So... DS is now just over 12 months and has started full time nursery this week as I have gone back to work. After a lot of research, visiting and effort on my part I opted for the nursery right next to my work. All my colleagues with children have raved about it, excellent OFSTED, ease of pick-ups in case of illness etc. seemed to make it the obvious choice, and he's settling in well. However, my work/the nursery is just under 4 miles from our house. We don't have a car, and I wouldn't get a parking permit at work anyway as they're like gold dust. I was planning to get there by cycling with a little tow-along for ds and this was always at the back of my mind when choosing the nursery. I didn't specifically discuss that with DP, tbh, but then DP basically left the entire nursery selection up to me and opted not to come on any visits or look at any brochures etc. I did run my choice past him before signing up and his exact response was 'sounds fine'. He did know where it was, anyway! He works from home some days and has quite a long commute and overnights other times on an unpredictable schedule, so it isn't really feasible to plan around him doing any drop-offs or pick-ups.
Anyway, not long after I signed ds up he saw I was looking at tow-alongs online and told me he really wasn't happy about the idea of me cycling into work with ds. We generally work on the principle that each parent has a right to veto anything they absolutely don't agree with (though this is the only time it's come up, to date), so I grumbled a bit but didn't pursue it.
Two days in, and getting to work/nursery is a PITA. It's a 30 minute walk (not even a very nice one!) each way and so far the weather has been shit. There is a bus I could catch, but by the time we've walked to and from the bus stop at either end we'd only save about 5 minutes and it would cost £2 a day so I CBA, frankly.
DP's arguments are that the roads are too dangerous and tow-alongs are at perfect pollution height, and I do see his points. However, I don't think the roads are THAT bad here. We both used to live and cycle in London (and tbf he had a couple of reasonably serious accidents, but still cycles!), and now live in a large town, and my own experience pre-ds has been that yes, there are the usual morons and I have had a couple of near-misses, but generally drivers here are much more considerate than in London (I realise this isn't saying much!). Friends and colleagues cycle with their children here and report no major problems, and of course we are always vulnerable as pedestrians too! The cycle route would be partly on back roads (though admittedly quite busy back roads!), a busy urban stretch with some on-road cycle lane markings, and one stretch of off-road cycle lane.
I guesstimate cycling would save 15 mins each way. I know it doesn't seem much on a daily basis, but 15 minutes more time to get organised in the mornings and to spend more time with ds in the evenings in between the chaos of dinner and bed would be very welcome, and it adds up over the week!
So: AIBU to try and talk DP into letting me cycle?
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AIBU?
AIBU to cycle to work/nyrsery with ds?
28 replies
QueenRefusenik · 17/01/2017 09:46
OP posts:
NavyandWhite ·
17/01/2017 11:09
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