Serena and Cairo's school is about two miles away from where we live. Picking the kids up wasn't an issue last year when I worked in Randolph, but now that Dishon and I both work in Boston, it has now become a challenge. Thankfully, there's another parent who's willing to drive them home every day, where a wonderful teenager will be waiting to care for them, but she will only be able to drive them until Thanksgiving. I've asked several other parents if they can transport the kids for us, but they mostly live in North Randolph, and have after school activities to do with their own children. So I was stumped. . . until I remembered how I got home from school every day when I was their age.
Background: I started first grade when I was five, so I was only eight in fourth grade, and nine in fifth grade. I only rode the bus in first, and maybe second grade. After that, I walked to and from school every day, and it was a nine block walk. I walked in the warm weather and in rain, cold, and snow. I sometimes had friends who would come to meet me at my house, and we'd walk together, and pick other kids up for school on the way.
I was ten in sixth grade, and I continued to walk to junior high school, which was 17 blocks away. On days that were too cold, snowy, or rainy, I would take the B12 bus home. Sometimes with friends, and sometimes alone. Sometimes we'd take the longer route home, and walk through the Kings County Hospital parking lot. Sometimes we'd stop at the pizza shop and get a slice and a grape soda. My favorite times were when we'd go to Downstate Medical Center, and we'd go play video games in the student center.
So, all that to say that now that Serena and Cairo are nine and ten, they just might be able to walk the few blocks to the city bus, and take the 10 minute ride to our house. We don't have to feel stuck. I just have to go through another level of letting go . . .
I know exactly what you mean. Our walks were similar.We also had to make decision to "let go" of Gabby when she was in the third grade. She had to take the train into downtown Brooklyn, where she would meet another third grader and ride into Manhattan. Her father taught her the street route to school from the Manhattan subway stop, which was about 5 or 6 blocks away. I know exactly what you mean. Good share.
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