The kids walking to school on their own thread

[Steely Dan]

i was reminded of this old thread because for the past 2 weeks my kids have been attending a summer camp at a theater a little over 2 miles form our home, and the only practical way to get them there in a reasonable amount of time is to drive.

the 15 minute drive to drop them off and then the 15 minute drive home, and then repeating the whole process for pick-up 6 hours later, is madness to me.

we gotta find more walkable summer camp shit next summer.

how many more weeks until school starts?

[dave8721]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

i was reminded of this old thread because for the past 2 weeks my kids have been attending a summer camp at a theater a little over 2 miles form our home, and the only practical way to get them there in a reasonable amount of time is to drive.

the 15 minute drive to drop them off and then the 15 minute drive home, and then repeating the whole process for pick-up 6 hours later, is madness to me.

we gotta find more walkable summer camp shit next summer.

how many more weeks until school starts?

My 9 year old daughter did a summer camp this year where they would group bike to places. One of the places was like 5 or 6 miles away. It was a humid, sticky 95 degrees out that day too but the kids did it fine. The adults with them..not so much. I had to mount the bike on the car to get her to the camp each day though.

[Steely Dan]

Interesting article about this very topic.

The most glaring stat that jumped out at me is that for my generation (gen X), roughly 50% of us walked to school (myself included).

Today that stat is down to only 15%. What a shame.

I'm glad I made the necessary choices to give my own kids the same "walk to school" childhood that I had.

It’s More Than Just a Walk
Research says parents should let their kids walk to school.
Posted September 4, 2023


I started walking alone to school at the age of 7. I lived in Milwaukee and crossed a number of busy streets on my route – a circumstance which might be considered dangerous by today’s parents. Yet, day after day, I arrived to school and back home unscathed. In fact, I took pride in knowing every street name, every crosswalk, and even a shortcut on my route. Now, as a psychology professor who researches childhood exploration, I recognize that these walks were part of a childhood that trained me to confidently engage with a world full of complex challenges.

Fewer Kids Are Walking to School

Fifty years ago, it is estimated that almost half of American children walked to school. Today the number is closer to 15%. While much of this decline can be explained by a desire to keep children safe from perceived dangers, a recent policy report from the Society for Research in Child Development argues that kids need time away from constant adult supervision for healthy development. They cite walking to school as an ideal opportunity for independent development. When combined with the fact that many cities are now experiencing bus driver shortages, it is now time to reconsider how children get to school.

Kids Learn Through Independence

When children have the freedom to travel through their neighborhood without direct adult supervision, they develop critical skills. Independent walking promotes risk assessment, social competencies, environmental knowledge, problem solving, and decision making abilities.

These impacts appear to carry into adulthood. Adults who stayed closer to home as children seem to be more anxious when navigating in adulthood. Similarly, my own work suggests they may have less developed spatial skills – skills which are critical in STEM fields.

Full article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl...ust-a-walk?amp

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Interesting article about this very topic.

The most glaring stat that jumped out at me is that for my generation (gen X), roughly 50% of us walked to school (myself included).

Today that stat is down to only 15%. What a shame.

I'm glad I made the necessary choices to give my own kids the same "walk to school" childhood that I had.

Not a parent but I'm in total agreement.

Kids need to be kids and be able to walk and explore to and from school. Interact with other kids or friendly adults (homeowners doing yard work, whatever) along the way, maybe meet new kids, play pickup games, etc.

The fact that within a lot of areas of any given Metropolitan (MSA) area this is simply impossible is an example of where we went wrong as a society.

Traded community/neighborhood feel for stroads and dead end cul-de-sacs and in USA part of HOAs that are sometimes gated. Places where driving is the only method of transportation.

[SIGSEGV]

well, I tried to take my 1.5-year-old to the jazz festival on Friday, but she walked herself across the BP bridge all the way to the Maggie Daley play garden all on her own. Of course, she goes there very often, so it's maybe not that surprising that she knows the way, but still, pretty cool that she managed to find her way there (obviously I was was with her though, this wasn't Old Enough...).

[Innsertnamehere]

Rates of walking to school in Canada remains roughly double the US.. (22% vs. 11%) but still pretty low.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Rates of walking to school in Canada remains roughly double the US.. (22% vs. 11%) but still pretty low.

It had to be closer to 50% for Canada when I was in school. Around 40 I'd guess anyway.

[Xing]

Why is picking up your kid after school such a circus these days? I don’t remember it being that bad. It’s like a traffic jam, and the parents sometimes get all worked up.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Xing

Why is picking up your kid after school such a circus these days? I don’t remember it being that bad. It’s like a traffic jam, and the parents sometimes get all worked up.

So many parents insist on picking their kids up despite living close by and within a 15-20 minute walk.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by JManc

So many parents insist on picking their kids up despite living close by and within a 15-20 minute walk.

with creative license taken of the 80s band Missing Persons and their famous song (about LA of the time)

Walkin' in USA
Walkin' in USA-ay, nobody walks in USA

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Xing

Why is picking up your kid after school such a circus these days? I don’t remember it being that bad.

Maybe a lot of kids walked to your school back when you were a kid?

My kids attend a city neighborhood school where something like 80% of the kids walk, just like the olden days.

No traffic jams.

[dave8721]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Interesting article about this very topic.

