Kids walking to school alone?

So my daughter is in first grade. We bus to school, and her school is a 5-10 minute walk from the stop along a very residential street (no traffic lights, speed limit of 30). At the beginning of this school year, she asked to start walking that part by herself and admiring her confidence and independence, I said yes. She went to kindergarten here too and daycare over the summer so the walk is familiar. I asked her every day when I picked her up if the walk was okay and she thought it was really cool being able to walk alone and seemed proud of herself so I didn’t think anything of it.About a month in, I get a call from the school saying they’re concerned because my daughter is walking to school alone. I go in for a meeting thinking I would explain everything and it would be okay. Important to note: I am a young mom and I’ve dealt with people thinking I’m neglectful or less motherly because of this. The meeting felt a little like this. I try to explain it was at my daughters request, but the principal kept cutting me off and talking over me. They said things like “I know you might have to get to work, but it’s important for child safety...” and “finding the right parenting path is difficult, isn’t it?”So I explain I definitely have the time to walk her and I’m not rushing her off so we decide I’ll walk with her instead. Everyone’s happy, right? Well, no. We start walking together and my daughter openly dislikes the idea of a walking escort. We see other kids of all grades walking to school alone and she points this out and tells me it’s not fair that they get to walk alone but she doesn’t. I think it’s a major blow to her confidence to feel capable of doing something independent only to have mom back with her. I know it sucks, but I just don’t want to get in trouble or reported again so I’ve been walking her since about mid October.But now my daughter is getting close to another girl in her class who walks to school with her brother who is in the grade above them who live in the school neighbourhood. She’s asked me if she can start walking from the bus stop to this girls house, wait for her, and then the three of them can walk together. I’ve let her do it two or three times and it’s gone really well on her end, but I always have so much anxiety that I’m going to get reported or that I’m being a bad parent and don’t realize it!Am I being a bad parent and overshooting her confidence and ability levels or is this okay for a seven year old? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oODg8z