To make the kids walk 3miles to school?

3 miles in itself is fine but it really depends on how much stuff they have to carry. I walked 2 miles to school from the age of 4 to 11. It was fine. I couldn’t have done it at secondary school though because I was loaded down with a bag of heavy textbooks plus at least one out of a musical instrument, games kit, sports equipment, a basket of cookery ingredients and art folder, sometimes 2 or 3 extra items on the same day.

Do they have lockers at school or any storage? It’s pretty miserable sitting in wet clothes all day. I would suggest having a change of clothes at school. Even with the best wet weather gear, they are probably going to get wet trousers/tights on rainy days.

TBH, although it is fine, you are asking them to walk for 75 minutes twice a day lugging bags up and down hills in all weathers because you don’t want the inconvenience of sitting in a warm and dry car for 90 minutes. It doesn’t sound like you can’t do it because of work, just that you don’t want to do it. It does seem a bit selfish.

It doesn’t sound like a very long walk for active teenagers who like swimming and running, and it’s only for a month (did I read that right?) so it won’t be dark like PPs suggested. I would probably get them to walk either there or back and drive for the other journey, depending on which direction would work better. But I’d give them a lift in really bad weather. It’s only for 20 days, they’ll survive

My DD doesn’t do it in that time, i never said she did i said it takes her half an hour to walk the 2 miles to school but i do it in 20 without her xx

I sound like my dad, but no wonder so many kids are unfit if they can’t walk an hour to school and back 🫣 it’s not even like it’s a permanent arrangement, it’s only for a month!

OP - of course it’s okay for them to walk!

12 and 13 she said !

Haha no i don’t run, i look like an idiot when i run so avoid it where possible haha xx

With respect 6mph walking speed is competitive level are you sure it is 3 miles in 30 minutes

DD school commute is 1.6 miles and if she wants to it is 20 minutes and if she is meandering it’s is 30 which fits 3-4 mph which is normal

Yeah a large proportion are pretty slow. DD hates it when she has to walk with some of her slower friends but the one she always walked to school until this year was equally fast thankfully. I suppose many of them have slower parents - I became a fast walkers trying to keep up with my dad, DD became fast keeping up with me, and DS is on the way to being a fast walker trying to keep up with me.

But are you running? That is not a walking speed

Or we are confusing miles and Kilometres because there is no way a 10 old is walking at 6mph

the average for a fit adult is 3 to 4 mph
fast is 3.5 to 4
sperd walking is 4 to 5.5
olympic levels is 7.5 plus!

km/h would make much more sense

You're going to put your foot down? There's a turn off phrase I haven't heard of since the 80's.
2 hours walking a day on top of homework plus swimming and other sporting activities is too much. They'll be exhausted and they'll get sick when they have to truck all that way in the wind and rain.
Find a kinder solution rather than putting the foot down!!

My watch records it the same (not iphone watch so separate app and separate recordings).

But travelling at that speed is not normal 'walking'.

But battle hill to claverham if that’s where they go doesn’t seem that far to walk tbh. I’m sure lots of kids do it.

OP i live in battle, I would just go down telham/powdermill. I know it’s tight but it’s definitely passable for 2 cars and it’s only a short diversion.

That is speed race walking pace literally competitive race walking speeds so the likelihood is unless you are a competitive speed walking the iPhone isn’t registering it accurately!

or you should become a competitive speed walker

Exactly. I think a lot of people are estimating the distances they are talking about. This person takes 20 minutes to walk home - I am sure she's right about that but I'm also pretty certain she's wrong that it's two miles.

Just to be clear before people accuse me of being a fat layabout - walking 3 miles is not a huge feat and can certainly be done by some kids walking to school. It's just some of the time estimations that are way off on this thread.

Errr well yea i do obviously, my iphone records that i do roughly 3000 steps in 15 minutes.

Obviosuly every single pre-teen is not a slow walker. But in my experience quite a few of them walk quite slowly when they are by themselves without a rush or when they're walking with a friend without schedule. So I wouldn't bank on them on average being significantly faster than average adult (meaning they do 3mi in 30-45min as is suggested by some).

I'd get them to take their bikes so even if they have to push them on the up hill bits they can still pedal the rest of the way and even have a little rest on the down hill bits as they free wheel.

If op gives them a lift, that's 60 miles driving a day - 15 miles each way, 4 times a day. 3 hours of driving (45 mins each way). How would that work when you need to be at work yourself?

I'd be expecting them to walk - 3 miles is less than an hour, each way. Obviously if they're a bit under the weather or it's minus 5 and pissing down I'd give them a lift.

It’s fine, for 6 weeks. Maybe as a concession one day a week you pick them up? But as you say if others will be doing it, they’ll cope and probably enjoy it!

Hilarious looking at some of these comments about a 12 and 13 can't possibly walk 6 miles a day carrying book bags and or PE kit etc. I did this for 4 years when I was 12 till I left school at 16. My parents never gave us lift as they were at work already. Rain, wind and snow and dark in winter I either walked or biked it and it was nearly 4 miles. Often even when I did have the bike I would get a puncture so walked with the bike as well. This was years ago so just because I had to do it doesn't necessarily mean these kids Should though. I think a lift one way would be a fairer compromise.

They walk when the weather is ok, you drive when it’s raining

Is there any chance your council might consider keeping the road open for commuting hours? Had this during exam season, and the council (under a lot of pressure) agreed to this near us - we got our local ward councillers involved.