[blindkid] walking home from school.

[Penny Duffy]

They would need to cross two major streets (major doesn't mean crazy busy
just they do involve some attention) It is all in a residental area. The
first street has a crossing guard and the other street is just a little bit
near were I live so I could meet them and watch them cross at least the
first few times.   Its only a ten minute walk. Since they are doing it
together i think they would be fine.  My daughter who is blind is the
younger sibling.

I think it would instill a bit more independence for both kids. Nothing
beats time without your over protective mother hovering over you.  The goal
would be that perhaps she could walk home by herself in 5th grade but at
least by middle school.

-Penny
 On Tue, May 15, 2012 at 9:47 AM, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com>wrote:

> I totally agree with Barbara. What kind of street will she need to
> cross to get home?
> The best way for her to improve her street-crossing skills is through
> practice and the best way to get practice is to do the crossing every
> day!
> Speaking from the other side of the coin, because I am blind, I wasn't
> allowed to walk to or from the bus stop alone until I was 13--and the
> street crossings I needed to do for this route were merely residential
> crossings. I have always had trouble with street crossings and I
> believe if I had been expected to learn and use those skills earlier,
> I would have been a much better and safer traveler.
> Arielle
>
> On 5/15/12, Barbara Hammel <poetlori8 at msn.com> wrote:
> > If Abby's cane skills are good, practice street crossings over the
> summer,
> > even if it's just the streets on the school route.  If, when school
> starts,
> >
> > you feel comfortable that she could do it alone if need be, then let them
> > walk.  If you had this plan when she could see, there is no reason why
> you
> > can't do it even though she is now blind.
> > The one thing in considering, here, is that you don't want her to depend
> > upon older sibling in case she has to go alone some time.
> > The time will be right when she can do it safely.  I have confidence that
> > you'll know when that is.
> > Barbara
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance. -- Carl Sandburg
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Penny Duffy
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 12:30 AM
> > To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
> > Subject: [blindkid] walking home from school.
> >
> > Hello everyone.
> >
> > I am considering have my kids walk home from school next year without
> > me.Did I really just say that.  We are walking distance from the school.
> > They have walked the route often.  My kids who will be in 3rd grade and
> 5th
> > grade next year and would be walking home TOGETHER.  One of my kids are
> > blind and the other one is sighted.   I am really looking for some input.
> > I can't see why my daughter's blindness is that much of an  issue.
>  Should
> > i wait till Abby's O&M street crossing skills are better?  When Abby was
> in
> > kindergarten (and sighted) I always thought that I would let the kids
> walk
> > home when they were win 5th and 3rd grade.
> >
> > I think it would be great for both my kids than again the kids may reject
> > the idea and the rules that come with it.
> >
> > --Penny
> > ----------
> > My Blog - visionfora.blogspot.com
> >
> > NH Parents of Blind Children http://www.nhpobc.org/
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-- 
-- 
--Penny
----------
My Blog - visionfora.blogspot.com

NH Parents of Blind Children http://www.nhpobc.org/
NHPOBC on facebook   https://www.facebook.com/nhpobc