What to do here?

[TheLongWalk]

2 kids, both were at the same school.
One now got into a better school.
This is causing problems with the nanny. She has to collect one at 2.50PM and take the bus (destination about 5 minutes away but school traffic makes it more like 10-15) and walk 20 minutes with the youngest child to collect the eldest for 3.10PM. School are understanding about her being late but youngest child complains the whole way about walking and said it isn't working to the nanny.
Trying to get the second child into the school but still waiting to hear back, what would make this easier? Just finding someone new who drives?

Uber ?
Nit cheap but cheaper than loosing your nanny over this - it’s a bloody big ask to suddenly change from simple pick up of 2 kids to dragging a knackered child across town including a decent walk , after a full school day / then presumably getting both home by means that you’ve not specified - another bus / walk with both of of them ?

It maybe “ good “ for the 7yr old but if I were the nanny I’d quickly have enough of it !!

I agree with Uber. It also saves the Nanny time and stress parking to pick up the 2nd collection.

It doesn't matter that the school 'are there anyway' nobody there is your private babysitter

Id be telling the 7 year old to stop moaning

I’m with the others, sorry. The 7yo is having a laugh, and not being kind to the nanny. Making changes to accommodate her complaints wouldn’t be doing her any favours, either. She needs to suck it up and look on the bright side (there will always be one). There will be hundreds of occasions when one sibling is going to need to accommodate the other. If there aren’t, and each child gets its way all the time as though s/he is an only child, you’d be passing up on good life lessons for them.

Don’t change anything, except explaining to your 7yo that she has things upside down and back to front: she is to stop whining, stop getting her nanny to carry her belongings for her (unless it’s a heavy instrument or sports kit in addition to her school bag), take a book to read on the bus and get on with life.

I think that's a bit harsh. She is only 7. She's had a busy day at school and then has to walk there and then back home.
I do know the nanny has it hard as well. The problem as I say sits in her not driving.
The uber is not really viable. By the time they have waited for that they could be making their way to and from the other school as well as the expense.

No the problem is your 7 year old is lazy.

A lot of kids walk to and from school. Further than 20 mins to pick up their sibling. Your dd doesn’t want to walk and you are pandering to her

My 6 year old walks to school and back…without moaning.

Your 7 year old should be able to walk it, absolutely try a scooter.

You can usually book a mini cab to do a regular pick up and drop off at a lower rate.

Driving nanny wouldn't really help. School traffic and parking can often mean walking is faster.

Get your child a scooter and tell them to stop moaning.

How far is their total walking distance in a day?

7byear old should be able to walk for 20 mins, it isn't hard. As you said, traffic is bad so driving wouldn't help.

Book older child into after school club so nanny isn't in a rush/flustered, and get a good scooter for 7 year old.

No the problem is your 7 year old is lazy.

This

You sound like hard work - the problem is not that your Nanny doesn’t drive. This is not your Nanny’s fault and you are the one that chose to change the goalposts. I can’t believe a school is happy about the late pick ups either, unless it’s private and indulging you for money. The “fault” is yours for creating this impossible schedule.

Use after school club - it’s a few weeks until end of term. Reevaluate over the summer - a place might open up. Or timings might change anyway- 2:50 is quite early and certainly at our school they hope to unravel the covid timings and go back to normal school finish.

@TheLongWalk

I think that's a bit harsh. She is only 7. She's had a busy day at school and then has to walk there and then back home. I do know the nanny has it hard as well. The problem as I say sits in her not driving. The uber is not really viable. By the time they have waited for that they could be making their way to and from the other school as well as the expense.

It's not harsh. Plenty of kids do it without complaint. As someone with no car I do notice that cars have made some kids really lazy.

@Soubriquet

No the problem is your 7 year old is lazy.

A lot of kids walk to and from school. Further than 20 mins to pick up their sibling. Your dd doesn’t want to walk and you are pandering to her

Absolutely, my DS walks half an hour each way every day to school and has done since 6 years old. Can't believe how lazy some people are.

Well if she drove, she would still be cutting it fine but would get there just in time.
We know it is not an ideal situation all round but could not turn down the new school offer.
I know we are better off either switching entirely to after school clubs with no need for the nanny or to find a nanny who drives for September.

Have you tried it yourself driving? It's different at pick up time with parking.

So how far is this walk in terms of distance? Is it around 1 mile or 1.5?
If you said your DC is 4 I'd have sympathy, but at 7 they're having a laugh.

So the option is for older child to go to after school club (after his/her long and busy day), or for nanny to lose her job in favour of one who drives, or for nanny to lose her job and both kids to go to after school club until a parent can pick up both children

OR

7yo stops complaining and walks a little after school each day.

Does that seem feasible, or in either child’s (let alone any concerned adult’s) interests?

Does the 7yo do any after school activities? Does s/he complain they’re too tired for those?

The walk is about 20 minutes but as I said, they are rushing to get to the other school so harder for the child.
From September the finish times may be exactly the same as each others but we will probably have to consider after school clubs for both so I guess it's just a case of getting through these tricky few weeks before September.

To answer the other question, yes they do lots of after school activities but there are breaks in between so for example, the activity may not start until 6PM.

20 minutes adult pace or child pace?
20 mins child pace can easily become 10 with a scooter. The distance is important, how far is it overall?

Also school must be private to tolerate late pick ups, guessing they have parking too.

Not sure what you're getting from this post?

You very clearly want to get rid of your Nanny and are not willing to entertain the other options suggested. Were you looking for alternatives or just wanting to work out whether this is a fair option or not?

I would agree with the others that a 7 year old should be able to walk that and if she is genuinely unable to, I'd consider seeing the GP

You're setting yourself up for a world of problems by pandering to your 7 year old so much.

Am pretty sure you've posted before? Something about changing school for one child and now not needing the nanny but feeling bad as you'd only just hired them?