Age for waiting school bus alone and walk home alone?

[CatMoon]

I think it depends on your kid - better if your kid is a little more confident / street-smart.


My boy is very shy and quite "blur’ to things around him so I only let him travel alone during mid-P6 after I "drilled" him about safely issues, walked the route with him several times, and warned him about "friendly uncles". It took about 6 months.

I’m sure that for many parents, it is a fine line between teaching the kids about independence and wanting to protect them.

I know I’m too protective especially if my boy has not learned to protect himself. Some kids instinctively run and scream for help, some are too shocked to even say a word.

[ChiefKiasu]

Also depends on where you stay. If it is at the condo, should be a bit safer to let your child wait at the driveway for the bus by himself/herself. I think a good age to start would be from P4 onwards.

[Www]

Not very sure... I remember I wait for school bus alone since P2 and walk home alone.


Thought of asking kid to do so when reaching P2 too? Husband oppose to ask kid to do that at the age...say still so young.

[12mum]

My p5 boy started walking home by himself earlier this year. Usually after school, a big group of people will be crossing the road together so I have no worries here. However on the days he has to stay back in school for activities, he has to call the helper who will wait for him at the traffic light. This is because drivers like to beat the traffic light at this spot. :mad:


My boy knows he is not to stand near the kerb, use handphone, read or play while crossing.

[Ikid]

It depends on the kid, depends on their maturity.

I have seen some primary school kids play games on their mobile phone while walking when their parents are not with them, or when a helper is with them. However, if a parent is with the kid, usually the kid doesn’t play games on their mobile. Of course there are children who are very disciplined, lookout for traffic when crossing the road and look at their phone only occasionally.

[fable]

My son started taking the public bus home on his own this year, at the start of P4. I try to pick him up from the main road but sometimes he’ll walk to another point to take a shuttle bus that stops near my place. I agree that its a very personal thing - different children are able to take this responsibility at different ages

[ijustwannaknow]

Yep totally agree with fable about this… My 2 kids are given this freedom at different ages as I deem fit when they have grown up enough to know not to be fooling around

[ilovelaksa]

Walk home from sch: my girls from P4, my boy from P6

Take MRT: my girls from P4, my boy from P6
Take public bus: my kids from S1 bcuz we stay v v near the MRT so we don’t take buses.
Take taxi: Sec2
I usu hv to gauge their maturity lvl bef I allow this. My boy was v playful in pri sch and there’s a short stretch of road near sch that doesnt hv traffic lights. So, I didnt allow public tpt for him on his own earlier.
I am still assessing my youngest boy.

[berrymom]

Started early for older boy at mid of P3, only early P4 for younger one. Now both okay talking bus n train direct home. But still must give phone n check them. Still worrying for me though I told them I can trust them.