To think that I shouldn't be made to feel guilty for driving on the school run?

[DSM]

Some people have to drive their children to school, I am one of them.

AIBU to feel put out at the constant letters home and remarks from other parents/teachers about driving to school? To the point where last week I was given a very hard time for not signing the petition to stop parents driving to school?

As much as I agree that walking to school is a great benefit for children, the campaigners really should consider that its not a viable option for everyone.

We have an obesity epidemic. Schools are supposed to do their bit. Encouraging walking to school is one way to improve health. If you don't want to, they won't force you so really what is the problem?

It is certainly not bullying.

Violetnotviolent, you seem really fixated on organising the OPs entire life for her! It would seem that if she managed to pedal really fast and get her employer to shift her work hours she wouldn't have to use the car she pays for and is happy to use. Hell, if we all changed our entire lives no one would have to drive anywhere ever again! FWIW flexible working law is not licence to write your own working hours. My employer (after a high profile legal battle) offers what I think are fabulously flexible hours to working parents. But in the aviation industry you just can't ask your boss to let you start 20 minutes later when the flights must still go on time. I'm sure similar issues apply to a huge range of other industries too.

I'm also a bit at the suggestion that if you get rid of your kids earlier in the day you can then spend more time on your journey to work. I value time with my family and would not consider making use of a breakfast club if was merely a means of satisfying a 'no-drive' tick list.

When I am not working and I am not picking my child up on the way to the shops or to visit friends, I do walk to get her, and the time spent walking back together is always pleasant. But it seems ridiculous to suggest that a busy working parent should swap time with children for time on public transport.

To whomever it was who suggested letting them walk alone. I really don't feel safe letting dd walk alone. Despite my nagging (constantly) she refuses to allow for cars driving along the pavement. I fear dd would have been killed a few weeks ago if I hadn't grabbed her and flung her onto the grass verge. I need to be with her as I am more likely to notice a car approaching from behind, on the pavement at over 15mph. Add to that the secondary school bus drivers driving I think I'll continue to walk with dd.

I would love a traffic warden on duty around the school at drop off/pick up times to ensure safe driving and parking. Maybe we should have stickers for considerate parking as well as walking to school :).

Where all all these mad crazy people driving around on pavements?!

Outside my dd's school, didn't mean you did that OP.

Minus273 at what age would you conside it OK to let your child walk to school alone? In plenty of countries children walk to school on their own without major mishap.

Cars should not be driving on the pavement. I think there is a bit of a vicous circle. Parents drive their children to school, park on the pavement. Other parents drive their children because the dropping off and picking up of children makes it dangerous. Surely there comes a point where it is madness.

I think that parking on the yellow zigzag lines or poor parking around schools needs to be taken more seriously. Prehaps there needs to be cameras to catch parents who park badly. These cameras could be funded by having fines rather like speeding camera. Maybe there could even be 3 points put on someone's licence for parking illegally near a school. Alternatively there could workshops where the drivers are shown graphic pictures of dead children.

I am not advocating key stage 1 children to walk to school, but there is frankly no reason why the majority of key stage 2 children can't manage.

My ex walks with our daughter (yes since she was 6, yes alongside a main road which has a pavement- it's still healthier than sitting on their arse in a car) pushing his bike then cycles to work. You're lazy and up your own arse insisting you 'have' to drive because zomg you have a job like 95% of everyone else- it doesn't make you anything special you know.

I'm not sure tbh, it is so dangerous outside my dd's school I'm not sure when I am going to feel comfortable letting her walk on her own. Please note however we do walk I don't use it as an excuse to drive. If they manage to enforce the use of the proper parking bays etc then perhaps in a couple of years, she is 6 just now. The ideas of enforcement are good, I'd go along wit that.

What makes me really angry is dd's school has large grounds, a car park, plenty of safe road side parking yet people do these really dangerous things. Sometimes its for the sake of a couple of metres. Makes me angry.

I went to the same school and walked the same route with my friends but my mum could be confident it wouldn't be like a demolition derby.

Oh and my ex cycles a lot further than 3 miles. FFS. This is the most pathetic thread ever. You clearly think your job is the most important thing ever but actually it isn't. Woofirckinghoo you're a manager- you aren't a brain surgeon or an ambulance driver, are you? So you really aren't so important that normal rues don't apply to you.

Our school bus service in crap. I swear every time I get one of these letters. Then I swear again when I get the safe parking by school one. Same brain dead residents complain to the head every year. The school was there before they were, the parking is no better or worse than it's been in 10 years so they can fuck the fuck off.
Without the way over 50 % of out of the village pupils the school would shut. Without the school the church and village shop would die!
And breath!

Wibbly.

