My son is 8. One Saturday he had a play date with a friend at his school, a few blocks away in a safe neighborhood. He and I met the kid and his mother at the

My son is 8. One Saturday he had a play date with a friend at his school, a few blocks away in a safe neighborhood. He and I met the kid and his mother at the school. I suggested that we could let them play there (there were lots of other kids around, too), and then they could walk home together to our house. I got a look, but she really wouldn't talk about it. Before this first play date, she and her son had literally been hounding me for it. After, not only have I not heard a single word from her, but my advances for further play dates have been ignored. I've started to let my son walk most of the way to school by himself (I walk him part way, then go a different route to my bus stop). I don't dare tell my wife. She would completely flip out. She is completely irrational when it comes to this subject. She is mistaking her fear for parental instinct.