At What Age Can Your Kids Cross The Street?

There are times when I wonder if science hasn't lost it's mind.

I will never forget standing out on our front corner with my kids. When they were in the Newcomers program, the boys had a bus over to Riverside Elementary. Justin transitioned into regular classes and Ethan and Bella were in the Newcomers program over at Kellogg Middle School.

Ethan and I had a blast. He and I played Ice Soccer. We'd kick around a chunk of ice trying to get it passed one another.

Justin plays street basketball year round; in the driving snow, and in the driving rain. He shoots from across the street. He says if he shoots ten times, he makes it four or five.

They're all older teenagers now. I worry more about the choices they make, the crowd they hang in. I don't worry so much about them crossing the road as much as I worry about what's out there, lurking, on the other side.

According to the University of Iowa, kids 14 and under should NOT cross the street without supervision. The researchers say that until they reach that age they don't have skills needed to cross the road safely.

It wasn't long before I was kicked to the curb and told that I was embarrassing standing there at the bus stop with the kids. They don't even want me near the front door when they head out in the morning.