The most glaring stat that jumped out at me is that for my generation (gen X), roughly 50% of us walked to school (myself included).

Today that stat is down to only 15%. What a shame.

I'm glad I made the necessary choices to give my own kids the same "walk to school" childhood that I had.




Full article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl...ust-a-walk?amp

Also keep in mind the "school choice" movement which is especially prevalent in Sun Belt/Conservative states. Kids no longer just go to the school nearest them. I have to drive my kids to school because they go to a school 6 miles away. I doubt more than 2 or 3% of the kids even live within walking distance of the school. Everyone criss-crosses across the whole metro area to send their kids to school. I miss the neighborhood school idea but it seems to be one that is dying.

[Crawford]

Yeah, that's a great point. Widespread school choice makes neighborhood schools anachronistic, even if development patterns were more walkable. Add in fewer nonworking parents/caregivers, increased share of odd hours employment, tons of after school activities/programming, the former patterns aren't likely returning.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by dave8721

Also keep in mind the "school choice" movement which is especially prevalent in Sun Belt/Conservative states. Kids no longer just go to the school nearest them. I have to drive my kids to school because they go to a school 6 miles away. I doubt more than 2 or 3% of the kids even live within walking distance of the school. Everyone criss-crosses across the whole metro area to send their kids to school. I miss the neighborhood school idea but it seems to be one that is dying.

6 miles one-way?

So 12 miles roundtrip, twice a day in rush hour traffic?

Oh crap!

That's my own personal vision of hell.

[Xing]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Maybe a lot of kids walked to your school back when you were a kid?

My kids attend a city neighborhood school where something like 80% of the kids walk, just like the olden days.

No traffic jams.

Thank god for the city then, and lucky you to have to worry about that chaos.

I went to school mostly in a suburban setting, but I also attended school in Arlington, VA back in 91. Despite the kids coming from all over DC, most of the kids either walked, or took the bus. I always took the bus, a 45 minute trip daily.

I guess I won’t know the full dynamic of today until I have kids myself.

[Londonee]

I live in Center City Philly and I'd think about 95% of the kids walk to the neighborhood school that's a few blocks from our house. My son is in the 3rd grade and still a bit too young to walk by himself...

I'd guess that most of the kids by around 5th grade are walking by themselves to school in our 'hood - and that's probably what it will be for my son.

And I'll echo some of the OPs sentiments - it's quite lovely to have a 5minute walk to school. Even though we're in the heart of a massive city it's actually quite neighborly - all of the kids and parents walking up together each morning; saying hi, catching up, etc. Made quite a few adult friends in the 'hood just on that 5 minute traverse each day. It's very communal in a weird, quaint way.

[dave8721]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

6 miles one-way?

So 12 miles roundtrip, twice a day in rush hour traffic?

Oh crap!

That's my own personal vision of hell.

I just looked up on the US News best High Schools list for South Florida and 24 out of the top 25 high schools are all ones that are not just "you live there, then you go there". All the top public high schools (even just about all the above average ones) are ones that you apply to from where-ever and get to them how-ever you can.
Elementary and Middle Schools are moving fast in that direction as well.
Its actually a reaction to the school choice thing. Now that parents from not so good neighborhoods and send their kids to schools in nice neighborhoods, the parents of the kids in nice neighborhoods of course dont want their kids going to school with kids from not nice neighborhoods so they all now go to the special "apply to get in schools" and it is just one giant kid commuting storm of nonsense.
The reduction in of traffic on days when there is no school is drastic.

[Obadno]

My kids will walk to school on their own, Paretns are insane these days.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Londonee

I live in Center City Philly and I'd think about 95% of the kids walk to the neighborhood school that's a few blocks from our house. My son is in the 3rd grade and still a bit too young to walk by himself.

My 2nd and 3rd graders now walk themselves to school each morning

But:

1. My neighborhood is much less intensely urban than Center City Philly
2. They have each other (ie. a built-in buddy system)
3. They often meet up and walk with other kids from our block.
4. We live 500' from school, which is hardly a walk at all.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by dave8721

I just looked up on the US News best High Schools list for South Florida and 24 out of the top 25 high schools are all ones that are not just "you live there, then you go there". All the top public high schools (even just about all the above average ones) are ones that you apply to from where-ever and get to them how-ever you can.
Elementary and Middle Schools are moving fast in that direction as well.
Its actually a reaction to the school choice thing. Now that parents from not so good neighborhoods and send their kids to schools in nice neighborhoods, the parents of the kids in nice neighborhoods of course dont want their kids going to school with kids from not nice neighborhoods so they all now go to the special "apply to get in schools" and it is just one giant kid commuting storm of nonsense.
The reduction in of traffic on days when there is no school is drastic.

None of that sounds positive to me.

God bless our neighborhood K-8 school only 1 block away.



We're still a ways off from highschool. Our neighborhood boundary highschool is one of the top 3 such highschools in CPS and is only 3/4 mile away, so they can hoof/bike/skateboard/whatever themselves there.

If they get all ambitious and wanna try to get into one of the 5 ultra-competitive CPS magnet highschools (and also manage to actually get into one of them), then they'll get a CTA pass.

I ain't driving my kids nowhere.

Fuck that shit!

I signed up to be their dad, not their chauffeur.