Grace has wanted to walk home from school since first grade. First. Grade. She's in 5th now, and my promise all along has been, the same as her sister's was, that in 5th grade, she could walk home from school. You should know that all my kids are walkers - to Elementary, Middle School and High School. Yep, no bus. Ever. Pennsylvania state law says that if you live less than 1.5 miles from school, you walk. Guess where we live? About 1.3 miles from the schools. So, we walk.
So, in the past, we have walked home together from school, and on occasion, we have walked to school together, but for the most part, she jumps in the care and I let her off at school. It's the price you pay for being the third child and last out of the house for school each morning. By the time I am up and sending the other two to High School, the care seems very easy. So, the care it is.
This is the year for walking. She walked home last Thursday, with another friend who lives in the next block, who always walks home. She had two conditions for walking home - one, she had to test at 3:15 PM, when she got out of school, and if she was below 120, she should have a snack or a juice. Two, she was to text me when she left school and when she arrived home.
So I alerted her teacher and the nurse via email:
Hi,
Grace has wanted to walk home since, well, first grade. Sometimes I have met her at school and we have walked to and from school together. We live just off G..... Rd., and the walk is about 10-15 minutes. Well, I have finally succumbed and told her she could walk in 5th grade, so it's here!
Grace is going to walk home tomorrow, Thursday, with her friend and our next-block neighbor. She walks every day. They plan to meet right outside the red line doors, her normal exit doors, and walk together. She knows Grace well, as they were in R....'s class last year together too.
Grace has a couple requirements. She MUST test at 3 pm, and if she is under about 120, needs to have a juice. She also needs to text me when she leaves school. She has her cell phone with her (at home, when she plays with a neighbor or leaves the house, she has a phone to always contact us).
I just wanted to let you two know what's happening. Grace is growing up and she wants to be independent. I have to let her do things that others would do at her age, regardless of diabetes. I feel she's prepared, she knows what to do and not do, and she is with a friend. Let the walking, every once in a while, begin! :0)
Thanks,
Penny
And she did it both. She checked her BG and was 132, so no juice or snack before she came home. And she texted me. 'On my way home. Love you.' Simple and concise. And when she got there. 'Home now. Love you.'
Walking home, as simple as it sounds, check this one off our list.
4 comments:
Good for you! We have the same situation, we live between 1 and 1.5 miles from all schools, so no bus for us either. During Spring/Fall-nice non freezing, cold, snowy, rainy, windy weather, my kids walk or ride their bikes. My DD is in 3rd grade this year and it's the first time she's walking without her older sister, who this year is at a different school, gets out 10 minutes later, and has a different route home. We do it much in the same as you, she checks her BG at 2pm, (they are out at 2:20), if she's under 115 she has a snack and comes on home, if she's under 80 she calls me and I go get her, if she's over 200, she does a correction. From this school, we are only 1/2 a mile or so, she walks the first 1/4 mile with a 1st grade friend and then the rest of the way either by herself or with my daycare kids if they are coming to my house that day. We live in a small community and there are several of our church members/friends between school and home that she knows she can stop off at if she gets in trouble and they know to give her sugar if she asks for it and to call me. She also keeps smarties and a juice in her backpack, along with her kit. So far, so good :) I do remember a time though, she was in 1st (dx'd in Kinder), her sister and their best friend were in 2nd, they were walking home and got about 6 houses away from our house, she felt low and for some reason didn't have anything in her backpack. The friend stayed with Kork on the side of the road, and big sister ran home, I hear her in the kitchen and came to see what was up, she says "Kork is low, I got her a water and cheesestick!" It was scary then, but kind of funny/sweet now, she was trying to be such a good big sister and help out, but had totally the wrong things to help. We've come a long way since then! I think after that incident was when we started putting smarties in the backpack and telling them to go to a neighbor's house, there are like 15 people we know between school and here. I'm sure your girl will do just fine, good for you for fostering independance!
Yep Baby!!! We are here together. Joe has started riding his bike home from school. About two miles. We do the same...checks before and boosts if he is under 180. Love that they are doing this. xo
this is HUGE. awesome!
I eenjoyed reading this
Post a Comment