How long is your reception age dc walk to school?

[quirkyquerty]

My DS started school this month, it takes him and DH 35-40 mins to walk to school as he's only got little legs and is a slow walker. It would take an adult 25 minutes.

Do you think this is too far? I do- and would prefer DH to take DS on bike or on bus, but he thinks it's reasonable. The first thing DS asks when he wakes up is if he can go in the bike, and my husband says no.

He brings him home in bike at end of the day but thinks the walk 'does him good' DS says his legs are achy and he's tired.

TBH I don't think that's loads, especially if just one way in the AM when well rested. I agree with those who think it's a positive to get them used to walking longer distances. Very liberating for both them and you when they're a little older, as well as all the environmental and health benefits. We did a mile each way from reception. They get used to it really quickly.

DS used to cycle or scoot a lot. I think variety is good just to break it up, and there's no moral high ground in walking over him scooting or pedalling.

However if DH is doing all the school runs, these are his decisions and I think you should leave him to it. It's early days and DS will quickly get used to it.

My preschooler (3 and a half) does a 2km journey to preschool. I get too frustrated with him walking (/stopping every three seconds/climbing on walls/looking at snails/picking up twigs) so he rides his bike or scoots. Sometimes I take the pushchair for the way home but never the way there. It’s only 1.6km to school, daughter has been walking (or scooting or riding) that both ways since she started.

Oh and DC with older siblings do double the school run before they start school. Ours is only a mile so a bit less than yours, but our youngest was doing it 4 times a day in the year before he started school. We used the buggy sometimes for speed! But generally did a mix of walk, scoot and cycle.

5 mins here. 40 mins way too long for a little child when they’re going to be running around all day

0.5 miles, 15 minutes walk with the kids and 10 minutes without. Your DH does seem to be being a bit harsh just for the sake of it especially when there's a bike available. It won't be forever and I'm sure your child's stamina will build up over time. Could you agree to use the bike in the mornings every other day to break it up?

Walk takes us up to 40mins, that's with 2yr olds walking all the way, drop bigger ones in school & little ones will then walk to park, play & walk home. No reason a 4 yr old can't walk. Perfectly doable & remember he'll be stuck in school most of the day. Coming home by bike sounds a reasonable compromise.

Oh come on it’s not ‘way way way’ too far. No wonder there’s an obesity epidemic in this country!

@Wnikat its not that a child CAN’T walk 40mins. Sure at the weekend go for it, have a lovely walk. But reception is exhausting for 4/5 year olds anyway. They run around all day, learn loads and are exhausted. Mine used to moan on the 5 minute walk home and collapse in a stupor on the sofa for the first few months. She is not obese nor unfit in anyway but it takes a lot out of them

10 minutes walk to the Tube from home , 20 minutes Tube journey and then 10 minutes walk to school.

DC has two miles to school - it takes me 35mins to walk it while he scoot. DH cycles it but am too scared. It's much much too far. I am actually thinking of moving him to our nearest one that is only 2 mins away

I do think 40 mins is a bit too much and if he is saying he is tired is quite sad he's being made to walk when there is a perfectly viable option.
Our DS is tiny and he scoots to school that's probably 10mins, 15 mins if he's stopping and messing a bit.

I wouldn't expect any more and then a full on day at school.

It's quite sad that a healthy 4 year old can't walk just over a mile first thing in the morning! That's the problem.

Our school is 2 miles away and my children has been cycling since nursery there. Takes us around 1 hour as they piss about so much. We have to cross two big parks, one big shop, one big outdoor gym, one under path thing which echoes, one small hill thing which goes down super fast, so it takes ages as they have to stop everywhere and do everything. They race each other, they chat chat chat, they bicker. It's long and very long. They love it. I love it too. It's the best part of my day with them.

Let him ride a balance bike or scooter there, mine all did that

i know this probably isn't helpful but we always drove to school and the fact that your reception age child is in pain every day from walking would make me annoyed at dh, my dad was like that with the walking thing and it eventually made me resent him plus found out later i was disabled so he probably made it worse obviously different situation but wanted to put my point of view forward

He will get used to it. get a scooter or something and you'll soon find he doesn't notice it.

My younger two's walk to school from reception was:
40 minutes down to the junior school and 20 minutes back up the hill at speed or they'd be late for infant school. In fact they did it for preschool too.
Then there'd be the return at the end of the day.
The first half term was tough for them, but after that it was no problem.

For the first half term a number of parents did use buggies for after school and it wasn't uncommon to see a reception child asleep in one, but none were using one by Christmas.

My ds is not in reception anymore but it took us 20 mins at 4 and now it takes us 8 mins a few years on. We pulled him along on his scooter all the other reception kids seem to do the same or some are on balance bikes.

We have the exact same distance to school and I drive. 45 mins at kids pace is just too much first thing in the morning to get there on time, and too arduous on the way back when they’re tired, plus we often have a rush to get ready for clubs etc. One of my kids who has just started reception has SEN also can’t reliably walk that far without downing tools, and I’d prefer he save his energy for school.

So too far IMO! What about a scooter as a compromise?

also how do you expect him to focus if he's exhausted just from the walk to school, he probably wants a nap poor thing

Depends on the child, really. My DC's first school was a mile or so from home, and one happily walked there and back in Reception (but was always a good walker, and still walks everywhere aged 21). The other whinged about the same walk incessantly so went on a scooter, and would still whinge about it now (aged 19). They moved to a school two miles away when they were 5 and 7, and it was the same story. Both are summer born so were four when they started Reception. I used to like the walk to school and back, not least as it was good exercise for me too.

About 30mins walk. He does have mild cerebral palsy so needs to walk a bit slower and take care. Takes me 15ish without him to get there for collection

25-30mins each way. Scooting or bike some days though. I don’t find it any quicker with a 4 year old on a bike than walking! She still stops and parks to look at flowers/rocks/bird poo on the pavement!

My kids school was 1.5 miles away, so took about 40 minutes when they were small. Not too far at all. There were times they were tired, but we didn't have a car so no choice.

And I tried scooters, they got tired or bored and I ended up having to carry scooters, so gave that up!

That’s way too far!

also how do you expect him to focus

research shows that children exercising before class settle and concentrate better

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