General Discussion

happybird

(5,377 posts)

53. I walked to elementary school in the 80's

Sat May 4, 2019, 11:39 AM

May 2019

from first grade on, along with all the kids in the neighborhood we lived behind. Some of the big kids kept an eye out for the little ones.

The biggest danger we faced was the Great Dane named Napoleon who lived on the lane that led to the school. He was tall enough his head rested on top of the fence and, if you ran, he'd leap the fence and give chase.

Come to find out he was a good boy who loved kids and just wanted to play, but the kid rumor mill had him pegged as a vicious, rabid beast.

We were free range kids and I have a lot of great memories from childhood because of that. You are so right: it is a big confidence booster.

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I picked up my grandsons (7 and 8) at school again today. [View all] LAS14 May 2019 OP

Is that a school policy? rownesheck May 2019 #1

I agree!! wcast May 2019 #2

I have two words for this: TruckFump May 2019 #9

For many people shanti May 2019 #3

Do you have any evidence that there are more incidents involving.... LAS14 May 2019 #4

Not really shanti May 2019 #13

I'm not comfortable with it either. ooky May 2019 #47

And in the here and now, what are those numbers? LanternWaste May 2019 #23

However Newton, MA is a very upscale, suburban city and I am sure they have smirkymonkey May 2019 #25

The Polly Klaas Foundation has numbers on their website. Mariana May 2019 #27

Where I'm at xmas74 May 2019 #38

There are positives more than physical health lostnfound May 2019 #18

I was a free range kid marlakay May 2019 #24

We moved a lot when I was a kid, in the 50's. dixiegrrrrl May 2019 #29

Ha. Ironically something once called a communist DID blow us up... lostnfound May 2019 #49

Yeah, my memories of walking home are some of my most vivid and satisfying. nt LAS14 May 2019 #30

It is much safer than it was before. There is more sensational coverage grantcart May 2019 #39

IIRC, we had to walk to school if we lived closer than a certain distance The Velveteen Ocelot May 2019 #5

That was my situation, exactly nocoincidences May 2019 #17

We walked tp all of them - elementary, jr. high and high treestar May 2019 #58

Yes, I recall herds of kids walking to school in those days, The Velveteen Ocelot May 2019 #59

The 24-hour news cycle has made parents afraid to do that. MineralMan May 2019 #6

I agree but it isn't as safe as it used to be when we all were kids. redstatebluegirl May 2019 #7

I don't think it's less safe now. There were trucks in the '50s and people got run over by them. The Velveteen Ocelot May 2019 #11

I remember being taught to look both ways before crossing MineralMan May 2019 #12

I think kids playing in neighborhoods goes back to when we moved from the front porch to the back redstatebluegirl May 2019 #15

Memory is cumulative. We don't think in rates per 100,000.. X_Digger May 2019 #42

It doesn't help at all Mariana May 2019 #46

I agree with you. llmart May 2019 #8

Is this a school issue, or a parent issue? Because plenty of kids walk to school. WhiskeyGrinder May 2019 #10

It's a parent issue, no doubt. MineralMan May 2019 #14

(late 50's-mid 60's) Walked or rode my bike to elem. school, about a mile. Then Jr. high, walked or dameatball May 2019 #16

Crazy to me. lark May 2019 #19

Two or three blocks? PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #20

I do it only because my son is of the belief that it's a school requirement. It certainly... LAS14 May 2019 #31

Double check with the school. PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #33

I used to walk my oldest grandson to kindergarten when I could. ismnotwasm May 2019 #21

We live a couple miles from the school complex in our township Ohiogal May 2019 #22

Big controversy locally about that Freddie May 2019 #26

A couple of miles, no matter how good the sidewalks, PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #34

1. Walk to the school. 2. Pick up your grandsons at school. 3. Walk home with them. NBachers May 2019 #28

This message was self-deleted by its author LAS14 May 2019 #32

Exercise isn't the only benefit of walking to and from school. Being... LAS14 May 2019 #45

As a child in Utica, NY, in the 1950s PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #35

why don't you walk over there and walk back with them? maxsolomon May 2019 #36

Thread win! madinmaryland May 2019 #41

Today I was focusing on exercise, but there are a host of other reasons... LAS14 May 2019 #44

I live in a safe community, and skeezers will try to pull up to elementary school kids often. TheBlackAdder May 2019 #37

It only takes a few high profile cases TexasBushwhacker May 2019 #40

When my daughter was young (she's 20 now) she was allowed to ride her bike all Luciferous May 2019 #43

"Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave." Captain Stern May 2019 #48

I don't have kids ellie May 2019 #50

I let my 9 year old walk but EllieBC May 2019 #51

I'm a little confused... Polybius May 2019 #52

I walked to elementary school in the 80's happybird May 2019 #53

My mother was crazy overprotective, but.. luvs2sing May 2019 #54

Ego-centrism applies in many areas to those afflicted with it. In a country where most Christians TeamPooka May 2019 #55

I live in a small town that's a underthematrix May 2019 #56

Do your grandsons have a grandparent who can WALK them home? JustABozoOnThisBus May 2019 #57

We live 45 minutes away and pick them up only every couple of months, but, LAS14 May 2019 #61

Besides not walking with them, check out to see if there are local pedos in the police database. TheBlackAdder May 2019 #60

You haven't responded, which one is it? Polybius May 2019 #62

Not allowed to walk without an adult. But, if you're going... LAS14 May 2019 #63