I was chatting with one of my kids today...she shared that she had taken her son to school this morning and she was getting ready to go pick him up after school.
It brought back memories of years ago when our own 4 kids were young and going to school. We lived about 4-5 blocks from school in a "safe" residential area. The kids all played outside, roaming from one house to the next. I always knew they were close, just didn't always know what yard they were in. Looking back, it really was a different era than today.
I am especially reminded of one school year when Sam was in the second grade. It was the first year that he would be at the elementary school by himself...Jen & Max were both attending the middle school at the other end of our small town. Each morning, Jen & Max would walk to the corner of our block and catch the bus with a group of kids who all lived in the neighborhood. Most days, I would walk Sam to school, pushing John in the stroller. For some reasons unknown to this day, Sam decided that he wasn't sure he wanted to "stay" at school, so long after I had walked back home and was busy in the house...I would look out the front door and there was little Sam sitting on the porch. He was probably afraid to come in the house, but truly didn't want to be at school either. At the time, I would chat with him, load the boys into the car, and take Sam to school, making sure he got to his classroom. I don't remember exactly how many times this happened that year, but I know he made the trek back home by himself a few times. I remember fretting a little that he had crossed a busy highway at the school with no crossing guard....it was usually around 10a.m. when he would show up on the porch. Now...when I think back...a little boy took it upon himself to walk out of the school building, unnoticed, and walked all the way home by himself.
Wow, how times have changed!
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