Hi bff, Oh yes as soon as feel he would like to I shall certainly encourage him, just want to do this when I know that he is settled and happy in school and feels he is ready to do it alone or with a friend, I´m sat here in Portugal preparing for the move don´t have a specific area in Aarau as yet so no school in mind and I´m already jumping to this type of worries, would you recommend any specific school that you know of as regards to helping children with no German, I'm sure they all/most are great, but as being a teacher you may have one in mind for a one reason or another?.

Absolutely. I have many happy memories of our wonderful conversations as we wandered to school, pushing the baby in the pram. It was a really special time.

PS Biff is the teacher that we all wish our kids could have had!!

Yes Stephanienie, that would be my idea and I think when you said about the walk or car option is more likely to be the concern with this whole subject I am totally in favor of keeping cars around schools to a minimum, I have seen some horrific situations here in Portugal around schools.

Just to second ecb - in our area pretty much all kids were accompanied to kindergarten in the first months - some for the whole first year - and some into the second year too. Our KG teacher was totally fine with this and was of the view that yes it'd be nice if the kids walked alone and it's good for their independence etc. - but not until everyone (parents and kid) feel happy doing it. One girl was driven to school every day since her mum was disabled and they lived a long way away. Exceptions can always be made and for a kid who is in a new country with a new language I think it's perfectly reasonable to walk with him.

My son is now 7 and in primary school and he walks alone - although he's rarely alone - he's always with some friend or other. He started to walk some of the way alone probably 6 months into kindergarten - we then gradually increased how far he would walk alone. By the end of year one he walked all the way alone - but only because he wanted to - I would never have pushed the issue and neither would his teacher.

As others said they can't tell you that. In fact, parents are responsable for their children to get to school. What most schools don't like are the mama taxis. And there' is a simple reason for this. Many mothers or fathers completly forget that they put other children in danger by unloading their offspring in front of the school or even worse by driving onto the school yard.

They don't forget - they don't care.

There's a few of them on this forum.

International school - 4x4s. You know who you are and you don't give a damn about the kids going to the local school.

Well I feel less anxiouse about the whole move, we hear so many comments on how things are in Switzerland and i´m sure you hear the bad more than the good, my son is a nervous child, he bites his nails and his stuttering becomes worse, will they support him and myself with this?

Absolutely - they are wonderful here for things like that. Our eldest had a slight speech impediment that we didn't even pick up on - it was detected during routine kindergarten tests.

The speech therapist arranged some sessions, and some exercises in follow up.

There's a real pro-active element to things like that here.

Although I can understand that parents believe their children are unique, there are children with the same issues. You are moving to a quite civilized country and not to the African jungle.

When my daughter just turned 5 years old, her KG teacher complained that she doesn't walk to school alone. I always walked with her, my wish as well as my daughter's. She didn't feel ready to walk by herself. And there was no other neighbor kid to walk together.

We live in a place where my daughter would have to across big street without zebra crossing and it is also no school zone so people drive rather fast, at least 50-60. We and the neighbors appealed to have the zebra crossing but it got turned down. One of the argument being that more accident come from having zebra crossing, believe it or not.

Anyway her teacher said she won't be independent if I walk with her. And I explained to her that I come from different culture where it is not accepted to let the kid that age walk alone and that I feel very uncomfortable doing so. I told her that I believe my first responsibility as a mother is to ensure her safety. I told her that it is my time to waste walking with her nobody else's and that we enjoy walking together. When she kept insisting still that she should walk alone I asked her flat out if something happens to her would she take the responsibility? That made her quiet.

I feel that if mom is uncomfortable and/or if the child feels she/he is not ready than one should not force them to walk alone. I would talk, argue with the teacher on behalf of my child.

I often saw kids who doesn't know their own addresses, can't read street signs, doesn't know their Tel no. and yet they walk alone to school. I have hard time understanding that.

I understand the schools not wanting parents driving the kids there. But harping on a parent for walking their 5 year old to school is stepping over the line, I feel. We walk our 5yo to school, as does everyone else in Lil Mud's class.

And the idea that walking your kid to school will make them less independent is pure BS. There's certainly a balance to be had between letting kids turn feral and helicopter parenting, but one thing is sure: making your kids feel secure and that you are there for them makes them more independent later on. Neglected kids become needy. **

Specifically in your case, if there is a nasty street crossing to contend with, go with your gut and don't feel pressured by the teacher. If there's no pedestrian crossing then, for me, that's a 100% no-go on letting a small child navigate themselves at peak traffic hours. Crazy.

**Preemptive Edit- Kids walking to school on their own isn't being neglectful. Point is, walking with them isn't harmful to their character in any way, shape, or form.

I know that some parents set up a "Schülerlotse" system, a lollypop lady if you want, that works pretty well but it would be a community effort.