their own. My neighbors think I’m crazy for letting my 9-year-old “roam the neighborhood” (visit her friends) but she is almost 10, and I know her maturity level. My biggest problem is that my daughter looks about 6, so I get a lot of dirty looks. I vote for next year, especially if you are walking them most days this year. TwigsyBy Lady S
September 4, 2006 3:08 PM | Link to this
I, too, walked to school. It was the 80’s (81-88) and I walked with neighborhood friends. In first grade we were with my friend’s 4th grade brother, and in second grade we were in charge of the first grader next door. In fifth and sixth I walked 1.2 miles through downtown to get to my school. These days the five children who live on that street (my parents’ neighbors) have never walked alone to school. .57 miles in a very safe town. What’s crazy about this is, they are allowed to wander around the neighborhood alone outside of school. In the town where I teach, there are kids who can see the school from their house that ride the bus. One parent says it is because there is about 25 feet from their house to the sidewalk. But at least 2 adults in the house don’t work and could walk the child to school. Others can cut through the ball field in the back of our school, no street to cross, and they bus it even on the nicest days. So who’s fault is it that our children are obese? Oh yeah, the teacher who gives the kids lollipops on Friday for having a good week.By Lea
September 3, 2006 11:10 AM | Link to this
I’ve been thinking about this and, if the school was a bit closer, I would let the 11-year-old walk it. Problem is, my 8-year-old is too oblivious to the world around him! That said, I am far more worried about the traffic around us (we live in a neighborhood that is in the corner of the intersection of two VERY BUSY streets. Also, your second grader should not have to have the responsibility of a kindergartener. Maybe the elder could walk “alone” with you a bit behind with the younger? Then again, it IS a great time for conversation. My parents walked me to the bus stop until I was 10. Since the bus stop was on a very busy street, later when I went to the high school just across that street I had learned the dangers. Of course, this was before cell phones and Hummers!By Derwood
September 3, 2006 2:29 AM | Link to this
I walked and rode a bicycle to school from 4th thru 8th grades in El Cajon, CA.. A place that I wouldnt consider going to now as an adult. My ride daily was 2.5 miles each way. I would never consider allowing my daugher to ride that far away from home on her own in Beavercreek, let alone California. Yes, society has changed for the worse, in my opinion. We have to be constantly vigilant as parents to protect our children from the predators out there.By Socialwrkr
September 2, 2006 11:37 PM | Link to this
I agree with Angela. God forbid your kids are the 2, would you be able to live with yourself? So, set up a routine where you do the walk with the kids, and see what all is going on around the neighborhood. Once they are older, and more aware, they will then be able to take on some of that responsibility. Also, be thoughtful about putting too much responsibility of the younger child on the older. That can create animosity. It’s possible in a year or two, the oldest can take care of herself, but should she take care of the younger. As far as liability, well, if something does happen, be prepared to answer questions.By Angela
September 2, 2006 7:09 PM | Link to this
I think caution is the key… Do your research: where do the registered offenders live in your neighborhood? Are there older children who walk the same route.i.e. Safety in numbers. Are those older children responsible enough to walk with your kids and treat them right. You would be amazed and horrified at the things I’ve seen go on between kids walking to school. And what I’ve seen parents do who drive their kids to school. I think it is wonderful for parents to walk their kids to school and be able to recieve your guidance on how to handle situations that arise, so by the time they are in 3rd grade they are more mature and able to handle anything that may come up. It’s a Win Win Situation. It may not be likely that something will happen to your kids. Have you asked yourself: How will I handle it if mine is that 2 in a million? Look at what happened to Erica Baker. No we shouldn’t live in fear but we should exercise caution and teach our children how to handle the possible dangers of this world. So they will know what to do if they have a problem.By The Godmother
September 2, 2006 2:44 PM | Link to this
I am another of those who walked to school in elementary school (funny thing…my trip was .6 mile too). Granted, it was usually with my older neighbors, but many times I somehow overslept or was running late and had to walk it alone. My question is why can’t the alleged “mother” of your girls walk them to school on the days you can’t do it, Scott?By Dave
September 2, 2006 1:58 PM | Link to this
Scott, you make a rational arguement, but since when have parents been rational? If we were rational, we would avoid all the work, expense, worry, and the most rewarding experience you can have.By sara
September 2, 2006 1:54 PM | Link to this
DON’T EVEN CONSIDER IT! It is too dangerous in our times to allow these young children to walk alone. If you care for your children, walk with them.By Mary
September 2, 2006 1:36 PM | Link to this
