I think it is something that will be up to you and your wife. I plan on taking my kids in the future to school on the bikes. I already have a mini bike for my kids to race with. BTW, I don't have any kids right now so I play with the mini bike. I personanliy don't really care what someone else says. From my personal experience, I think that people that gives you their opinion on the street don't have anything going for them or are too narrow minded and not have seen or experienced much in life. Being asian, I grew up in a time where motorcycles were people's main form of transportation in Korea in the early 80's. I remember my whole family (5) being on the bike all together a couple of times. Was it the safest thing? Probably not. Shit, stuff like this still happens in Asia and in Europe, I'm sure in certain parts of the state. Common thing to see a mom and two kids on a Vespa in Naples, Italy. The traffic is way crazier than anything you will ever encounter in Ohio.