Is it horrible to make ds walk

[Whyohwhy99]

Am I horrible making ds walk for 40 mins to and from school because I want to avoid the bus?

Where does OP imply this cant happen. Revision is homework and pre exams by the way but you can call it what you wish of course

OP has to leave (or son has to leave) 40 mins prior to school walking or bussing. So how is your observation relevant to this discussion?

Its a mega reach to put down OP in any case. Most children and families are flying by their tails in the morning, get up, get washed, throw on uniform, persuade child to eat, get other children reasonably in shape, get lunches, get right bag, fly out the door

Prep for lessons my arse.

I totally agree. But the irony here is that the reason this is even a conversation is because OP (who has not received any kind of diagnosis yet, despite the armchair psychologists) find ls the bus anxiety inducing. That's not something that should be ignored because it will be passed on to her kids.

A 40 min walk should not be a problem. But neither should getting the bus if for whatever reason it works better. We are all talking as if it has to be either or 100% of the time. I wouldn't want my kids afraid of getting a bus any more or less than I'd want them fearful of less than a two mile walk.

A walk because it's healthier and is good exercise and the child has got used to walking that distance - brilliant.

A walk that the child hates and means they are pressurized to leave home very early or arrive at school soaking because they don't have proper equipment all because their mother doesn't like the bus - not brilliant.

What public transportation do you see this on, the Harry Potter train?

This kid is 11 and at a special school, he's not at Oxford Uni

Kids on the bus are larking around, texting, shouting, laughing, banging into each other while they desparately try not to get flung around the bus standing up like sardines. Bullshit do you see kids making notes!!!!

Revision can be homework. Nonetheless, I do see children reading books or preparing for their lessons on public transport.

If you and your son are happy to travel to school regardless of the weather, then do it.

How often do you use public transport at 8am?

As I mentioned, I do see kids reading or doing lesson prep on the bus. Yes, some of them do the things you mentioned, too.

I think when kids are doing home work on the bus. Its work that needs handing in that day 🙈

Exactly. It's not morning preparations, it's morning panic and best avoided!

Exactly, I remember that, and you could never get it done in any case, lost cause!!

My walk to secondary was 40 mins but if I chose to get the bus, it would take me longer, waiting for the bus (completely unreliable) and it stopped at the bottom of a hill which would take me 20 mins to walk up, whereas the footpaths I took were a direct route.

No time for 'revision' in either circumstance!!

You're not a neglectful parent OP, ignore than poster, its bang out of order.

Many factors come into play, but some children enjoy this, especially if they're studious.

I think it’s a bit too far.

Have you asked him which he’d prefer, OP?

Its 40 minutes each way, that's not exhausting for a healthy child, and appropriate clothing covers most weather issues (my children walk/bike in all weathers and it gets to -20 or colder where I am) but extreme heat is another issue, I would suggest bus if there's a heatwave but otherwise walk.

Dreadful. But then you know that. Poor child!

I've just been thinking about this and think it's an important thing to say for a chat site like MN.

OP has used MN a lot both under this username and previous usernames. Asking a question like this without the great deal of context that is missing is not particularly helpful to anyone, least of all the OP, because posters are answering a straight question without any knowledge of the context.

There's no real take away to that other than I hope OP (or indeed anyone I guess) is not making decisions based on answers from a chat site that don't know anyone's full story.

I'm always surprised on these threads at how many people object to walking. @Whyohwhy99 no, it's not horrible to make your DS walk 40minutes. 40 minutes is not a long walk.

My primary school was a 1hr walk away (each way). My own DC's school is a 40min walk away, or 30min if we're running late and walk quickly. We have walked there and back ever since reception. (Due to lack of public transport.)

Yes its the same here. Also in ds case we would get on the bus. To take us to the town area to get the next bus that gos to his school and I realised that the 2nd bus gos parallel to where we came from on the 1st bus.. then i realised we can cut through.

Yeah when I was at school we walked all the time think it took 45-1hr can't remember now. Didn't even think about the bus. Its just become habit now I think.

My DC had to walk 40 minutes to school and back everyday as they refused the bus option. It’s not an usual length of journey.

But there's no avoiding going outside for most people. If you don't drive or can't drop your kids at the door of the school they'll need proper clothes however they get around. My school has a no dropoff on campus policy so kids take the bus or walk in or get dropped off further away by parents or whoever - either way, they're still doing to need to walk several blocks so would need to navigate the weather regardless.

There's no world in which the OP drops her child in a car at the door as she doesn't have that option. So they'll be either on public transport or walking. As she doesn't mind the round trip (or at least, it's a tradeoff that's worth it to her while she gets some help to cope better with these things) the impact on the child is negligible as he's going to have to get on a bus or walk. And for 1.8 miles versus an annoying bus ride my kids would both choose the walk every time.

Actually I just checked 1.9 (hilly) miles so more like 45 minutes there and longer back.

The other day I did say should we see what its like to walk he said ok. He was ok with that. This moring i said you ok to walk. Yeah? He said yes we can have mum son time.

I think its great quality time to be honest. Although I would encourage him to learn to do it on his own over time, when he is ready.

You're talking about a minority of the year, extreme weather. And it will of course depend where you live, we live in the south east, I cant remember the last time there was frost/ice.

If the pavements are that dangerous they'll be dangerous to drive or walk to the bus top too

So, what is the intention of this thread if you are both happy to walk to school?

Yeah he told me he enjoys our chats.
Yes i would like to do that.it will take a while though at the moment we are finding landmarks . Becoming familiar with the route.