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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

83 replies

Feminine · 26/07/2012 14:21

We are moving super rural.

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

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 Grin

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 26/07/2012 14:50

YY OlymPicture

it might be difficult have friends walk with you- but is there another, albiet slightly longer route you can take as a alternative, if you have a child home for tea.

And those Life Sized Models of the River Nile that children are asked to make. Grin

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 26/07/2012 14:53

How dark it is at school run time will depend on where you are in the country. Winter days in the far north are a good bit shorter than down south.

GrimmaTheNome · 26/07/2012 14:53

other DCs might not be used to walking / parents might not be keen on them trudging through fields.

poor little things - the idea of kids not being discouraged from walking on rural footpaths is frankly weird. I would guess if any of your DCs friends is physically unable to walk the parent would be happy to give them a lift to your home.

GrimmaTheNome · 26/07/2012 14:54

Sorry - misedited - spurious 'not' in there!

Original poster
Feminine · 26/07/2012 14:56

All really wonderful ideas...thanks so much.

There is so much to consider.

The school is a tiny village school , 75 pupils ...they would all be quite local and used to the location.

One would hope Wink

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 26/07/2012 14:56

I'd have thought most kids living in a super-rural area would be used to footpaths anyway and have appropriate footwear so I really doubt that's an issue.

nickelbarapasaurus · 26/07/2012 14:56

I'm upset now.
I used to live in a rural place - with a lovely 5 minute walk down footpaths to the school.
:(

(not that that was relevant then - we only used it once a year to go to the school fete. It would have been lovely walking DD down there every day)

Original poster
Feminine · 26/07/2012 15:02

We just spoke with the local expert in the area, he wants to walk with us and his dog at the W/end...to get an idea and to help him see what needs parents might have!

Its a fantastic location otherwise, its also a feeder in to a great secondary school that our eldest attends.I know it might be difficult, but I really want to make it work.

There is a school bus, of course DS9 could take it -I'd still want to take DD3 to pre-school and as said I like walking :)

OP posts:
jellybeans · 26/07/2012 15:05

I prefer walking to school and we share a car so DH has it for work about half the time. The only time it bothers me is when thet are invited to parties etc out of town and he has the car. Also football club/guides etc often say,'next week drop them off at..'miles away-although my husband works evenings too but if yours doesn't maybe that will be OK. But we don't have to maintain and pay for two cars so it evens out.

I personally wouldn't like the sound of that walk but I am a wimp in 'lonely' places. If it is well lit and lots of families use it it may be OK but if it is very remote I wouldn't risk it. I know it is over the top but I wouldn't enjoy it.

slartybartfast · 26/07/2012 15:15

if you have a dog then that is good company on the other hand the livestock will probably not like the dog and cows with calves can be dangerous.

i bet the other local kids have 4 x 4s to get to school.

BelleDameSansMerci · 26/07/2012 15:20

I think you're mad - sorry! I spent the nine years of my life trudging to school through bloody rural footpaths and it's fine in the summer but bloody awful in winter. You will be doing this every week day - twice. Having to vs wanting to. Quite different...

Poodlepower · 26/07/2012 15:23

Sounds lovely.

Would love to know how long you last without using the car!
(super rural mum after novelty worn off!).

Seriously though it doesn't sound too problematic....

nagynolonger · 26/07/2012 15:35

I think you would be fine with the right kit most of the year if it really is along footpaths (in the fields). I wouldn't walk along narrow country lanes with no pavement . On rare occasions the weather may be really bad. In a blizzard and very heavy rain you might not be able to get them to or even worse from school.
I have done it myself by the way!

Pendeen · 26/07/2012 15:36

I'm afraid I would side with Bell and say no it's not much fun day after day after day...

Primary school for me meant a walk down a lane, then across a stretch of moorland, along a very rocky and uneven path and finally the lane int the village - just over a mile and a half in total.

Mum used to have to come with me most of the time although if I had a friend back for tea then we sometimes used to walk home on our own (from @ age 8 on).

The spring and early summer were not too bad but Cornish winters can be evil.

nagynolonger · 26/07/2012 15:44

Walking in freezing fog was the worst. I remember crying when I went out one morning because I couldn't see our garden gate. I was about 8 and all mum said was just start walking you'll see it when you get there.

