Is Walking To School A Thing Of The Past?

These are different times we live in. I think that riding bikes and walking to school are things of the past. I would not feel safe having my child walk to school. We live in a busy area where it just would not be safe at all for my child to walk to school, especially as there are no sidewalks on many of the roads.

I walk about 2 miles everyday to and from school. So do about 10 other kids in my neighborhood. I am just super cautious and aware of my surroundings. At the same time I do live in a really safe community so I think it depends on the community, age and responsibility of the child. I think in general though, sadly that parents shouldn't let their kids walk, especially alone. I know personally when I have kids, I won't let them walk because 1. I feel the world is getting too dangerous and 2. they might skip class like I have done because no one is there to make sure they even go.

I walked to school everyday in elementary school. My kids walk to school everyday. Our neighborhood only has two ways in and out and the bridge the kids use to walk on has patrols and is fenced. I feel completely safe about my kids walking to school. I tried the car line a few times but a half hour of wasted gas and polluting the environment was more than I could take.

I think times have changed very much from when I was younger. I don't feel the children are even learning the respect for themselves and their elders as we were taught. So, I wok very hard with my children teaching them about responsibilty. I also have to talk to them that not all adults are good people. Some do bad things and I need to know and feel secure that they understand this. My children are very young and not anywhere near being able to walk anywhere by themselves, but I feel if a parent has that confidence in their child and feels comfortable then go for it. I hope one day I have that also.

I agree the world isn't what it used to be, however it is our job as parents to teach our children responsibility. Every child and every situation is different. I also agree its better to walk in numbers. In this case I don't know how far the child was walking or the neighborhood he was walking through but apparently the parent felt secure in letting her child walk so that should be her decision who are we to judge? If the parents were that concerned they should have contacted the parent to see if they could provide a ride, I don't think it was necessary to call the police.

I think everyone is largely missing the point, what right do other people have to call the police if you allow your child to walk to soccer practice? I would not allow my child to walk anywhere but I thought this was still the norm. I see children everyday walking the sidewalks to and from school. If this was in a bad area I could see it being a bad judgement call on the mother's part but she committed no crime.

I have four children my eldest is 21 now and 19, 14, 13 and well none of them could experience walking home from school. Unless, I was with them. I always dropped and picked them up. It wasnt like when I was young and walked home alone sometimes. Those days are gone. And it is very sad. This world has become so evil. We must protect our children however possible.

Yes I definitely agree that walking to and from school is a thing of the past. When I was younger, we could do that safely but now things have gotten so bad that you can't allow kids to walk home alone even if the school isn't that far from home.

It's sad that simply walking to school can't happen anymore. It's so unsafe and that is horrible. The world shouldn't be such a dangerous place.

I personally don't have a child yet yet (he's in my belly). Once my child can go to school, he will be dropped off or walked to school. We live so close to all 3 schools he would be going to that Bus is not offered. I was always walked to school by my mother or brothers. It's great excersice and gets you started for the day. Maybe when he's older, perhaps in middle school I can go half way with him and let him go the rest, but don't panic all the time, thinking your child is in danger or he will end up in a Bubble.

i think that once my child is of age i will be either having him take the school bus or my husband and i would take him. it so becoming so unsafe for children to go out anywhere with all these sex offenders to name one of the horrible people in this world. its just something i could live without worrying about when my child is on his way to school

I wish times were better about walking to school. I used to when I was little and I love it. We got to walk through a park, which as a little kid is an adventure everyday. I would never let my kids do that now though...its a shame!

My son is in 5th grade and my daughters are 20 and 21. When my girls were in school we lived within walking distance and as long as they were together or with other friends they would walk. The actually walked across town when in high school cause we didn't have buses and it wasn't always convinent for me to drive them. My son walks now and usually with a group of kids or I walk with him. There is safety in numbers and yes I worry about him walking by himself because of the things you here with people trying to get kids to go with them. Part of the reason kids don't walk is safety but also the busy schedules that parents and kids have now a days.

I remember walking to school in the 1st grade. The school was about a mile away, but as long as the weather was nice, we would walk to and from school. Of course, this was in a very small town and in the early 80's. Twenty-five years ago was a different time. Maybe it's because all of the stuff that happens today is much more widely publicized. I know abductions and pedophiles were present back then, but with just the 3 TV channels and a local paper, people didn't really know what was happening in places a state or two away. There was no criminal or sex offender registry to check out your neighbors. Even with the population growth, all crime statistics are down from that time period, we just know about ALL the instances now. Having said that, I still am very protective because as an adult I know now about the evil people that are out there. None of us let our kids walk to school, even though the elementary school for the younger ones in the neighborhood is just a block away.

According to the New york Times, odds of a car accident is greater by far than your or my child getting abducted. with that known and in mind, I would still rather get in a auto wreck with my child than have a child molester abduct them! You cannot compare the two! Not only do I not let my younger children under 13 walk anywhere, I also look out for the children who do walk, as does most of the parents in my small town. There are 12 known regestered sex offenders in this little town, and it is not worth the risk! instead of looking down on the moms who have no choice but for their children to walk, Help them out! Keep your eyes open, and report any suspicious instances to your local law enforcement. I have stopped two abductions doing just that!