To collect Reception age DS from school in a buggy?

[CoffeeMum]

Theoretical question for now, as DS won't start Reception until September, but i'm just wondering...

I also have a DD, two years younger than DS, so she'll be in a buggy on the school run. I'd planned to pop her in the single buggy, with DS on foot [school is 15 minutes away from home]. We do also have a double buggy, which I was on the verge of getting rid of, but now I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to take the double buggy on the school run in the autumn. Sometimes it'll be raining, and we'll want to get home asap, rather than at child-pace , but mostly, because I think alot of the time during the first term, he's going to be shattered from starting school. On those days, i'd just pop him in the buggy.

However, would it be completely laughable to even think about putting a school age child in a buggy, no matter what [SN aside, obviously]? Do any of you put a Reception age child in a buggy, or know people who do? Is it very rare to do so?

Thanks for you thoughts all

I often teach Yr R. A few years ago I had a dear little girl come to school (who lived a 5 min walk away) pushed in her buggy, swaddled and with a dummy in. She was an Autumn born child. When the children came out at the end of the day she was once again bundled up and dummy placed in her mouth and pushed up the road back home! I don't think I was being judgey in having a quiet word with her parents about it. It's a pretty extreme example I know! OP I wouldn't put your DS in a buggy on the way home from school because I think that he is old enough to walk that distance but I do see what you mean about other children being driven home in cars.

I am really shocked at the number of people giving their only concern about this scenario as the 'fact' that the child will be laughed at, teased or bullied.

And that's a good reason not to do something? Really?

Where is the flaw in that, tell me. And it does make me wonder how many of you are encouraging your children to laugh at, tease or bully these kids, because you seem to see no valid reason to stand up to such treatment, rather, appease it and make yourself 'deadly tired' in the process.

I repeat that I've never had anyone laugh or tease about my four year old using the buggy occasionally. The children who are six years old and find it nicer to sit down for part of the mile and a half home, too - particularly the steep bit - do not laugh at each other and are not laughed at by their older siblings.

People who are tired ought to be allowed to sit down. It's like saying, FFS don't let your baby have a nap in the afternoon. They will NEVER LEARN to stay awake all day!

I'm sorry but I find a lot of these posts really bizarre in that respect. Really bizarre.

'! I don't think I was being judgey in having a quiet word with her parents about it.'

Cherries, what business was it of yours? What do you perceive you were 'savin' this child from, exactly? Being laughed at? Was anyone laughing at him, or not? Should you not have tackled the laughing rather than the harmless behaviour?

Or as a teacher do you tend to respond to bullying by suggesting the bullied child change their behaviour, habits or, even their name.

saving, sorry. Bad typing

I think what gets me is the assumption he'll be tired and planning ahead for it. I think he'll take his cue from you. I would just proceed with the walking or get him a scooter or use a buggy board.

I reckon he'll be fine but if you give him the impression he'll be tired, he may follow your lead IYSWIM. Of course of after four or five weeks of positive encouragement he is weeping on the school run then have a rethink, but I'd start with higher expectations.

of after = if after

I think it's possible to plan ahead without giving the impression you're concerned to your child.

From my experience, nearly all the children get so tired that they are just sobbing by the second week full time. They can't help it, it just overwhelms them, emotionally and physically. It may be a passing thing but mine has been tired since he started in January, and even if he does walk, and can walk, and seems happy-ish doing so, it will catch up with him later and he'll be far more stroppy by bedtime than if I bring him in the buggy or car.

Tiredness is cumulative and almost endemic among four year olds who go to school full time. Not all of them suffer but nearly all seem to have some degree of tiredness. I think to cater for this is just sensible.

No one is suggesting that all children need to go in the buggy every day. Just that sometimes it might make the difference between a horrid journey home being asked for a carry, or just plain lying down on the pavement sobbing, and a brisk journey home followed by a play in the garden.

I don't get what's so wrong about that. Or is our culture so bullying centred that we ought to pander to those who advocate the most spartan parenting.

Also if OP doesn't plan ahead, she will have ditched the buggy and not be able to 'see how he gets on' without buying another one. iyswim. It makes sense to hang onto it if it's going to be an option at all.

I'm amazed that anyone would want to use a double buggy for any longer than is absolutely necessary. I found ours just incredibly heavy and awkward, and turfed my children out as soon as I possibly could. We used an umbrella pushchair and buggy board, but dumped those as soon as possible too (I think they both broke in fact) so by the time ds started school it wasn't an option any more (dd is only 16 month younger). However as we got the bus to school it wasn't really a problem. I found with both of my two that they were tired on pick up, but perked up almost immediately on application of a snack and a drink, and mostly wanted to race around in the park next to the school. I'm sure your ds will be fine too, but if you've space to keep the double buggy for winter rainy days then I'd hang on to it for a bit just in case.

