To make the kids walk 3miles to school?

I would give them a life every day. It's called parenting.

Due to ongoing roadworks, the main road through the village to my kids school is closed and will be for c. a month. We are right at the edge of where the roadworks are so we have two options:

(A) A 15 mile detour by car, down the road all the traffic is being funnelled down (a main A road that is congested even when the road through the village is open). Which I trialled yesterday, and took me 45 minutes each way. This was with no school traffic as schools go back tomorrow. So I’d be doing at least 90 minutes of driving each morning and DH 90 mins in the afternoon.

(B) The kids walk to school and back. 3 miles each way.

DH is adamant I can’t possibly expect them to walk. It’s hilly. It’s due to rain. I think they walk. I think it would be insane to drive when it’s literally faster for them to walk. It’s 3 miles. I’m not asking them to swim the channel and then scale Mount Everest. Kids are 12 and 13.

AIBU to put my foot down and refuse to drive?

Massive assumptions here that everyone can ride a bike. Typical mumsnet.

I would give them a life every day. It's called parenting.

Not unreasonable at all - in fact, I’m sure it would be good for them! Make sure they’re wearing good shoes and coats. I used to do this regularly as a kid (usually when I missed the bus). At 12 and 13 they should be able to find their way and navigate roads, and they’re together. Not a problem. I’d give them a lift in torrential rain.

Due to ongoing roadworks, the main road through the village to my kids school is closed and will be for c. a month. We are right at the edge of where the roadworks are so we have two options:

(A) A 15 mile detour by car, down the road all the traffic is being funnelled down (a main A road that is congested even when the road through the village is open). Which I trialled yesterday, and took me 45 minutes each way. This was with no school traffic as schools go back tomorrow. So I’d be doing at least 90 minutes of driving each morning and DH 90 mins in the afternoon.

(B) The kids walk to school and back. 3 miles each way.

DH is adamant I can’t possibly expect them to walk. It’s hilly. It’s due to rain. I think they walk. I think it would be insane to drive when it’s literally faster for them to walk. It’s 3 miles. I’m not asking them to swim the channel and then scale Mount Everest. Kids are 12 and 13.

AIBU to put my foot down and refuse to drive?

It’s quite hilly. They’d be pushing their bikes uphill on the way home, so much easier to walk. The gradient at the steepest part of the hill is 20%.

I'm not fussed about weather. So the rain or snow or whatever is not a problem. But I won't walk 3 miles. Cycle? Yes. As I do and i did as a teenager. Walk? No. I'd only walk that if i was going on a designated walk eith appropriate gear, time and enthusiasm. Not on a miserable morning on my way to shitty school/work would i walk an hour. That is 13yo me and 35yo me talking.

You three year old cycles???

You three year old cycles???

No wonder people are so overweight these days if they think 3m is a long way to walk. I did the same distance every day for high school, it was fine.

For context my 6 year old cycled a 4 mile daily round trip for holiday club, up and down hills.

Make it a permanent change!

I always understood that 3 miles an hour was average walking speed so that would be an hour there and an hour back again which does sound a lot. I always walked to and from school back in the day as it was actually quicker than the bus, which always got stuck in traffic, but that only took me about half an hour so about half the distance.

I did it for 5 years. Just over 2.1 miles each way 47 minutes according to google maps. Sometimes I took my bike, sometimes I would catch the bus home because the return bus stopped closer to my home. Depended on how much I was carrying. My mother didn't drive and my father needed to be in the nearest city in totally the opposite direction. No other choice. I now understand why the weight piled on when I got a car and went to work

Personally, no. I wouldn’t ask my two secondary school aged children to walk 6 miles a day. That’s 2 hours of walking per day for a month. Ask yourself if you could bring yourself to do that everyday for a month? They’ll be exhausted by the time they get home. I’d ask around maybe there’s a car pool going, you offer to do one week and another parent another week maybe? If the options there for them to cycle and you feel confident enough to send them on their bikes then I’d rather that than them walking it. The weathers going to be pretty rubbish in the coming weeks too.

If they’re 12 and 13 they can cycle (hopefully). The problem is what if it’s raining.

Is there somebody just the other side of the roadworks that can give them a lift?