Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Original poster

To make DD 4 walk home everyday from school

152 replies

Elderwand · 22/09/2012 22:23

It's around a mile, up and down hills- takes us around 30 mins with her sort of jogging at times to keep up.

We take her in the car in the morning as have a 2yo as well so getting out for 8.15 is bit of a nightmare! Have tried this, walking to school but it is mainly up hill and I'm shattered, never mind DD

DH reckons its too far for tiny legs and she does say she's tired and why don't I pick her up in the car.

Any ideas? Or do we continue and hopefully she will get used to it.

Many thanks

OP posts:

mybabywakesupsinging · 23/09/2012 00:02

DD accompanies her brothers to school and back every day. The round trip is at least a mile. At her own vigorous insistance she does not use a pushchair.
She won't be 2 for several months yet. DH has to leave home 5 minutes early to accommodate her very short legs but she's getting faster...I think in the long run it's good if they can walk to school, but if they're not used to walking so far maybe build up to it?
Ds2 and dd both love it when it rains as wellies and puddles are regarded as fun. Ds1 is less enthusiastic but hasn't dissolved yet.

froggies · 23/09/2012 00:05

I wish I could walk mine to school! We are nearly 2 miles away, the hill is too steep to safely take either a bike or scooter down for the little ones (I know have tried it and scared myself silly, although DS (16) does it, and has a few scars to proove it), and too steep to cycle/scoot up (1st gear in the car, second if you get a good run up). It is a single track road with no pavements and no street lighting, no public transport.

So, every morning I load the 4 little ones (3,3,6&7) - i childmind so 2 o them are not mine- in the car and drive them the nearly 2 miles to the village. DS walks to the village to get the school bus, dd1 is desperate to be old enough to walk too, think I may walk them all down once dd2 Starts p1. Can always collect them in the car, and the exercise would do me good!

Once upon a time the council provided a taxi for DS, as it had been available for 20yrs to various children on the hill. When dd1 started primary school, i filled out the form but Due to recent cuts, as we are not actually 2 miles from the school they no longer provide it. I did ask the council lady to come and walk the route with me, at the time the two youngest we're in a double buggy. Thankfully it was a nice crisp autumn day or it would have seriously killed me pushing them up the hill, the answer was still no.

I'd give it a go, and see how she gets on. It's good to encourage activity as just part of life.

chocolatespiders · 23/09/2012 00:13

When was she 4?
My dd had just turned 4 (august) when she started school and I remember having great plans for walking home everyday, pulled her bike with me to pick her upon her first day and she was so tired she couldn't pedal the bike

For the first term I took her buggy as she was shattered from full day at school, and she sometimes had a nap when she got home!!

wherearemyGOLDsocks · 23/09/2012 00:47

My dd has been walking a mile to and from school/nursery since she was 3.5, when she was 5, and again at 6, she ran the race for life (5k) with me.

It's good for kids to get used to regular exercise at a young age I think.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 23/09/2012 02:47

I live 20+ minutes from school (Uphill on the way home)

When DS started school, I'd put DD in the buggy for speed (DH took DS , I picked him up, due to work patterns).

When he'd been a year, DD was 3 yo. She started walking home but it took longer of course.

(We used the buggy to get DS, the bags got put in on the way home)

So yes, a 4 yo can walk it.
I'd pick them up by car in bad weather or if they were unwell.

GrassIsntGreener · 23/09/2012 03:46

Children are designed to walk! I find it odd to think otherwise.

We were recently at a beach. Dd (3 3/4) had played all morning on beach and at a park then we walked 2.5 miles to the next beach. We had the buggy (admittedly mostly for beach stuff towels etc!) but she didn't want it. The option was there. She sat in it on the way back through her choice but it was past bedtime by then too.

Go with your child's ability and choice I say.

bragmatic · 23/09/2012 04:45

She'll get used to it. I walked to and from school to pick up my daughter with my almost 4yo twins. After a month of moaning they were fine.

PorridgeBrain · 23/09/2012 05:47

I don't think 1 mile is too far for a 4 year old to walk, but a 4 year starting school is likely to get v tired, so you may want to build it up gradually to every day.

I second the idea of a scooter, is so much quicker than 4 year old walking and they are likely to enjoy the school run more

cupcake78 · 23/09/2012 06:31

Haven't read whole thread but we walk to and from school every day and it's just over a mile each way. Ds just started as well. Can't see what's wrong with wearing them out

Alligatorpie · 23/09/2012 06:40

To the poster who said kids should be able to walk a mile for each year, my almost seven year old could not walk for seven miles!

I agree with the scooter/ buggy board ideas, she should not be running to keep up with you.

FerryGirl · 23/09/2012 07:04

Totally reasonable. We walk a mile to school in the morning and then my youngest 3.5has to walk another 0.3 mile on to her preschool. As it is the beginning of term I am collecting them in the car but they still walk home at least twice a week (once with nanny when I work and once with me if they want to go to the Ice ream van on a Friday, as parking near him is a nightmare!

We have always walked to school since the oldest was in preschool. Some days they moan but I do think it is a lovely start to the day, we get to see the seasons changing etc and I think it is good for all 3 of us.

