Independent schooling-After what age can children do this?
‘By now, aren’t your boys old enough to walk themselves to school?’ Absolutely, they don’t need me at all anymore, but find it super cozy when I walk with them. But what is just? From what age do you let children independently to school walk or bike?
An age when they are independent
The other day the youngest, who is now ten, asked how he would cope when he goes to college. How will I know what time to pick him up?? I then told him, that by that time, he will just cycle to and from school by himself. It made me laugh, but it also shows that they are used to me dropping them off and picking them up.
On foot, always.
We live four hundred meters from school. And the boys are at an age where they can already walk to school on their own for a long time. Still I walk along regularly.
In front of the schoolyard I get a kiss and they walk across the road to school. I usually walk my daily round in the morning. At twelve I’m at the school playground and at three I’m here too.
And if I am not there, this is not a problem and they walk themselves to school and can also walk home just fine.
An active mother at school
Besides walking to school, I also do a lot at the elementary school. I almost always ride along on school outings, I help with the maths tigers and if the school photographer needs a hand, I’ll be there too. They can always count on me, apart from school trips, because that is not for me.
And in that schoolyard you’ll find me practically every day.
A stay-at-home mom has the time, right
Of course, as a stay-at-home mom, I have all the time. Can I walk along, help and wait in the schoolyard. Of course this is not always the case, I work from home, but I also have days when I have assignments outside the door and can’t be at the schoolyard oio time. Even then they manage just fine.
I sometimes ask; ‘do you go to school together in the morning?’ but then they say; ‘we like it better if you walk with us.’Fine anyway! I just think it’s cozy and nice that they like me to walk with them. And those people who comment on that I let them talk.
Which age is ‘just’
It’s not that they can’t do anything independently here and although I did have trouble letting go, I got over that a long time ago. Twice a week the youngest bicycles to the gym at 8:30 a.m. and the oldest bicycles to school twice, because he has to go to gym class. So they also go to school independently enough, but what about now?
From what age can children cycle and walk to school by themselves??
Do you live in a city or a village
If you live in a quiet village, your children might go to school independently at the age of six. When your child goes babysitting depends on so many things. And from what age they walk or cycle to school on their own depends entirely on you and your child. How busy it is on the road?
How serious are they about cycling? Do they pay attention?
Cycling to school independently
What that is it is exactly the same with cycling. Here they cycle in the morning – during rush hour at school- to gym class. Two schools have just opened there are children and parents driving, walking and cycling everywhere. Especially when it rains it’s a madhouse here.
We have the right of way, but many cyclists and motorists do not give it. Age is not a factor, the first time I cycled to gym class. VVN indicates that a child can only properly estimate distances and speeds when he or she is 9 or 10 years old. Not until they are 12 years old can children oversee complicated traffic situations with more participants from different directions. (source VVN) I think it very much depends on the child itself and perhaps also on the situation you are in as a family.
Children who have to walk to school alone at a younger age are also more likely to pick this up and be able to take responsibility.
Depends on so many factors
From what age a child walks or cycles to school by itself is of course very dependent on the child itself. But also the road they have to cross or cycle on. For example, here they only have to cross the road at school and I do not know how it is with you, but even though there are signs saying 30, people often drive too fast here.
Also, people are so preoccupied with their child that they don’t always stop for the children trying to cross the road. I did not allow them to cross the road by themselves until they were able to pay attention and assess the situations.