Maybe what you want to write off as irrational fear is gut instinct, experience, intelligence and/or ESP, Scott. When I was in engineering school getting my degree in aerospace engineering, one of my professors commented the most scared people aboard an aircraft are aerospace engineers. I thought that was rather peculiar and didn’t think much about it as a young engineer in the Air Force as I connived to fly on every military jet or prop I could fly on. I even applied unsuccessfully to be on the space shuttle and in flight test engineering when women were first allowed to apply. But my enthusiasm was curbed somewhat as I worked around the business and lost co-workers. Do I still fly? Yes. I had just landed in Japan on 9-11 and have flown since. My education and experience both relaxes me and scares the daylights out of me about airplanes and cars. I have had closer experiences to death in cars, but feel I usually have more control. Your only control over your kids when they are walking to school by themselves is what you have taught them. You have to go with your gut. But hopefully you are educated and enlightened about the dangers.By gth7
September 2, 2006 1:05 PM | Link to this
I like the analogy of flying. But, this isn’t about you or me or anybody else being irrational: it’s about safety! Stay with flying for a second. Suppose if, after 9/11, the government hadn’t stepped up security? Would anybody fly anymore? This is a simple safety issue. And if you want another reason, go to the Montgomery Co. Sheriff’s website and look up how many sexual predators live along the walk to school. I’ve checked my leafy part of Kettering too and I’m flabergasted.By Scott Elliott
September 2, 2006 9:45 AM | Link to this
Folks, I really appreciate the thoughtful comments here. This is a fascinating debate. Let me give you some more information. On most days, I will walk the two kids (2nd grade and kindergarten) to school. We part at the intersection in front of the school and I begin my daily three-mile run from there. This works great. But I’d love to have the option of letting them walk alone on days when I am more rushed. Also, my 2nd grader is quite responsible and she very much wants to lead this walk and test her independence. Part of me likes the idea of letting her experience that. Finally, I am not necessarily in disagreement with those who say the kids shouldn’t walk because the potential consequences are great even if the chances of something bad happening are small. But can we then agree that we are all advocating a position that we know to be irrational? Mrs. C’s terrifying childhood story notwithstanding (who knew Oklahoma was so dangerous?), the chances of bad things happening are very unlikely. Think of it like this. Why do any of us ever get on airplanes? The potential consequences also are great even if the chances of something bad happening also are very small. But we’d all agree that people who refuse to fly are doing so based on an irrational fear, wouldn’t we?By Mary
September 2, 2006 8:51 AM | Link to this
“Old prof”, and the reason there are not more than 2 in a million is because parents take precautions. Two in a million is still too much whether you are the parents or not. There is an article in this morning’s paper about the mother of a 12 year old boy abducted 24 years ago. The mother, apparently near Des Moines, Iowa, mysteriously just received photos of her son with two other boys. The photos were taken shortly after the abduction and showed all three boys bound and gagged. He was on his paper route when he was abducted. My son also had a paper route when he was 12, but I was a “helicopter” parent.By Chris
September 2, 2006 1:30 AM | Link to this
Scott I agree with the person who identified herself as their mother - they are too young to walk by themselves (but only by a year or 2) but it is great for you to walk them to school. I think it is better for kids in the long run if they understand that the world is a dangerous place and that they need to exercise some caution. Parents can’t be there all the time. When I was in grade school a girl I knew was hit by a car while she crossed the street for a bus. She was in high school so she was certainly old enough to go by herself. Sometimes bad things happen to kids despite all our precautions. I think it is better for children to learn this on their own (within limits of course) so they can avoid the bad situations. I worry that too many parents (especially those in the well off suburbs) think that by building a cocoon of “safety” around their child they can avoid problems. Too often the kids don’t have the wherewithal to avoid things like drugs or promiscuity because they never learned that some things can be dangerous. I would rather my children see the dangers and be aware of them rather than have them hide beneath the Pleasantville surface that is too often found in suburbia. I will now step off my soapbox.By Oldprof
September 1, 2006 9:11 PM | Link to this
Yes, America has changed radically. We are now afraid of our own shadows. Look, there are perhaps 2 in a million children harmed by strangers annually; the children who are molested or assaulted suffer almost always at the hands of relatives or family friends. Moreover, we’ve become “not my business” people—once, a child screaming would have attracted lots of adult intervention. I’ve known two grade-school children who walked that distance to school in inner-city Dayton. Assess the traffic—that’s the biggest risk (mostly from self-absorbed idiots who jabber on the cell while piloting their Hummers). If more and more children start to walk to school, we roll back some of the obesity epidemic—and more adults might start taking an interest in what goes on out in their streets—while the odds of random catastrophe are minuscule.By Ms. Cornelius
