Moms Talk Q & A: Walking to School

Welcome to Moms Talk Q & A on Ballston Patch. Moms Talk is not limited to moms, but all dads and guardians, too, who are interested in discussing hot topics pertaining to children of all ages.

Today’s topic is Walking to School.

After the recent incident on March 10, when a Williamsburg Middle School student was approached while walking home from school, we thought this would be an important topic to discuss. In this incident, an unknown male approached the female student and made an inappropriate comment. He is described as male, with olive colored skin, 5 ft 3 in to 5 ft 6 in, in his mid 20's, wearing blue jeans and a blue hooded sweatshirt, according to the release sent out by WMS assistant principal Dr. Eileen G. Wentzel. 

Wentzel said in the release, "Students should walk in pairs or groups as often as possible and should immediately report any incidents to 9-1-1, a parent, a teacher or an administrator so that appropriate actions can be taken." Arlington County Police have continued to investigate the incident and patrol the area. 

• Do you allow your child to walk to and from school?
• What have you told your child about safety when walking alone or in groups?
• How have you explained safety, without scaring your child?
• What do you think about the bus system?

Our Moms Council and other parents are online to chat with you about your views on allowing children to walk to school. 

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Moms Talk is part of a new initiative on all Patch sites to reach out to parents and families.

Every Wednesday, we encourage all parents to log on and talk with other parents about issues that you may be struggling with. Our Moms Council of experts, along with other parents, will take your questions, give advice and help come up with a solution.

The conversation is not over on Wenesday, we hope that Moms Talk is an ongoing conversation throughout the week, so we can help each other with any problems we may be facing.

The Moms Talk topics are chosen by our Moms Council, but please feel free to suggest them to us. The topics can cover anything about children of all ages. Is it appropriate to breast feed in public? Did you circumcise your child? How to handle bullying? What TV shows are and aren’t appropriate? Should the school have cancelled snow after all that ice? 

Please use the comment box below to join in the conversation, ask questions and share tips, give your opinions, advice and experiences. (TIP: you need to refresh the page after each comment to see if people have responded to your questions/advice.)