WWYD?
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| Fri, 01-19-2007 - 7:46am |
Josh (10.5 yo-5th grader) walks 6 blocks to school. *I* can see him the first 3, he walks with a classmate after the first block, and he is within sight of daycare after he turns the corner. Daycare is a block from the school, and he "Checks in" w/ my provider and they join the daycare kids as they are leaving in the morning. System works. We live in a teeny tiny town and the biggest news last month was someone's dog repeatedly getting loose (to the point that dispatch knew the dog's name).
There was an attempted abduction in a nearby town (5 miles away) of a child walking to school. Freak-out mommy mode says I need to start driving him (and picking up the classmate). Calm mommy says he's within sight of someone the whole time AND he enjoys walking.
WWYD?

That's a tough one. I can certainly understand your feeling pulled each way.
If it were me, I would drive him. The world is just too scary today. By driving him you know for certain he is safe and nobody can get him. If you let him walk, you just can't be as certain. Even though he is always in sight, it only takes seconds for someone who is watching him to look away and then he is gone. Just like the boy in the news who got off the bus. His friend looked away and then back and he was gone.
You always hear "we never thought something like this could happen here." in the towns where children are abducted. It can happen anywhere.
I could not live with myself if my child were taken and I could have done something to prevent it. On the other hand I COULD live with myself if my child was disappointed because he enjoyed walking and now I drive him in order to protect him. In my mind safety is more important than letting my child do what makes him happy.
This is what I would do. You know your situation better than anyone. Trust your gut. Whatever you decide, you sound like a great mom. By the way, if you haven't figured out by now, I am a worry wart! I ALWAYS err on the side of caution. But that's ME. We all need to do what works best for us.
Let me know what you decide. I don't judge others who would do different from me and I hope I get that in return.
Take Care!
Kelly
P.S. Sorry this is so long. I thought of another thing you could do to ease your mind a bit. I know it's sounds scary, but if you feel he is old enough to walk it alone to school, then he is ready for you to start informing him on the dangers of this world. Arm him with information and work with him on what to do if the worst case scenario should arise.
You could drive him, but sooner or later he will need to know what to do if approached by a stranger. I mean, what would Josh do if approached by stranger and offered a ride? What if they said, "Your mom told me to pick you up", or "Can you help me find my lost dog", stuff like that...KWIM?
I guess since we heard about the stuff with those boys in Missouri, both dh and I realize how vulnerable my ds(7, AS) is, and we need to address that. Also, I realize that as he gets older.. and gets involved in more activities.. I need to teach him the skills to handle certain situations. It will certainly take more time and effort than it would for an NT kid, but I know I have to do it.
Just my two cents..
Kate
I wouldl drive him or walk with/behind them until the pervert is captured.
-Paula
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