to be annoyed at school for giving DS 'a mark' if we have walked to school and him feeling bad if he gets a dot

[majorydoors]

DS is in reception and has said he gets another mark (other than register) if he has walked to school. He told me today he got a dot and said it as if it was a bad thing (we used the car this AM)

I asked him why they are doing these marks and he said it is 'because of exercise'. I dont know how this has been put across to the children but DS seems to think it is bad if we use the car to go partway, as I do if I am going somewhere instead of doubling back to collect it.

So I said to DS if anyone asks you explain what exercise you do, and that he wasnt in any sort of trouble.

The school have not informed us that this data is being collected. They did write home about the measuring height and weight last week, is it related?

I feel a annoyed as if I want to use my car to goto shops/gym/work I bloody well will and not have DS feel its wrong. We are an active family and feel like shoving this in their faces - or on their chart!

herbex let them look at the 'getting fatter' people then as we are doing fine thanks. I am confused as to why you think gyms and three or four sustained periods of increased cardio function dont balance out periods of inactivity and havnt become part of modern life. Get rid of all the office jobs then....

I understand they need to collect this information but I would much rather they just asked us to fill something in so they get a fuller picture rather than make judgements about my DS saying if he has walked to school or not that day.

But even if that's the case HerBeX why have a scheme which makes a child feel bad when they have no control over whether they go by car or walk?

X-posted

It is getting collected for a good cause thanks to hebex explaining and these seem valid reasons, but yes they should have told us parents.

I've always thought it was an environmental thing because far too many parents think a 20 min walk to school is going to kill them.

Come to think of it I know 3 families who live less than a 10 minute walk from school and the parents still drive them. They've always got an excuse about needing to go the shops/bank/post office etc...yet plenty of other parents manage this on foot.

"walk to school week" annoys me, too. They make a big deal out of it, and do make those who can't 'join in' feel bad.

They do not consider the bigger picture, having other children at schools, or nursery on the other side of town. That you then have to get to work. That there is no public transport that will get you to all these places, without it taking you miles in the wrong direction first. That the reason you use your car is becasue you couldn't get a place at the local school, and have to go miles out of your way to somewhere with spaces.

That we don't all live in f*cking 'Camberwick Green' where the school/place of work/doctors/fire station/local police/corner shop are all within 5 minutes walking distance (if not the same building, or all run by the same person).

And breathe....

it is something to get worked up about - it is it is amd i am i dont even have school aged kids any more and it still makes me

kids feel pressurised and undervalued by these shit schemes - and its bullshit.

walk to school week is not even mentioned at dd school maybe something to do with the fact thers only 10 dc that live in same village as the school .The rest have at least 3 miles each way journey

FFS I have just quizzed DS more and he says its so you get exercise and get a badge he says its not walk to school week but he is 5???

If my appointments this week have denied hime the chance to obtain this which is outside his control I will be turning up with full war paint on.

FWIW DH will say stop beign so stupid women and find something better to do (err just incase anyone was wondering he does counter balance)

Exactly juule - I hate this kind of thing when it's done in such a stupid way. Yes it's great to encourage walking, but it's not the child's fault if their parent has to use a car because they have to drive to work after drop-off, or what about for other reasons like the parent has a health issue that means they can't walk that distance?

Then the child gets basically a punishment-type "black mark" and is made to feel like a failure - it's not on. And if I was that child I'd be bloody upset if I saw someone getting an actual reward for walking to school when it's easy for them to do so because they live round the corner.

There are other ways, like teaching them why walking is healthy and giving them lots of ideas for when they could walk, instead of saying they have to walk to school and they are doing badly if they don't.

Our school hasn't done this (yet) but I know my DS would very much take it to heart if he was marked down for something he couldn't control. (We do walk as it happens but YKWIM)

exactly, majorydoors, it might not seem like a big deal- but it matters when you are 5, and it isn't your fault.