NameGames · 26/07/2012 15:49

I used to walk to middle school, about a mile and a half of it over footpaths (though we frequently forsook the footpath to cut across the field or explore the wood). It's way safer than walking along roads, much pleasanter and not in anyway unreasonable! I really enjoyed walking to school, especially in the snow! Didn't often use wellies because it was generally easy to avoid the really muddy bits (and I was a kid and didn't think mud was so awful). Stout lace-ups did the job well. If you're living rurally you will probably all need shoes that work well on footpaths anyway. Also, your DD will probably be fine walking most of the time if you build her up to it over the summer, though if you can get a buggy along the paths it might be useful for carrying stuff that you will undoubtedly have to take in or get home several times a week.

It was often dark in on the way home in the winter (we finished at 3:50, but I often had clubs). But it wasn't dangerous, there was always enough light to see the way home, especially as we knew the route.

It's a fine way to live and a good idea for keeping your costs down so long as you won't be too isolated during they day. Love that you have a local expert to consult.

blackcurrants · 26/07/2012 15:57

I could have walked a country mile up a footpath to school, but didn't. DH did have to walk that far and further to both his village and secondary school, and unfortunately was teased for being (1) 'muddy' (2) 'sweaty' and (3) 'poor' - evil, evil things that kids are. I'll bet the previous poster who said that the other kids will be dropped in 4x4s were right.

Sod keeping up with the joneses, and I'm all for one-car families (we are one, too) but footpaths mean MUD, livestock, and dreary biting cold. Plus dragging of feet, snail's pace walking, and whining. I like walking with my dog at a brisk pace through the woods. Walking with DS makes me want to scream Grin

We bike places - 2 year old in a bike trailer. Would that be an option?

cutegorilla · 26/07/2012 16:05

I walk 15 mins each way on non-rural footpaths in all weathers and it's a total non issue. It wouldn't occur to me to drive as long as I had the choice. I had to for timings when ds was in preschool and I hated it. If it's wet we wear Welles and waterproof coats. If the paths you will use are good enough to push a buggy along then I can't see there would be a problem. Certainly if it avoids the need for another car, although wouldn't you need or want a car for getting about anyway if you are rural?

Original poster
Feminine · 26/07/2012 16:09

I'm useless on bike unfortunately Blush maybe its time to get better? Grin

After the W/end walk I should know better...

Thanks again all.

OP posts:
Original poster
Feminine · 26/07/2012 16:12

cut I can adapt as my DH works alternate shifts.

I'll get the car one week in the morning, and one week after school.

In fact, he will be able to drive won't he? Grin

OP posts:
miomio · 26/07/2012 16:13

You sure that there isn't a bus - often with rural schools there is one that goes round the houses and picks the kids up from the bottom of their lane. Is it more than 3 miles by road? If so don't the LA have to provide transport and if DC under 8 it is 2 miles....

blackcurrants · 26/07/2012 16:21

oh yes - I got on the 'school bus' (it was a taxi with 5 kids in it!) every day at the end of my road.

And Fem to be honest I think you should view the move to the country as a GREAT time to get better on a bike. Certainly if you cycle places with your 9 year old for a bit, sooner or later he/she will be cycling places alone. Having grown up pretty remote (2 miles from the village, down a farm road) if I hadn't had a bike at 10-15 I wouldn't have had a social life, as Mum wasn't up for driving me to my mate's houses all the time! Gangs of kids on bikes was a huge part of my yorkshire childhood, it's a great way to get around, I enthusiastically encourage you to get your 9 year old on a bike - and get on one yourself, while you're at it! A bike gives you so much independence - as long as they have working lights, a high-vis jacket, and a helmet (and maybe a mobile and a watch) if you give a 9 year old a bike in the country you are giving them a 70's childhood. Which is pretty great! But you should be biking some of the routes yourself, so you have a sense of the traffic/which lanes are turning lanes for tractors/whatever.

Sorry, total bike-related tangent there. I hope the weekend walk gives you an idea - can you take your DC and the pushchair you're thinking of using?

Original poster
Feminine · 26/07/2012 16:35

Thanks Blackcurrants.

Umm, I'm not sure about taking all the kids, I don't have the ideal pram just yet.

I think I'll walk it with just DH.

I take your point about biking, it really is sensible to get us all on one Grin I can see that!

OP posts:
Original poster
Feminine · 26/07/2012 16:36

miomio there is a bus, DS9 could get that....but I still need to get DD3 to Pre-school also :)

OP posts:
carycach · 26/07/2012 16:44

I think the time it gets dark will depend how north/south you are. In winter in North Yorkshire it gets dark at 4pm sometimes a bit earlier in bad weather