My take is if my kid is that tired from school, he shouldn't be in school for full days and I would address that rather than revert to a buggy.

Coffemum, could you start training him for the walk, it isn't till september afterall so if he's done it lots of times over the summer it won't be such a big deal. I do get concerned that our children are not as fiBefore widespread car ownership this would have been a no brainer. Unfortunately we have to drive to school but I always take them to the parkt for 20-30 mins to run off steam before taking them home.

From my experience, nearly all the children get so tired that they are just sobbing by the second week full time - where on earth do you live? I have never known any reception child be sobbing from tiredness? You must inhabit a different world than mine

When my DS started reception all the children did full days and I never heard of any child being over tired or exhausted. As someone said earlier, it's school - not the workhouse. .

You may not see other children and/or adults laughing at school age children in buggies, but be assured, they will be sniggered at however unkind that sounds.

Absolutely no!!!

We live 15 min walk from school and my children have always done the walk. I think it would definitely be frowned upon by teachers and most parents.

I also think this would be terrible for the transition to school and becoming a 'big boy' and people may also make comments to him. Buggy board is acceptable, but not really needed imo.

A lady on my road has an older child who she told me she had taken to and from school in a buggy. I was a bit at the time, but didn't think too much of it until our younger children started school in sept. She was going to take the buggy down, but I managed to talk her out of it - her son has never asked to go in the buggy and instead races to school with my dc each day! Don't underestimate their capabilities is my advise!!!

Ragwort I was thinking the same, never seen a child like that, in fact they are usually bouncing off the walls as its so exciting .

The main point for me is that the walk is a short one and he will be able to do it.
The comments about rainy days also make me laugh, what about rainy days next year? Is he gonna go in the buggy then too? It's only rain, believe it or not we humans don't melt in the rain. The worst thing to happen? You all get wet, get home and get changed.

My 4yo dd walks to pre-school everyday but everyday gets picked up in the pushchair, after going home and having a drink and a snack she then goes out for an hours walk with the dog.

I could give an arse crap what anyone thinks of me pushing her home or her being pushed.

Totally up to you. You know your DS and what he can do.

Pullupapew,

yes, I take your point entirely. However we have already delayed ds2's start at school, which the school was not happy about at all, and if we had delayed it any longer he would have missed most of the reception year which I do think has some important elements.

Had we opted to keep him at home until year 1, he would probably not have been offered a place at the same school as his brother, thus compunding the transport issue immeasurably.

Children have to start school, if they are going to do it within the usual applications procedure, by the time they are five. Normally they start at 4.

I decided that he was able to cope with the days, albeit part time until March, as long as I provided support in terms of adequate transport to supplement the energy he had available for being at school and all that involves.

It's a compromise. If I refused to use the buggy and started him at school much later, would that be sensible? Or is using the buggy to enable him to cope with school along with his peers (some of whom also use buggies, still) the more sensible option?
Because I think the latter, myself.

Ragwort, it's anecdotal - I have heard and been part of conversations outside reception class several times recently in which various parents have discussed how exhausted their children were after a week in school full time. I've seen a good few of them crying after school and their parents have said 'Oh he is SO TIRED' and then they get through it and adapt, and become less affected.

And yes I've seen children who were about to walk home just sit down/collapse on the playground floor, in floods of tears, because they were just so knackered.

Sorry if this isn't believable, I am glad it isn't your experience. Maybe we just have a class of weak children...!

IME, tired can take many forms. For my DSs - tired takes the form that they really benefit from running around like mad dogs chattering ten to the dozen on the walk home. By the time we get home they've calmed down and are happy to be diverted into nice gentle drawing.

Everlong, he's mid June so no. I delayed it as I didn't think he was ready, physically. Mentally yes, emotionally, probably, but too tiny and still napping and it seemed the wrong time. By January he was raring to go.

He still gets tired though. You know when your child is tired, don't you? And it affects their mood so much, how grumpy he is, that cry they do when everything is just all wrong, and then they conk out in the car on the way home.

I mean it's only about going with your own child's needs, not trying to force them into being ready when they are just a few months behind some other child.
They are all different aren't they? Some walk and talk before others, some are physically more robust at the same age.

It's bonkers to try and pretend there's some kind of cut off at which they all should be able to do such and such. I mean within reason...I'd say by year one, most can manage a half hour walk fairly reliably, that's not to say it's compulsory even then. You go with what suits your family and your child's needs.

Can't figure out what's so hard to get about that.

While I absolutely agree that kids are tired by the end of term / week, I don't think I've ever seen a school age child climb into a buggy to get home.