to take kids to school using only rural footpaths to avoid buying second car!

[Feminine]

We are moving super rural.

The school is not that far, but as title suggests we will walk through fields!

Apparently it is doable (from local footpath expert in area) in fact he is working on improving the paths as I type.

Does anyone do this? I know areas vary so much ....but I want to rule out that I am not being silly.

DH will take the car and I don't want to have to drive.

I like walking to school

Why is that unreasonable?

I want to see if it is.

I wonder if I've overlooked anything...I haven't done much rural walking-especially any that would involve deadlines, like school starting time ...light at various times of day etc...

well, it will be dark, both ways in the depths of winter - you'll need torches, and wellies.. it'd be an adventure i guess...

how far is it really? i wouldn't want to walk more than 2miles with kids i think (oh and how old are they? and what if they have crap art projects to carry home?).

Bad weather... Hayfever?

Also. Are you just doing 2 trips a day? If someone has after school clubs/ goes to a friends it could be a later walk back, might be dark?

It's not unreasonable to want to do this, but you should look at practical issues as well. Will there be other families doing this? is it a reasonable distance for your children to walk? (you don't mention their ages), does the field get waterlogged in bad weather? is there any source of light in the winter, be very careful if it has snowed as you can easily get lost in fields, etc

Until relatively recently, ALL children in rural areas would have walked to school, all year round. It's totally reasonable and you are to be applauded for choosing not to drive if you don't need to.

Dark, waterlogged field on my own in a very rural area?

of course it's not unreasonable.

it's what footpaths were invented for

try it and see.
how far .

Fields are MUCH less frightening that towns!

These are the things I'm thinking about yes.

Its not that far , 20 minute walk really ....its the weird about way I'll have to do it. :)

The children are/will be 9 and 3 , I'll put the little one in a jogger stroller!

we do it every day, all year round, just have the right kit.

also look into this, and see if there is one in your area, great scheme for avoiding buy extra vehicles, works out really well if you just need one occasionally, or a couple of times a week.

in wet weather have wellies, raincoats
in dark weather have hi-vis vests and torches.

if they are public footpaths and there are no sheep/cows/horses in the fields. and you have wellies.

we used to as children. but probably only in the summer.

Would cycling be an option instead? (3yo in trailer or rear seat on your bike?)

School starts at 9 btw...is it dark at 8.30?

I've been abroad for ages and have forgotten

Is there or is there likely to be any livestock in the fields?
You might not get access if there are animals with young.
(And in the muddy weather you'll need to think about a pair of boots to wear and change into).

But apart from that , no problems I can see.

(But don't watch any horror films, you know where she says "Bye now, see you later. No I won't be late. I'll take a shortcut through the fields"...

"oh what's that on your newspaper...Local high security prison had a breakout and one prisoner still at large...Oh how irritating. Well, best get off now"

"Oh bugger, my mobile phone has no charge and my torch batteries are flat..."

no, i dont think it is dark at 8.30 or 3.30

Things to consider:

Friends for tea - other DCs might not be used to walking / parents might not be keen on them trudging through fields. When yours go to someone elses house, will you have to be walking with your youngest at 6.30 to collect them afterwards?

After school clubs - my DCs after school activities don't seem to coincide, so one finishes school at 3.30 and we either have to hang round (nice in summer we can go to park, not so nice when it is cold / wet) til 4.30, or go home and turn straight back round to collect the other.

Bizarre items that you will need to carry - so far this year we have had to do a model farm to take to school, taken cream tarts to school, brought fruit meringues home from cookery, brought the ginormous class dog home. All this on top of PE kit, art folders, lunch bags, water bottles, book bags etc etc

It'll be lovely! Might be muddy but you just need to change wellies at the school gate and change back at pick up.
Why would it be scary? Nothing scary about countryside in the dark. No mugger waits in wet fields.

Our walk to school would, at certain times of year not be possible due to the cows. When they first go into the field they can be a bit frisky and liable to chase you but after a couple of months they settle.
So you need to think about that.

I'm .

You might find you need to make them wear wellies and carry shoes for them to change into but it sounds like a good way to start and end the day. And obviously they'll need good waterproof coats, but that would be the case if they were walking on pavements.

OlymPicture - friends for tea - "friend's mum, I am thinking of taking the children on a nature ramble when they leave school, before tea. Can you make sure that they are packed with wellies etc on that day? thank you"
(if parent objects, then they can use the car o ntaht day)

things to carry - if the 3-yo is in the stroller, then it's easy to put stuff in there. Or arrange to collect it next day in the car.

Thanks for all the help/ideas ...I'm trying to sort things out in my head.

We have finally found a home to move in to, I can't let the rural location stand in my way