To make the kids walk 3miles to school?

Walking is fine. Do they not go out to hang out with friends out of school and walk round for something to do.
I wouldn't spend all that time in the car when it is doable on foot.
Walk with them first day if they are unsure.
Get them to pack a raincoat in case of rain-we are still in summer for another two weeks its not dark when they come out of school or when they leave home for school.

We should be encouraging our kids independence.

Kids have energy to burn, resilience, they have no arthritis. Let them get some real exercise and earn some confidence while walking with friends. It is a normal human function, not torture... to just walk. Unbelievable ppl act like walking is abusive and rain is somehow dangerous..LOL!

Walking 3 miles is perfectly reasonable. I'm not sure why present -day children are considered to be so less physically capable than their parents snd grandparents were at the same age. Nutrition is better, housing is better, so shouldn't physical capacity also be better?
I walked 4 miles each way to school at the age of 7 & 8 years.
From 11 through to 21, at school & at college I walked either 6, or, if going home for lunch, 12 miles a day, yes carrying heavy books. In all weathers.
I was a 7 stone stick insect with a diagnosed heart murmur, not an athletic type.
So if I could cope with it, and my contemporaries, I cannot for the life of me understand why walking 6 miles a day is considered at all remarkable.

@DHdoingmyheadin Could you pick them up/drop them off some of the way? They walk the rest?

Absolutely no way. They’ll be shattered, poor things. Way too far.

This is not a one-time hike - this is there and back, every day, lugging books and sports gear. Would you look forward to it, if you had to do it yourself? Do as you would be done by.

Maybe she would. I’m 70 and I average at least 7 miles a day. Just you can’t imagine doing it, doesn’t mean they can’t.

walking three miles there then doing a whole school day and then three miles back? That sounds like a very long day.
I would much rather drive my kids to their school than having them wake up early, to leave early and then do a whole school day to only walk all the way back. I do feel like you’re being unreasonable here.

Is it possible that the council could temporarily provide transport? Are there other children going that way? I have a feeling that if you are over 3 miles away they have to offer something. My two had a taxi pick them up when they were at primary school because their school was 5 miles away, not sure if it applies to secondary age children though. Could you lift share with someone?

Dutch children do that every day, on bicycles, of course. And lots of the UK is pretty flat before you say anything. Of course, the Dutch do invest in their country for the benefit of all. So kids can cycle safely. They are happier, healthier, and wealthier - the Dutch. The habit of exercise lasts a lifetime. :-)

Couples like this must clash over so much

I prob would have driven them the two days you don’t walk 7miles each way to and from work

and they walk the 3 days you work

equally I am a not a huge walker due to arthritis in hips knee and ankle and lazy and possibly would get up hour earlier and drive kids in early esp if raining

3 miles isn't very far at all. Any healthy teen should be able to walk that distance with ease.

OK, first of all, it shouldn't take any healthy teenager an hour to walk three miles. That's 5km/hour and I can't physically walk that slowly unless I am with my two year old DD who insists on pushing her own pushchair.

Secondly, your last drive to work is irrelevant, because the OP has said it will take her 45 minutes each way.

So the real maths is that the OP and her husband would be losing three hours of their day between them in order to save their children about five minutes each way and the possibility of being rained on.

Lovely countryside and places to visit down your way though, OP.

Disruption sounds very annoying, but I'm not sure I feel too sorry for you getting to live somewhere which is so nice most of the time 😂.

Battle 10k is on this weekend, meaning that even more roads will be closed Sunday morning.

The poor organisers feel terrible, but they booked it in months in advance. Had the roadworks gone ahead in August like they were supposed to, the race wouldn't be causing further disruption.

Avoid at all costs!

First time I’ve ever read a mumsnet thread and think I recognise the Op!

No idea how my friend who lived 50 yards from school managed to stay so slim. Or the janitor's kids at my son's school, Walking would be totally unrealistic for many children, I live near 3 schools, 2 primary and 1 secondary and rarely see an overweight/obese child - young and youngish adults are another story!

I agree that many parents drive their children for quite short journeys but often they are driving to work anyway. I know we used to turf DS out of the car on what would have been a 5 minute walk to school, but it was directly on our way to work.

Trishby, if 3 miles of walking daily to and from doesnt improve your health after just 3 or 4 weeks, and strengthen you, something is wrong with you. Perhaps you are a smoker, or enjoy beer or need to lose some weight? Im in my 60s, have RA and Osteo arthritis. Got really weakened. Got a standard poodle who must have exercise and tedious grooming to help me recoup strength. Starting bout, I made it one block then returned. Within a month, I was fast walking a mile. 2 months I made 2 miles daily and lost some budget fat I didnt need. My core is stronger and I reversed my osteoporosis down to osteopenia. My doctors were amazed that fast walking daily improved my health so much. It also reduces cholesterol and helps to prevent plaque in your arteries and atherosclerosis. Exercise is required for good health and fitness along with good habits and nutrition. Forcing yourself to do an hour of exercise could only benefit one and save transportation fees. However, you would have to wear supportive sneakers designed to reduce shock and stress to your bones. Wear socks for absorption, carry bottled water to stay hydrated. If you dont, you risk muscle cramps and dehydration. Walkers should also do stretches before and after. Use backpacks or rolling bags. Several sips of water often but dont guzzel until you slosh or barf.

Trishby, if 3 miles of walking daily to and from doesnt improve your health after just 3 or 4 weeks, and strengthen you, something is wrong with you. Perhaps you are a smoker, or enjoy beer or need to lose some weight? Im in my 60s, have RA and Osteo arthritis. Got really weakened. Got a standard poodle who must have exercise and tedious grooming to help me recoup strength. Starting bout, I made it one block then returned. Within a month, I was fast walking a mile. 2 months I made 2 miles daily and lost some budget fat I didnt need. My core is stronger and I reversed my osteoporosis down to osteopenia. My doctors were amazed that fast walking daily improved my health so much. It also reduces cholesterol and helps to prevent plaque in your arteries and atherosclerosis. Exercise is required for good health and fitness along with good habits and nutrition. Forcing yourself to do an hour of exercise could only benefit one and save transportation fees. However, you would have to wear supportive sneakers designed to reduce shock and stress to your bones. Wear socks for absorption, carry bottled water to stay hydrated. If you dont, you risk muscle cramps and dehydration. Walkers should also do stretches before and after. Use backpacks or rolling bags. Several sips of water often but dont guzzel until you slosh or barf.

I walked grades 1 thru 12. Knee deep snow, ice, rain. We had raincoats and rubber boots, heavy coats, hats, gloves. The exertion kept us warm. Not with lightening or tornado warnings, we waited that out. It was actually a challenge sometimes but fun. We walked in the tracks of others mostly. My older brothers taught me and my little brother all sorts of things. Then I became my brother's guardian and coached him. I live those memories.

Kids should all walk to school, then there would be less traffic on the roads and fewer kids would be overweight or obese.

Who knows what they think! Free transport over 3 miles has been the law (also in England and Wales) since 1945. I don't think many pupils walk if their journey is, say, 2.99 miles - the family just bears the cost of the travel themselves.

Yes, I did the same, with a friend who lived a bit further away. We did it in preference to waiting for the bus. Our other friend who was 2 miles away never walked and I certainly wouldn't have done either. We didn't envy the girl who lived 50 yards from the school (just too close for comfort) but we had another friend who lived about 5 minutes walk away and thought that would be the ideal.

The law here in Scotland is that if a pupil has to travel more than 3 miles to their catchment high school, the council has to provide transport, so the Scottish Government doesn't think that it is unreasonable for high school pupils to walk up to 3 miles each way to get to and from school.