https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 12 May 2026 13:48:34 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1285837 Tue, 17 Dec 2013 09:24:05 +0000 BKCaribBaby 1285837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started walking with a group of kids probably in 2nd grade. I think truly alone by 5 or 6th grade. That said, I could see my school yard from my bedroom window, so it wasn't far. By 7th grade, I was riding the subway by myself to and from school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1285810 Tue, 17 Dec 2013 09:15:15 +0000 mrsmate 1285810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>3rd grade, bc my school only offered bus service K-gr2. It was 8 blocks in NYC. My sister walked with me even though as a 2nd grader she could have taken the bus another year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1285698 Tue, 17 Dec 2013 08:27:38 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1285698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1st grade. We lived across the street from the school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1285598 Tue, 17 Dec 2013 03:15:24 +0000 TheSwissWifeStyle 1285598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2nd or 3rd grade. But I lived a 10 minute walk from school, on a secluded Naval Base, and down the street from the brig. And we had "safety patrol" (crossing gaurds, which, when I got older, I became one!) PLUS the max speed limit on base at the time was 35mph. (Is has since decreased to 25 in most areas!)</p> <p>For future kids, I guess it will all depend on the logistics. Where we live, how far the walk is, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1285188 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 18:55:03 +0000 QueensBee 1285188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I walked home without adult supervision around 3rd grade but I always had a group of friends to walk with so it was never "alone." Small quiet streets in the suburbs though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1285147 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 18:27:57 +0000 shinymama 1285147@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Never? My brother is 11 months older and we always walked to school together. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1285144 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 18:26:44 +0000 BananaPancakes 1285144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm surprised there are so many here that were within walking distance! I know almost no one who did. </p> <p>And I grew up with a 2 hour bus ride (so nowhere near walking distance), but had the pleasure of walking about a half mile to the bus stop, which I did with my sister right off the bat in kindergarten. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1285116 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 18:02:53 +0000 leelee 1285116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1st grade. We lived pretty close to the school though. About 2 blocks? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284695 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 15:02:01 +0000 MsLipGloss 1284695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Probably 2nd or 3rd grade . . but we lived on a military base and the school was also on base, so it was a very controlled environment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284535 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:11:58 +0000 nana87 1284535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>hmm I don't remember exactly! I lived next door to my elementary school, but I went to an after school care program since my parents weren't home until after 5, so one of them always picked me up. I don't remember what year I stopped going, maybe after 3rd or 4th grade? I don't remember going there in 5th grade. I definitely walked alone by the time I was in middle school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284364 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:33:50 +0000 Fronkinzankinsbride 1284364@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>3rd grade but I lived in a tiny town and very close to the school. I walked with a friend until the last block. And if I had to guess my dad probably patrolled the area (he was a police officer) when I was heading home. </p> <p>I won't let my kids walk by themselves in new Orleans. I don't even feel safe walking by myself in new Orleans. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284308 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:12:30 +0000 HabesBabe 1284308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>3rd grade-- I lived 2 blocks from the elementary school, and my mom would watch me walk the entire way (we lived on the same street as the "back" entrance of the school-- through the grass/field). I actually started going to another school in 4th grade, but I would get bussed there from my old school, so I'd still do the same walk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284226 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 12:42:50 +0000 bookwormmama 1284226@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I was 4th grade? We lived like 5 blocks away but I always walked with friends and my little brother. We lived in Denver, but my school/house was in a pretty good area...not sure if it would have changed if the area had been different. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284223 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 12:41:31 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 1284223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My school was too far away to walk until I was in high school. Even then my mom didn't like me walking home. I only did it a handful of times. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284218 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 12:39:37 +0000 Cole 1284218@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was in fourth grade and honestly it was too early for me. I could safely do the walk, the problem was that we lived in an iffy neighborhood and some of the kids weren't great influences. We never really got into trouble but I used to sneak to the convenience store to buy candy which meant I would often miss the crossing guard. My parents must have known though because I didn't get to walk often and we moved shortly thereafter. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284212 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 12:35:08 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1284212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>7th grade/ junior high. About 7 or 8 neighborhood kids would ride the public bus. We had to take two buses, our stop for the transfer "school" bus was the first pick up, so we always had a seat. Conversely, going home we were the last ones off the bus when it was practically empty. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284209 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 12:33:21 +0000 illumina 1284209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think when I started high school, at 12. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284191 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 12:29:03 +0000 Boogs 1284191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think some of 3rd grade, definitely all of 5th grade. I don't know that I would feel comfortable with having my LO do that now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284153 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 12:17:01 +0000 JennyLayneAZ 1284153@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In 7th grade. Grade school was too far away to walk when we moved to AZ. Although now that I think about it, I used to walk home with my sister and the girls who lived across the street from us in California, so that would've been kindergarten &amp; 1st grade. But our school was in our neighborhood, so that was a contributing factor. And there were a ton of kids that walked home there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284139 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 12:14:10 +0000 artsyfartsy 1284139@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Never! Where I live is rural so even though you could say we lived close to school, it still wasn't walking distance close. I rode the bus or was dropped off/picked up the whole time I was in school.</p> <p>I actually thought walking to school was a thing of the past! Then my mom and little sister moved to a suburb in Florida and when I went to visit when I was 16 my mom asked me to walk my little sister to school in the mornings so she could get to work early. I was like....whaaa??</p> <p>The school was just 3 blocks (we don't have blocks where I live either!) down from her neighborhood. I thought it was so cute! Lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284068 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 11:56:37 +0000 pui 1284068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started biking to and from school by myself when I was in 3rd grade. We lived in a small and very safe neighbourhood. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284059 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 11:53:46 +0000 Freckles 1284059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>7. But i had to walk my sister (5) and friend (6) home, so i guess that's not really alone. It was a 10 minute walk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284030 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 11:47:53 +0000 mrskc 1284030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I was in 4th grade when I started walking to school. My brother and I walked together and we often met another neighborhood kid and walked with her. There was only one major street to cross and there was always a crossing guard there. I probably wouldn't let my kid walk to school alone until middle school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-did-you-start-walking-home-from-school-alone#post-1284016 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 11:43:57 +0000 Mrs. Bee 1284016@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I was in the 6th grade, so I was 11. We only lived a block from school, but did have to cross a major street. We lived in a major city.</p> <p>Here in New York most kids don't go to the closest middle school, so they often have to commute via bus/subway. I really worry about that because it's just so busy here, and even adults get hit by cars all the time.</p> <p>What age did you start walking home from school? What age will you let your kids walk alone? </p>