My job is extremely important to me, I need it to be able to provide for my family. I have never professed to being 'important', and whilst I am not a brain surgeon as you have correctly pointed out, I still have a job to do and it's extremely self-righteous to claim one person is more important than another. All industries serve a purpose. Your issue with my employment status is odd.

I am not in the least bit 'up my own arse', I have to drive for reasons I have already explained. It'a wonderful that your DH is able to walk your DD to school and then cycle. However not everyone has the time to accommodate such travel.

5,000 children under 16 a year are killed or seriously injured in RTAs. the vast majority of these children are pedestrians.

An 11 year old is TWICE as likely to be involved in such an accident than a 10 year old is on the way to school. I would suggest that this is because most 10 year olds are accompanied to school and most 11 year olds are not.

taken from the AA stats

Dd1 nearly always walks gone from school, as I don't drive. But she would probably get even more exercise if I drive as we would be able to go to a playground after school instead of going straight home. Or to a soft play sometimes on a wet afternoon. But then seeing as my 3 year old goes in her buggy from home to pick up dd1 from school, I amprobably singlehandedly responsible for the obesity epidemic as according to some "drastic measures need to be taken to make 3 year olds walk everywhere and never go in the buggy" I let her out of the buggy at the school gate and she usually walks home, although today she ran too fast, fell over and then wanting in the buggy crying all the way home.

If walking dc home from school is such an absolute joy and a pleasure,
I wonder why so many of the mums I know that don't drive are planning to learn ASAP?

If people want to drive or need to drive I really don't care as long as they aren't speeding or parking so far on the pavement that I can't get a buggy past. It's personal choice. If people want to cycle or miles or whatever, bully for them, but there is no need to be unbearably smug about it. Fortunately we seem to have escaped all this "driving to school is evil" propaganda thus far. As far as I'm aware no law has yet been passed that says you may not drive (carefully, within the speed limit) to school so I have absolutely no idea why Wibbly thinks DSm is up her own arse and thinks she's o important that the normal rules don't apply to her!

Being lazy is clearly considered a heinous crime on this thread.

Sometimes I use a car to take my kids to school because I want to. I don't care what other people think about it or what they do themselves. So long as said car isn't parked across their drive or blocking their ability to walk on the pavement, then it's entirely my business and nobody else's.

People really ought to worry less about what other people are doing. You'll give yourselves an ulcer.

And it's utter madness to suggest that people put their kids in breakfast club or let them go to school on their own so they can either walk or get public transport to work. Oddly enough, some people quite like taking their own kids to school and having a bit of a chat and seeing them safely there. Weird huh?

Our local senior school is 3 miles (or 2.9 as they measure it) away down a main a road and they expect kids to walk its ridiculous, my sons school is 4 miles away not on a bus route do we have no option

Minus273 your daughter is a baby at 6 years old and there is no way I would expect her to cope with walking to school. You would be surprised how much she matures in two years time. Especially as she is learning road sense from walking with you.

There is ZERO excuse for the kind of driving or parking Minus273 describes. It sounds dangerous for adult pedestrians never mind children. Existing traffic laws need to be enforced and prehaps there needs be controlled parking zones near schools.

I don't care what other people think about it or what they do themselves. So long as said car isn't parked across their drive or blocking their ability to walk on the pavement, then it's entirely my business and nobody else's.

People really ought to worry less about what other people are doing. You'll give yourselves an ulcer.

i agree that it is no other MNers business but it is the schools business.

No, no one should feel guilty for having to drive.

Only for being dead lazy and driving right up to the gates and causing major logjams and close accidents.

DSM they are the mobility scooters, was nearly knocked over the other day by an elderly lady .

Also people who are old enough to ride their bikes on the road, they are also dangerous, we have them doing it near our school, he got a ticking off by a PCSO which I am glad about .

A group of us have been campaigning at dd's school, not to stop people driving to school. Just to get them to obey traffic laws in the process. So far only verbal abuse from the perpetrators (the dangerous ones I mean reasonable drivers support us). The police have ignore complaints so far as well.

Being lazy is a heinous crime in my world, Karma. Walking to school is ace and if you're driving by choice when you could be enjoying a nice brisk walk with your kids instead then you're missing out. It's a great way to start the day

I 100% agree with you OP. I really dont have 30 mins to walk my DS to school and back again! And btw - I dont like being wet and cold - I do pass a school and there are plenty walking to school. I think some people are obsessed with 'mums walking their children to school' well tough. I have to get to work and make no excuse for using the car, its quicker and also keeps me dry and warm!

popbiscuit, I'd agree that walking is great way to start the day sometimes. Other times, it's quite nice not to, like when it's pouring with rain and you are running late already.

I disagree with it being the school's business. The school has a right to expect you to get your dc to school on time and not to piss of all their neighbours by parking across their gates. Beyond that, how you get to school is nothing to do with school.

violet, if I sounded arsey to you, then I apologise.

off, not of.