2.2 mile walk to primary school - doable?

[cheeseismydownfall]

We will be moving soon and will be just over 2 miles away from the kids (10, 8 and 6) primary school. We are totally car dependent where we are now and all of our fitness has suffered for it, so I'd really like to get back to walking to school. Do you think that distance is realistic? We would have a car as a backup in case of terrible weather etc. Anyone else do this with primary age DCs?

Cycling would still be good exercise.

When we moved, my son's school was nearly 3 miles from our new house. I don't drive so would cycle and it took us about 30 mins ( longer but safer route with DS) and about 15 mins alone. Would take my husband around 25 mins to drive in school morning traffic. Route had some smallish hills. Current school is 20 min walk there and 30 back (uphill). The distance you plan on is not unrealistic but it feels longer in bad weather.

My daughter's prinary school was 1.5 miles from home. For a few reasons it just felt too far away. We don't have a car , and there were 2 other schools on the same road , this meant that in bad weather I just couldn't get my (tiny) pram on the bus for drop offs or pick ups. I had to leave home very early and hang around.

It was fine in good weather when we could walk but I have many memories of walking in the rain hoping that we'd get home before the baby was due his next feed.

It was worth it because my daughter liked the school and it was the best my area had to offer.

Of course it's doable. The reason lots of children are unfit, and are starting to become overweight and develop various other health problems is that people think walking a couple of miles is unusual

This sort of reply always pops up on these kind of threads.

Because it's true!!! Honestly, people are becoming so unfit.

It's less about fitness and more about time.

No. I think for high school age kids it would be fine (I used to walk 1.8 miles each way) but not primary.

walking to school is really good for kids, but that might just be too far to walk

Of course it's doable in the sense that you all will physically be able to walk it but I think doing it everyday there and back will soon lose its shine.
Do you want to spend 3 hours of your day walking?
Maybe walk one way and pick up in car on way home. Or drive closer and walk the rest of the way.
But it's up to you if that's what you want to do.

Really worrying that anyone would think 2 miles was too far for children to walk. Of course it’s doable. Buy waterproof coats for when it rains, keep a spare uniform at school in case they get soaked but otherwise it’s hardly far for that age. It also means you talk to each other more and have time to listen about their day. You can see and feel the passing seasons - ours was along a canal path with cygnets, kayakers, dragonflies and dandelion clocks. Lovely.
I say that doing a 2.5 mile walk each way with mine (youngest was four), come rain, snow or shine. The nanny did it too.

Sounds lovely CherryPavlova however not everyone is walking down a lovely canal path with cygnets, kayakers and Dragon flies buzzing about. Some of us are walking through boring suburban housing estates and along busy roads... I currently do 1.5miles with my son to nursery then straight in to work and it's a boring walk that I don't particularly enjoy but I do it becasue I have to. If it was any longer I'd be sacking it off and getting a taxi.

Plenty to see in suburbia - conkers, cats, jumping cracked paving slabs to stop the crocodiles eating your shoes. Then signs of Spring, Christmas lights going up, pumpkins, Eid decorations, cloud pictures in the sky - perhaps even more to capture the minds of little children!
My mother always said boring was a self inflicted state of mind.

Well I did that walk as a child, from age 7 to age 11. Just under 2 miles to school in the morning, 2.5 miles home from the childminders each evening My mum had an extra mile/mile and a half to/from the station. I remember the walk as "my" time with mum. We talked, we played spotting games, she told me stories. Less fun on cold wet winter evenings, I guess. But perfectly doable. However, I was used to walking everywhere as my mum couldn't drive.

Very do-able if you really want to do it and enjoy walking. No reason not to do it in all weathers too if the will is there. I did as a child and thought nothing of it( we didn’t have a car). It will be good for you and the kids and not a huge distance. Get everyone decent shoes and waterproofs ( top and bottom).

Good on you if you manage to keep it up and not fall back on the car too much.

The length of walk isn't a problem per se but the time taken would be. Op would be using 3 hours a day to walk her children to school. They would be walking an hour and a half. What about playdates, after school activities, days when they already did an hour PE? It's an awful lot of time when you could cycle it much faster.

I would do it a couple of times a week I think. I’m pretty sure my dad told me he walked 3 miles each day to catch the school bus from about the age of 5 (lives in a rural part of Scotland)

We do 1.5 miles each way, every day, in all weather with 5 children.

Its no problem.

Depends on your children, the nature of the walk / roads / traffic.

I walked that distance to secondary school, no not doable for primary IMO!!

I don't think it would be doable right away if the kids aren't used to it. You could start off driving to 0.5 miles away and parking to do the last little bit on foot, and work slowly up to the full distance as they get used to it?

It is doable, people are just lazy nowadays. More people need to walk & stop having petrol legs! At first it may be time consuming but you’ll soon get fit & be able to walk it even faster. And like others have said, it’s a great time for the family to talk & enjoy each other’s company.

Ours is 1.6 miles, so not quite as far. Safe roads. Two massive hils, one down one up. Lots of children walk.

Most with children as young as yours dont walk that far though. Once they get to age 9 or 10 ish.

My son walks that for work and has done wind and rain for two years and he says - their shoes will wear out, make sure they have good ones and an excellent coat!

As others have said, it's doable. The problem is you would have an easier alternative - and the kids know it. My guess is that there would be a lot of whining, and as it's hard work getting 3 kids into winter gear and then chivying them along you'll end up giving in ..... I'm also not sure you'd stick to it yourself - 3 hours of your day is a lot to give up when you have an alternative.

We live about 2 miles from the nearest town, we are keen walkers but very rarely walk in rather than drive. It takes so much more time than driving, which we never seem to have enough of now we have kids.

"Ours was along a canal path with cygnets, kayakers, dragonflies and dandelion clocks."

I proper laughed at this. Our walk is along busy main roads with buses and lorries roaring past inches from our ears. I'm prepared to bet you wouldn't be up for a mile of that let alone two, twice a day. Do you really think all of us can magic up a lovely, safe, picturesque, exciting walk to school?! What nonsense, honestly.

My children walk that to school every day quite happily. They prefer to walk rather than be driven.

It probably depends on both the walk and the children though.

My D.C. are pretty fit and the walk is very pretty along paths and quiet streets rather than busy, noisy roads.

The only way to know is to try it really.