We are soon moving to a village in the Zurich area with two young kids. The oldest son (6 years old) is expected to walk to school with his (soon to be) friends. It ́s just over a km to walk.
What experience do you have when it comes to this? What are your thoughts?
Maybe I ́m overpretective, but c ́mon, two bigger roads to pass + the distance. Any creepy person could just grab him and... Don ́t want to think about it.
Planning to at least give him a mobile phone so he can give me a ring when his arrived at school and to be able to call me if something happens. But, I feel very uncomfortable about this...
In my neighbourhood, the kids usually walk with friends from the area. My neighbour's kid has been walking herself to school from age 5 and her brother started with her at 4.
The big roads to cross have people at the crossings during school start and finish time too.
It's usual for kids here to walk to school - 1km doesn't seem that far to me, ours have about the same. It's a great chance for them to find their way around and discuss kiddie things (Pokemon, Spongebob etc) with their pals.
I would (as I did with ours) accompany your son on foot until feel it's safe enough for him to go alone with his friends. Perhaps you could take it in turns with other parents. If the roads are very dangerous, I'm sure other parents will be facing the same anxiety. Go all the way at first, then just parts of the way. Also talk to the teacher about your fears.
When the kids do go by themselves, it's a great achievement for all around and a time-saver too.
You may want to consider getting him a scooter/trotinette later.
In my experience, the biggest danger to the kids when crossing the road is the yummy mummies in their 4 x 4s who have their own kids in the back and they don't give a damn about other peoples' kids who are walking.
If all the parents follow the local rules and make their children walk then this isn't a problem.
If you are able to, walk with him the first few times. This way you can ensure that he crosses any roads in the correct place and the correct manner.
Don't worry about the distance - they get used to it.
He'll be walking with others as well and never in the dark.
They're quite visible in their flouro vests.
They'll also get a visit from the Police regarding road safety fairly early on in the term.
The school will (should) contact you if he doesn't turn up so the mobile is probably unnecessary.
It is a worry but you get used to it.
Ours started when he was four.
I was talking to a Swiss grandfather recently at a Kindergarten BBQ and he said, in reference to his own son, who had a son at the kindergarten, "You never stop worrying, even when they're 36!)
came as a shock to us too, the school even called us in and told us off for dropping our son off at school, even though it was on my way to work!! (he was 6 at the time too)
He survived though, and still walks to school with his mates
Tell me about it .. and they keep the flippin' things running too at the school gate so all the children, parents with babies and dogs walking get a good dose of car fumes while they wait - does my head in.
We still walk and collect our son and most parents do in at our KG.. tho' we often leave him off half way and he walks the rest (having got him safely across a busy road). For me it's not when the parent is ready to allow the child to walk on their own, as I would have liked that ages ago, but it's when the child is ready. Our son is talking about going on his own in August so we're happy to let him.. but sometimes he talks about the big boys at the older school near-by and I sometimes wonder if it freaks the younger kids out a bit - who knows.
Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much as you can walk with him until he feels comfortable, makes friends and finds some class mates to walk with.. and anyway, it might be useful for you to meet some of the other parents at the school gate.
Thanks for all of your quick and wise replies! I feel better about it now...
I will walk my son to school a few times before school starts and will see how it goes. I did walk to school myself when I was little (in Sweden), but I guess it ́s not the same when you are a parent and also society is quite different today compared to what it was like in the 70s... .
When I first came to Switzerland, I felt as if I had stepped back into the 70s!
Anyway, my son too will start this August and I plan to walk him ... in fact, another mother has already approached me about trading off walking the 2 children to school.
Yes, more protective parents and a media who bates them on by glamourizing every incident anywhere. But factually, I would be interested to know if things have really changed that much from the 70's.
Yeah, I agree that of course we have so much more info on what is going on (for the better and for the worse). I agree with the comment on more traffic, that ́s one big thing. It would be very interesting if we had reliable crime statistics, but I am sure crime is reported so much more often these days that we will never find out the "true" crime rate today vs back then.
But I am definitely scared that my son might come across a pervert on his way to/from school. Yes, I know the risk is small...but anyway. I ́ve come across them myself when I was a child/teenager and I just have to trust that my son is as sensible as I am and talk to him about it in a good way so that his feels confident and has the strength to say no.
My subjective impression about changes since the 1970's More traffic More heterogeneous population More crime More dirt More aggressive behavior More rules More fast-food More intolerance Nevertheless, I do not want the clock turned back. Life has also become more convenient and comfortable.
Two points that I think help a lot. I too went to kindergarten and school on my own in the late 1980s. The policeman explained how to cross streets in the classroom first (the magnetic car models on the blackboard impressed me) and then we went out to practice what we learnt.
Also, every August there are big poster campaigns to raise the awareness of car drivers.
I can remember on one of my many visits to Switzerland before i lived here, looking out of the Hotel window and seeing this small child with a back pack as nearly as big as he was, just walking along the street,in a panic i said to my other half who is Swiss"quick come here, theres a small boy who looks lost across the road". He came over, took one look and said "its ok he is just walking to School"! I could not believe my eyes seeing such a young child walking on his own. But i did think it was a pretty special sight too, after all the yrs living and hearing so many sad stories of Children walking to and from our Schools in the U.K and who were alot older too...
Forget about the Bogeyman, you can't live your life - nor he his - worrying about pedarists behind bushes It's statistically waaaay more likely to be in the family.
As a six year old, I was happy walking over a mile with a trumpet case, sports bag and text books to school. In shorts, in winter. Loads of kids schlep water from the well in developing countries, we can do it! I'd like to report it made me hardy and street smart, but in reality it probably just deformed my spine, ho ho.
from kg2 working mom with a bit of a different story...
don't be so scared of the perverts...be more aware of who his friends are...
my son walked to school with the 'crowd' as a 5 year old (kg1), it's not far, no roads to cross etc but i always felt...uncomfortable. so of course the call came one day: frau..., wo ist ... heute, ist er krank - no he's not sick, he left for school more than 30mins ago - so you run out of you door screaming his name all the way to school - by the time i got home again the kinderkrippe phoned me to ask why was he with them and not at school?
so, one of his 'friends' teased and harrassed him so much that the teacher will 'beat' him for a mistake made the previous day that he became so scared that he walked right past the school and all the way to the krippe, across the bridge, over the busy road, etc by himself...
i was beside myself - so now i drive him to school - then i know he's there - i don't care what they say - if that then makes me less swiss, so be it - i try with everything else and do my best, but sometimes its just too much...
so if you are 'uncomfortable', look closer to home, and walk with him if you can for as long as you want - it's your priviledge!