But if you´re not far from school-isn´t it easier to walk rather than getting caught up with all the other drivers, not to mention the faff of parking?

custardo you rock

You have to get a thick skin over this and realise we live in a nanny state in which they can't be bothered to provide school buses as they do in lots of European countries, but then berate anyone who actually has the temerity to drive to work and drop the children off on the way.

And, no, I don't have a spare hour and a half twice a day to walk my children the 40 min it takes to get to their school at the top of our town.

The government doesn't know what it wants. It wants all parents to work and be taxpayers, but mysteriously take their children on foot to their school twice a day at inconvenient times at which normal working people are not avaiable. Go figure.

It is not bullshit.

The schemes work.

Because of them, they have taken masses of cars off the road. I can't remember the figures but across the country in the seven or so years that the school travel plan initiative has been in place, thousands of school run journeys have been cut.

No one is making judgements about your individual child, don't be silly. Teachers are fully aware of the very good reasons why people use cars, most of tehm use cars as well because they've got loads of books to carry.

But are you saying that they shouldn't be allowed to encourage kids to walk to school? There is no point talking to the fat, the obstinate adn the entitled, they are going to use their cars anyway. They'll also park on the zig zag lines and put other kids lives in danger because their darlings are more entitled to get to school on time than anyone else's. There's also not much point talking to the lentil-weaving eco-livers, they will walk/ cycle/ somersault to school anyway. Schools talk to the people in the middle, the ones who have got into bad habits without meaning to, who are willing to work with them and take an extra 5 minutes to get to school because it's better for their children, for them adn for their communities.

And that's why these schemes exist - because they catch the ones in the middle

Ours does it once a year, sponsored by Clarks and you can win a pair of shoes, something like that. You get the mark if you walk OR park and stride in the proper car park rather than get dropped at gate. We live 8 miles from school so always do the park & stride and get the marks. But we always get told before it happens so some parents vary where they drop for that week.

I agree that it is a dumb thing. With ours, if you use one of the other car parks in town, but not the official P&S one, you don't get the mark .

But a free pair of shoes would be nice. Haven't won them. Don't know who has.

diddl yes this is why I only take care partway down and walk the last bit

MN is great custardo is seemingly a legend

I suppose taking car down when it rains isnt on (ok I'll confess to that one )

Onetoomany you're right to some extent, the lack of investment in public transport and the privatisation and de-regulation of buses and rail, has had a disastrous effect on public transport use.

But until there are votes in it, nothing's going to change on that front.

If you drop your child at the school gate, you are endangering other children adn you are helping to create a climate where parents are afraid to let their kids walk to school on their own because there are too many cars...

Plus there are zig zags and yellow lines outside most schools, there's a reason for them and it's to do with child safety.

That's why schools don't want you to drop your kids at the gate, teh evil bastards, wanting to stop kids being run over...

Onetoo sums the nannystate issue perfect:

"The government doesn't know what it wants. It wants all parents to work and be taxpayers, but mysteriously take their children on foot to their school twice a day at inconvenient times at which normal working people are not avaiable. Go figure."

My kids both walk to school independently now, but when they were younger and needed accompanied, I often took the car.

Mainly because I finish work at 2am, and if taking the car bought me another 15 mins in bed then I took the car.

I almost came to blows with a SAHM who suggested I was being lazy!

I really despise these things at school because they're making the kids feel bad for something they often have no power or control over

*bows to Raahh and Custardo

Herbex I dont thinka nyone would disagree, but my point is they are collecting this data about our travel to school wihtout informing us and it is not fair that the children may not ever be able to achieve their badge as it is outside their control.

But then I take it serious the responsibility to enducate my DS about food and exercise so probably why I am more affronted, as I am new to the whole primary thing I gues I will have to get used to it.

BRING IT ON - I can always find custardo if in doubt!

...because DS2 didn't get a 'healthy eating' sticker because his crap mum put salad in his sandwich instead of giving him a more easily recognisable piece of fruit.