Too young sorry, even in residential areas its amazing that people don't hear or see incidents happening right outside their door.
i would have said more near the age of 11+

Does the school have any rules about this as at my childrens school they are not allowed to walk to and from school on there own until they are in year 6 we also have to sign a form giving permission for the child to do this. Personally i think under 10 is too young to be trusted to walk to school unaccompanied.

I wouldnt allow it. I think once they reach 9/10 fair enough but I wouldnt rely on a 9yr old to look after 5/6/7yr olds on a 15 minute walk involving road crossing etc. Im all for children having independence and responsibility but think its a little too much too soon for one 9yr old to be expected to 'manage' three younger children.

Thank you Loz, xCorkettex, Morri, Cariad_bach, MrsB80, Amazed, Hypnorm, Faun, and Anothersquish. I appreciate you taking the time to reply and it helps me immensely in not feeling alone in my instincts here about this situation!!

xCorkettex, MrsB80 and Anothersquish, that is a great point regarding emergencies. I too don't feel a 9/10 year old may be fully equipped to handle an emergency situation like that and it's among my main concerns. I can understand that around that age he is well capable to walk his own self to school and back if that's what the neighbor dad wants, but I certainly wouldn't want him in charge of the others, at least not my son! They play together after all and are buddies..even from a dynamics point of view I wouldn't want to place the older one as some kind of boss or guardian over my son.

Morri, I do understand what you are saying. I think in many ways it can be a cultural thing and what is considered normal and what everyone else is doing, etc etc.. I can see how it would be more accepted there as everyone is doing that unless they live far away. Here it's not so much the case though you do see the odd younger kid walking up on his own.

Cariad_bach, I totally relate to what you're saying. Because of mine (and your) neighbor deciding to stop the walk sharing soon enough, it leaves us with the full duties, lol...it's ok with me though, as I was doing that the first year before they moved in anyway. It's just an adjustment all over again, lol.. Like you I think I will end keeping my eyes open for his kids too if they happen to be in eyesight during the walk.

Faun, you've brought up an excellent point about the school policy. I hadn't thought to ask about that and I think I definitely will! It would be ideal if I could persuade the neighbor not to let his kids out like that for their safety, but in the end, I can't force him and all that.

Hypnorm, I agree..residential areas, I think, can sometimes give a false sense of safety as it is quieter, but there is still the odd driver out there who is careless and goes speeding through the areas or aren't looking properly, etc..

Again, thank you for taking the time to reply. It helps me in my ''ammunition'' with my husband and the neighbor, lol...it's not just me being an overprotective mom!

my 10 yr old and 7 yr old walk home from school alone but i never let them walk to school on their own yet, they ask me i say no coz i rather see them go thru them gates and know they are safe, coz if they never got to school how would i know??

I have a 7 year old daughter and there is on way I would let her walk to school or home by herself (her school is about 10 mins away) I would never be able to settle if I didn't know she had got into school safe.

I think 7 is a little young tbh x

VampMum1980, that's very true. Even if I were to let him walk to school at this age (which I'm not!) I'd be concerned about knowing for sure that he got to school altogether, whereas as you pointed out, walking home is a way of ensuring your child gets to their destination safely. WHEN the time does come in the future for me to start allowing him some more independence in that area, I think I would do the same. Starting off with letting him walk ahead on part of the way home to start getting used to it.

Mandy81, I agree...it just doesn't sit right in my bones to think of him on his own navigating traffic and all. He just seems way too young to even consider it!

I'm glad to get all this feedback from you ladies as between the neighbor and my husband, I was beginning to question myself a little, wondering if I really do have some kind of paranoid overprotective issue, lol (that would NOT have meant I let him walk anyway mind you! lol...just was questioning my own thoughts on it).

Thank you again! I'm definitely not going to let him walk on his own or in the group, that's for sure. I'll take up the morning and afternoon walk and my neighbor can make his own decisions. I can't make him change his mind, I can only point out what I think about it and the fact that my son will not be included in that.

In our school its yr 3 and katie has walked since the start of that and she would of been 7 and 6months ..she walks with her friend is very mature and the only road she crosses is the one at school where there is a lollypop lady ...takes her 5mins ..I would say depends on the child and the distance ...I dont think i would of been happy with a 15 walk x

No, I wouldn't allow it.

Here they have a walking bus though where there is about 10 kids, and 2 parents at a time take turns to walk the group to school.

I would not be ok with it. We live in a pretty small area, the neighborhood is quite safe and the school is in the neighborhood but you do have to cross the busiest street in the neighborhood though it's not terribly busy. My 6yr old walked home from school last week, without my permission and I about died. I was so pissed, was in contact with the bus depot and the school and got it all cleared up, this will NOT happen again. But I don't feel safe at all with him walking to and from school...he'll turn 7 in April. He is smart and knows how to do it but it's not his actions I'm worried about, it's everyone else that has access to him during that time, he's still too young imo