IYO – what age should a child walk/cross a busy road alone?

@Linkat,

maybe she was a midget that took good care of her skin.

@chai2,

Thanks, that solves the problem - case closed.

0 Replies

I'm only wondering about the cell phone.

Might well be that the situation as very different here in Europe/USA - but at the age of 7 (or 8) school children make the "bicycle licence" - that means, they can walk in traffic already.

2 Replies

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

Also, realizing the maturity of the child, on average, what age would you think is old enough?

That depends. How much do you like the kid?

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

We don't allow our children to walk in traffic at all. Neither do we allow the adults to walk in traffic - don't you guys have any sidewalks?

1 Reply

@joefromchicago,

Well I like my kids fine. But I'm talking about this other little un

0 Replies

I think that's also a question of nationality. In Germany most first graders go
to school by themselves which includes crossing busy roads. I remember that
we learned in kindergarten how to cross a road with a rhyme:
"First look to the left,
then to the right,
and get safe to the other side". (It rhymes better in German).

My own daughter was around 12 years old before she crossed a road by herself,
mostly due to lack of opportunities since she was driven to and from school and other activities.

0 Replies

My sister and i walked to school, about a mile, every day. The only hard part was crossing the state highway at the end of the street, and once you were over that, it was small town residential all the way. We were taught about checking for traffic before crossing long before we were sent off to school.

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

I'm only wondering about the cell phone.

Might well be that the situation as very different here in Europe/USA - but at the age of 7 (or 8) school children make the "bicycle licence" - that means, they can walk in traffic already.

I'm thinking that it might be a tad more dangerous here because we have such a car-centric culture. People really don't walk as much here as they do in Europe in general, and our drivers are much less cautious about pedestrians, perhaps because they aren't used to seeing them very often.

0 Replies

@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

maybe she was a midget that took good care of her skin.

0 Replies

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

We don't allow our children to walk in traffic at all. Neither do we allow the adults to walk in traffic - don't you guys have any sidewalks?

Yes, in cities like Cologne etc since about 1250. But sometimes you have to cross streets and roads.

1 Reply

I've just recently returned from the UK and Ireland. Trust me when I say "car centric" is hardly an American ideal. Cars are king no matter where you go, the only difference... narrower roads. In most of Canada, not all..., pedestrians have the right of way. This is not common. But no matter who has the rights, no matter what country or time zone, 3500 pounds of metal doing 60 km/h is pretty much going to eradicate life.

1 Reply

@Ceili,

Ceili wrote:

But no matter who has the rights, no matter what country or time zone, 3500 pounds of metal doing 60 km/h is pretty much going to eradicate life.

Exactly that's why children learn about that already in kindergarten and the first year at school here.

We've got signs (large "traffic signs") just now on all major roads and streets: "Attention! First Graders!" for car drivers at the more dangerous ways to school. And cars - like this police car - have stickers "School has started"

Besides that, local schools started with "walking busses" last year for first graders, which certainly improves the children's independent mobility.

0 Replies

@FreeDuck,

I agree with this, re: the cell phone complicating the street-crossing issue.

I regularly crossed the street by myself from age 5 or so. No disasters.

I've been really struggling with this re: sozlet. I think she's ready for more (she can cross small side streets on her own), E.G. doesn't and most moms I've consulted (I've consulted MANY) agree with E.G. The consensus around here seems to be 4th grade, or about 9-10. That's when they start middle school, and many middle-schoolers walk home (and then are allowed more freedom to walk around in general).

2 Replies

@sozobe,

I've definitely gotten admonishing looks and even one dropped jaw from other parents about Duckie crossing our street (very busy, but with crosswalk, no light) by himself when he goes to visit a friend who lives down the street on the other side. But he's perfectly capable and extremely cautious. Every kid is different -- Ducklet is not very cautious and I think she will probably be able to do it around 4th grade or so if she continues to mature. And I think that's what it comes down to. You know your kid and what they're ready for so it has to an individual decision. Isn't Sozlet turning 9 soon?

0 Replies

@sozobe,

I think, this really might be a cultural thing.

One of our godsons started 'high school' ("Gymnasium") this week, aged 10.
He drives there with his bike, crossing two major roads in quite a large city (Dortmund). Those of his class who live farer away come by public transport (bus/tram/underground), on their own (though with [reduced] 'pupil tickets').

His sister, aged 6, started primary school the same day: the first two weeks or so, her mother accompanies her (on bike as well walking) to her school (only one major road to cross. Then she'll do it on her own. (They trained the school way in kindergarten.)

0 Replies

Maybe it was a parent on the other end of the phone saying "When you get to the curb, STOP!, now look left.... Do you see any cars?.... Now look right...."

0 Replies

I recall reading a study about 10-15 years ago that children are unable to tell the direction that sound is coming from until about 9 years of age.

0 Replies

@Setanta,

And I bet you walked in snow storms and up hill each way.

0 Replies

@Walter Hinteler,

We have a saying here - when our kids are bothering us, we tell them to go play in the traffic.

So your comment about walking in traffic hit a funny spot for me. It gave a picture of children walking directly in traffic along with the cars.

0 Replies

IYO – what age should a child walk/cross a busy road alone?

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know