High school walk - 35/40 min on foot

[RamblingJenny]

Hi MN’tters, future planning here.
Anyone with teens/an idea reckon a 35/40 min commute to high school (all on foot, no transport) is too much?
I did a longer commute myself when I was at high school (decades ago) but had transport in between and I’m not sure about work loads/added stress these days.
Any help much appreciated!

Shouldn't be a problem.
Junior school was 40 minute walk for mine. Worse was the infants though who walked 40 minutes down to the juniors and then 20 minutes back to the infants.

Lots of people used buggies for new reception starters for that as it was too much for a lot. However most had given up using them by half term, and everyone by Christmas.

So they might find it tiring at first, but they'll get used to it quickly.

I think it's fine if you can give a lift if it's pouring with rain or she has lots to carry. I walked a similar distance with no lift available and I do recall some miserable days sat in wet clothes all day when it rained that awful sideways rain that seems to go through everything, and we had no lockers so some days I was was hidden under my bags of books, pe kit, lunch, instrument. No fun if I was feeling under the weather.

I did a 2 mile walk to and from school every day in the late 1950s. A whole group of us would walk together and some lived further away than I. There was no money then for bus fares except in the most inclement weather. I am constantly amazed that kids of 11+ expect to be ferried around like princes and princesses unless its a rural area with no local transport or very narrow/dangerous roads. The so called school run is definitely a modern invention which parents impose upon themselves.

I’d get a scooter - not an electric one.

Mine walk a similar distance to school and back every day. They quite like the time to decompress. Means they have already done an hour exercise every day.

@senua

How far is 35/40 minutes? They should get free transport if it is more than three miles according to this statutory guidance.

Who walks at 6 miles and hour.

Re heavy instruments I was a trombonist at school and a regular 30min walk with friends (sometimes we biked) and I just got a soft case with a shoulder strap which helped

My DC walked 1.5 miles to primary and secondary. In secondary many of their friends walked further . It is good for them and tends to be very sociable, although nice to be able to drive them on particularly wet or snowy days.