Agree that you need to leave time for dawdling- that is part of the pleasure I think- but I think press on with the walk and they will grow to enjoy it! I also think that if you stop now you will find it hard to start up again. I do think that making it. Non-negotiable is one way of minimising the moaning!!

Silibilimili · 23/09/2012 07:05

Why don't you get a scooter for her?

fuzzpig · 23/09/2012 07:25

A mile is really not much at all. She will be exhausted at first as she is new to school but then so are DCs who don't have a choice (ie no car) it won't kill them it will (literally!) make them stronger.

foreverondiet · 23/09/2012 07:38

My DS1 could manage to walk TO school at 4, but not home, around a mile, he was just too tired after a day of school. By the end of the year when he was 5 and used to reception (and used to the walk in the morning) he was fine in the afternoons. I would use buggyboard or double buggy or maybe scooter? Or walk some days and drive on others.

Growlithe · 23/09/2012 07:39

There is a child at DDs school in reception who is still being taken and brought home (about quarter of a mile flat walk) in a buggy. She has no disabilities, her dad just says he 'likes pushing the pram'.

IPredictADiet · 23/09/2012 07:48

dd1 has always walked the mile to school and the mile home 3 days/wk (i have to take the car for work the on other days). there is only one uphill bit each way though. It is hard at first, but dd1 got used to it within a month, and I actually think its a really nice way of spending time discussing the school day. I set a reasonable pace in the mornings (we do it in 20-25mins) and we dawdle home.

given that under 5s are recommended to exercise for 3 hours daily i don't think an hour's walking is too brutal

RubyStolenBootyGates · 23/09/2012 07:49

DS2 (not quite 4) has sometimes run walked all the way home from nursery/work. It's about three miles. It takes forever if we do have to walk for some reason, but he can now do it (previously he would have sporadic piggy-back rides ).

I agree that while he can do the three miles, it's a lot quicker with his scooter. Scooters are great, as long as you have instilled some basic scooter ettiquette into the "driver" before you start the journey.

I got a two-wheeler from hOme Bargains for £10, then I found a small three wheeler in a second-hand toy sale for £1. SOme of the best purchases I ever made!

Growlithe · 23/09/2012 07:53

I find 'Bet you can't run to the next tree/lamp post' works when in a hurry. They love it.

fuckadoodlepoopoo · 23/09/2012 08:14

WorraLibertySat (I've said it once already but feel the need to say it again. Its doesn't matter what other kids can do. All abilities differ just like they do for reading or whatever. The posts saying well my kid could walk 20 miles on stilts at that age are irrelevant)

Well they're not really Fuckadoodledoo because learn from the tools they're given. If a child is given a lift everywhere because the parent thinks that's the best thing, then they won't learn to walk long distances. If a parent doesn't have a car, the child will learn to walk long distances because there is no other option and walking is all the child will know.

So when children start school and they are all taught phonics at the same time and assuming their parents all practice it at home with them, the are all going to learn it at the same rate are they? No of course they are not. There are a huge range of abilities within children of the same age and that applies to all areas. They are individuals not little robots who all given the same 'tools' will all develop at exactly the same rate. How ridiculous.

With your thinking all children with the same training could become athletes which of course we know isn't true. Abilities differ, children differ.

Now never letting your child walk is going to stop them learning how to, but then that's not what i said.

fuckadoodlepoopoo · 23/09/2012 08:22

AnonymumousSat Gosh Fuckadoodlepoopoo, are you OK?! You sound a little steamed up about something. Firstly, walking a mile does not require "huge amounts of energy" - don't be daft. And secondly, in defence of Meg, it is nigh on impossible for me to walk as slowly as my youngest son. I tend to walk ahead of him, and then stop and wait for him to catch up. My older son (8) goes at whatever speed I do - it's hardly unreasonable to expect older children to keep up with their parents. Don't be such a wet drip.

Wow how unnecessary! Don't you sound just lovely

The first couple of weeks of school does indeed require a lot of energy. Its exhausting for them, mentally and physically.

Walking slow isn't difficult. You just put one leg in front of the other. A. Bit. Slower.

lc200 · 23/09/2012 08:28

My mum couldn't drive and the local shops were 1.5 miles away. As a consequence I was a very fit, healthy child, without Mum having to pay a fortune for after school activities. My default setting is still to walk any distance less than 2 miles or so. She will get used to it, and you'll be doing her a favour.

MousyMouse · 23/09/2012 08:33

balance bike?
scooters are not goid for every day use because of the one-sided movements.

MousyMouse · 23/09/2012 08:33

good not goid...

laurz75 · 23/09/2012 08:34

I always ride or walk to school when I'm not at work. I enjoy the exercise and it does my dc good too (they might deny this though ).
My dc also attend a school about a mile up hills. They can both ride/scoot up and down the hills without a problem. It did take a while for my dd to manage the hills but she does it now (she's 5 but was doing it at 4). Def get her a scooter/bike. You will be amazed how much fitter you will all be doing this.

AnOldieButNotSoGoody · 23/09/2012 08:35

I think it's fine.

I've done it in the past with my dc.

It's a good way to chat about school, her day, whatever.

Just make sure she has a snack and a waterproof and go for it.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Swipe left for the next trending thread