September 1, 2006 8:02 PM | Link to this
My friend, I was nearly kidnapped walking home from kindergarten. I climbed six backyard fences to get away from that man. This was the late 1960s. I am not just trying to scare you. And what’s this about a heart issue? I am deeply concerned.By Mary
September 1, 2006 6:38 PM | Link to this
Scott, yes, things have really changed. The world has got more crowded, and at the same time, families are on their own more. Stressed out mothers are on their way to work instead of peering out windows to make sure their neighbor’s kids are okay walking to school. You are showing some male cluelessness if you sort of don’t get it. According to some recent research, women are more genetically predisposed to nurture and protect their children. I can’t recall how this research was done. I agree with some of Dave’s points about adults needing the walk, too. Maybe you should just walk with them. Didn’t you have a heart issue recently? The regular exercise together seems to be a good idea for you and your kids.By margo
September 1, 2006 4:55 PM | Link to this
I think the girls are too young to walk to school on their own but I think it is a wonderful idea that you walk them to school. That way everyone wins: the safety concern is eliminated and all three of you get to enjoy that time together.By Dave
September 1, 2006 3:33 PM | Link to this
I think you are on the right track. Keep walking them to school. Scout out the terrain and find your comfort zone. And listen to them talk about school. It’s a wonderful time to spend with your kids, (and most of us adults could use the extra walking, anyway).By Scott Elliott
September 1, 2006 1:25 PM | Link to this
Who said my wife could post comments? Honey, we should really talk about this! OK, as to hers and other comments. I am struck by how many commenters here are saying they walked to school but would never allow their own kids to do so. Has the world really changed that much? Are there loads more pedophiles lurking around and cars just waiting to jumps curbs? I don’t think so. In fact, a child’s chances of being abducted by a stranger or hit by a car on the sidewalk are probably equivalent to their chances of being hit by lightning. Not very likely! Isn’t the real issue us? That we’re more afraid than our parents were? If we take reasonable precautions, why can’t a kid walk six blocks to school? We all survived it, didn’t we?By Boston Lobstah
September 1, 2006 1:22 PM | Link to this
Seriously, I would drive by them and think “What were their parents thinking?” It is 2006, and have you heard of the “Aruba” story???? Honestly, too many factors out of your control! They may make the right choices but others may not follow.By Mary
September 1, 2006 12:44 PM | Link to this
Every parent has to determine their own comfort zone for their kids, so you have to find yours. I would not equate walking across a college campus when you did to walking across a college campus or along a busy street today. Being more like Lea, I would fear cars jumping curbs whether there is ice or not, your run of the mill pedophiles (some might live between you and the school), their going deaf from noisy traffic, etc. School bus rides are scary these days, also. Maybe you could entrust an older elementary child to supervise their walk.By Katherine
September 1, 2006 12:26 PM | Link to this
Scott, I walked to school by myself in the late 70’s however I would not even consider that as an option for my 2 elementary age children. Does your wife agree???? We discussed this at a parents breakfast this morning and not one of the mothers in the group indicated they would allow their child to walk to school even if it is a short distance. We all thought What if….By Al
September 1, 2006 11:48 AM | Link to this
When I was young (late ‘50’s), I walked to a school that was 4 blocks from home. It was one of the greatest times of my life! ‘Don’t step on a crack!’ ‘Isn’t that Mrs. H’s dog?’ I wonder what goes on in that house. It looks strange.’ There are so many memories… Sorry. I hadn’t thought about that in a while. My own kids never got the chance to walk to school. However, they did walk 2-3 blocks to the bus stop. I am sure that they had similar memories.] My advice? Let them walk. For one thing, it will make your kids that much closer as sibs. Second, it will give the older child the opportunity to have some responsibility. But, really, I’d let them walk because it will give them the chance to show some independence. I am sure that you have raised your kids well and that they know the ‘common sense’ stuff that they need to get along in life. (i.e.: Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t approach strange pets/animals. Don’t eat out of garbage cans.) They’ll be fine!By Lea
September 1, 2006 11:11 AM | Link to this
You know, Scott, I think they’re still a bit too young (especially for that level of traffic). Of course, that’s a personal opinion, and a lot depends on their level of maturity. For instance, my 11-year-old doesn’t stay by herself for more than 30 minutes at a time. The 8-year-old? Forget it. I might be a bit overprotective, but they’re my babies! My daughter is working to establish her responsibility level with us, so we might let her stay home alone longer. But we’ll see!By Jennifer
September 1, 2006 10:58 AM | Link to this
Um, their mom says “no.” Her stomach can’t handle the thought. Even though I walked farther and crossed busier streets by myself when I was in kindergarten, and I want my girls to grow up to be independent young ladies, I just cannot wrap my brain around this idea.