Recently, someone asked me when my kids would walk to school alone. We only live three blocks from our elementary school, but the answer is still never.
One reason is because we don’t have crossing guards in my neck of the ‘hood, I mean woods, and I also have general safety concerns.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not complaining about this. I recognize where I live is a choice. However, it got me thinking about Milwaukee school kids in general.
I grew up in the Downer Avenue neighborhood, and my sister and I walked to and from school from the time we were in first or second grade. It’s a cliche to say it’s a different world today than it was 25 years ago, even though it’s true.
So it's almost 2010 and I’m wondering if there are any neighborhoods left in Milwaukee where parents feel comfortable letting their elementary-school-aged kids walk to and from school? I really hope there are.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
