Let personality guide child on walk home

Now that spring is here and the weather is warmer, our older children will probably enjoy walking home from school. Pick a route that is easy for your child to remember even if it may take a little longer. Turning one corner is easier for your child to remember than having to turn five. Walk the path home with them physically a number of times, and a few times walking behind without them knowing. When you walk the route with your child, focus on the things your child will notice, especially within their dominant sensory mode.

• Your tactile child will tend to think they are ready to walk home alone before they actually are, so parents will have to be firm. You will need to impress upon them the rules of walking without horse play. No running after a friend to say hello, no crossing the road to get a ball, and watch when you cross the street. When walking the route home with them, point out things that your tactile child will notice as “markers” for when they walk alone. Tactile children will notice the feel of the pavement, the number of people walking by and the park where they play soccer. Giving tactile children a job to do on the way home, such as picking up the milk or bread, is a way of focusing them, giving them a landmark and also a “safe place” on the way home.

• Visual children will need visual cues, so when you walk the path home from school with them, point out landmarks – a blue house at the corner where they turn left, a supermarket to show when they have walked too far. As you walk the path, notice the people who are in their gardens regularly; an older woman who tends to her roses will appreciate a hello, and will be a reassuring sight for you visual child to see as they walk home. Have them draw a map to keep in their bag, in case they get lost, as well as yours and other people’s cellphone numbers and addresses in case their phone doesn’t work or they forgot it. Make sure they remember to look both ways when crossing any road, and stress the importance of using lights and crossings.

• Taste and smell children will tend to be older than most kids before they feel comfortable walking home by themselves, and even then, they will prefer to walk home with a friend. Due to this child’s sensitivity and often shyness they can easily get flustered when unsure and will feel uncomfortable asking for help. Make sure you have a clear plan of what to do, who to ask and how to call, if they were ever to find themselves lost. Teach them about backtracking, in case they get lost, to go back to where you know and start again. Taste and smell children will hate going home to an empty house, so if another friend is willing to let them stay with them and walk home once you’re there, it may be best. Remember to walk each route with them as well as a backup if they have a disagreement with that particular friend.

• Auditory children will want to avoid busy and noisy streets, and this is where they often get lost. If a quieter route can’t be found, explain to them that although it may be uncomfortable, it’s important that they stick to the path decided upon. Notice the other sounds that your child will routinely hear and use them as reference points. The noisy car repair shop, the barking dog on the corner, the church bells along the avenue are all good reference points for knowing the way home. Auditory children, even more than other children, rely on their hearing, so it’s even more important to not allow them to walk home using their iPods or MP3 players.