Can they walk to school?
Answered 3 years ago
Im a single parent with 0 support. My youngest has just started Pre-Primary (5) and my other primary kid is Year 4 (almost 9). We live exactly 1km from school.
I am completely broke, but have just got a job, the hours are terrible, 10 hour shifts 6:30am -4:30pm, 12:00 -10pm and 6pm-6am... I am also just casual, and dont get shifts every week. We live in the city, footpaths and traffic light crossings (green man) everywhere, they could even get a bus, one stop.
Would you have your children walk to or from school by their selves considering what ive said above? It wouldnt be every day, and it would only ever be one journey for them a day, so if i had the 6:30am shift I can pick them up in the arvo, if I had the 12noon shift I could drop them off in morning etc... I am beside myself with this problem, but we are desperate for money, I have about 3 weeks left where we can survive, but if i dont get work after then we will be out of food and accomodation.
Also there is no one i can ask to take them, there is no one i can ask for money, any suggestions that i reach out for help are pointless, there are no options there.
What do you think? Please be kind... I am already on the edge
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Answers
My concern is everything around that, if you are working at 6.30am that means leaving home at 6ish your kids would have to get themselves up, fed, dressed and walk to school. I think it's too young for that much responsibility. Same with coming home it is several hours alone unsupervised every day.
I understand that you are trying to make a super hard situation work but kids that young can't be left at home unsupervised
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Thanks for your congrats! This job has been a long time coming, it’s great money and it’s my key to getting the next job, so I just need to get thru for the next few months then we should be ok and hopefully I have a more family friendly job by then.
Thank you for caring about me!
I really don’t think it’s safe for a 5 and 9yr old to
walk to school by themselves, so
I’d encourage you OP to do all you can to avoid this.
Good luck!
Ultimately, I think that age is far too young to walk themselves to/from school so you have to do all that you can to either get them there yourself (even if it means only taking the 6pm -6am shifts) or paying a babysitter to help you.
I’d also say, keep looking and applying for other jobs (consider picking up jobs on airtasker, driving an Uber, cleaning jobs etc.)
Good luck x
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The 6pm - 6am shift i think is the worst, I cant leave my kids at home alone over night. I feel thats even less save then risking the walk to school and then being supervised for the day.
There is no one to help, last year i had an operation and approached the school for help and they said there was nothing they could do and to just keep the kids off school for a week. A babysitter atm is impossible as I have $30 in my bank.. Obviously if i get some work behind me, that will change, and i may be able to use that option, but it still leaves me in a hard situation for a few weeks/months
Maybe contact some charities/ food banks to see if they can help with groceries to take some financial pressure off while you look for another job? Also do you qualify for any government assistance? They may be able to offer you a crisis payment.
Good luck and take care x