Interfering?

You will have to keep it zipped. I would feel the same way as you if I found myself in those circumstances. As you have a tense relationship with your daughter-in-law I wouldn't run the risk of making it non-existent by interfering.

Why not just bring it up in a conversation ...and hopefully you’ll feel better when you know more,

Any roads where lots of children cross will have a traffic warden or even traffic lights.

As you said, you don't know what other arrangements parents have talked about.

He may well be walking with his friends.

Try not to worry.

Of course It’s your business, he’s your grandson and you love him !

My dds are doing same with there 10 year olds preparing them for secondary school next year, however there walk is only 5 minutes and not over busy roads.

I would love to see a 9 year old walk even 200 yards to catch the school bus where I live. Very small estate, one way in and out. School bus comes in pucks up majority of kids, then moves about 200 yards to pick up two other kids, then 100 yards for another two. Expect them to all meet at one place, goodness its like asking them to stop breathing. All the houses are in cul- d -sacs on the one side of the road. This happens for secondary aged as well. Your GS must feel confident to undertake his journey, your DD too. Let him grow far too many are now smothered and given no responsibility. I do wonder why children are supposed to be better educated, more worldly than the older generation ever were yet they are treated as being immature. One thing they do all seem to be very aware of is their "Rights".

My son started walking to school when he was 8 with a school friend but that was in the 1990s . I taught him the best I could about crossing the 4 roads on his way to school. That's the best you can do really. There were no mobile phones in 1990s either which was probably a good thing actually.

Maybe his parents are just trying to make your grandson “streetwise” before he starts secondary school. It is important, whilst growing up, that children feel a sense of responsibility for themselves, getting to school on time and being aware of their surroundings and traffic volume.
Always scary letting go, but at least your son and daughter in law are doing their best to raise an independent young man that will gain confidence as he grows, a job well done.
Sending my best wishes.

Give him the confidence to do this. He may have some busy roads but are there crossings either lollipop people or lights? I am sure they have talked about this and done some dummy runs too with mum walking at a distance behind. There will probably be other children doing exactly the same some with parents and some on their own or tagging onto a group that maybe does have a parent. Not that it becomes that parents responsibility but we’ve all done the walk to school with tag ons! At 9 (yr5) my DD had a key and walked back from school. DS then 13 would usually be there just before she got there if the bus was on time and I would be there 20 mins later. As a single parent it was the best I could do at the time. I had brilliant neighbours who also kept an eye too.

I wouldn’t be happy. Far too young. I would say something. Different times to when we grew up.

it is very hard I think when the tables are turned. When I think what I did as a teenager, and how horrified I would be had my own daughter done the same (which she probably did without telling me). There is a rise in childhood obesity in the UK, and more and more children spend hours sitting in front of screens. If he has been taught the Highway Code (which I am sure he has) he will be fine, gain a sense of independence, get to know the neighbourhood and get some exercise. Cutting the umbilical cord is very difficult, even with one generation remove. Breathe deeply and accept! best wishes

Natural you should worry but unwise to speak. He'll want to be given some level of independence and you should respect that your daughter has made a considered decision.

I was allowed to go out by train and bus with friends at this age, people are far too protective driving children everywhere.

Pollution from cars is more dangerous than anything else likely to be a danger to him.

At my grand childrens school all children except year 6 10/11 year olds must be brought to school my an adult, no alone.

This is not your decision. Encourage and don't interfere. Therein lies trouble I fear

Aren’t walking buses a thing now? I only left work 5 years ago, but my school had at that time three or four stops where children of any age could join and walk to school with their friends and a teaching assistant. It seemed a good way to get them ready for walking in themselves (which was discouraged but not banned for children below Year 5).

I know things were different in the 50s, but my parents sent me (6) and my brother (5) on a 20 minute walk across main roads and a railway crossing on our own

I agree with those posters who mentioned that primary school children who are taken to and collected from school, suddenly have to cope with travelling longer distances on their own (sometimes on public transport) when they go to high school.
As a Year5/6 teacher I encouraged parents to prepare their children for this big change by practising the journey to their new school - travelling with them on buses/trains, but let them pay and ask for the tickets and decide when and where they had to get off; talking about safe places to cross on the route; finding out if neighbouring families had children at the same school they could travel with etc. etc.
As I neared retirement I was told by some parents that their child would not be allowed to travel anywhere on their own even when they went to high school - I couldn't believe it!
Now that I am retired I see some of those parents dropping their children off a few streets away from the high school and then picking them up from the same spot at home-time! Apparently it's too embarassing to be seen being taken/ colleced from school by your parents! Again, UNBELIEVABLE!

Yes, my GS has been doing this a while,

Yes, *calistemon - and not just "looked after" either.
Domestic abuse has always been a reason to have designed people collecting.
Yes. Perhaps not making them different is the reason. After all, this is why "group" or "class" school photos became a thing of the past.

Floradora9

At his age I walked miles through the town to school by myself in fact from the age of 6 . I also walked home from Brwnies in the dark .

Yes, we all did.

That was then.

NotSpaghetti there could be several 'looked after' pupils in a school who have to be collected by a designated person for good reason and the school has a duty of care to ensure this happens.
Perhaps they do this with all the children to ensure that those children don't feel different.

I don't know why, but that is how it is.

At his age I walked miles through the town to school by myself in fact from the age of 6 . I also walked home from Brwnies in the dark .

At my daughter’s village school, years 5 and 6 can walk home without an adult. My daughter’s year 5 and we talk about it, but she doesn’t feel ready yet.

The Road-safety police who visited school to talk to the pupils said that a child was considered perfectly capable of walking to school, dealing with traffic and crossing busy main roads by the age of ten, which would apply to children in Year 5.

I have never heard of pupils of Junior school age (7 to 11) having to be collected by an adult. Infant (4-7), yes.