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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

Xx

OP posts:
prettypleasewithsugarontop · 23/09/2012 14:53

My 4yo walks approx 3.5 miles per day (with stops between) - i walk approx 6 according to my pedometer - she moans, but she manages it fine. We're not in much of a rush tho

DuchessofMalfi · 23/09/2012 14:59

As one of the PPs said, it depends on the individual child. DD has always been a keen walker - she refused to use her buggy from just over the age of 2. When she was 3, and DS was a baby, we used to walk to pre-school - about a mile each way. In the mornings she would go on the buggy board, but in the afternoons she always wanted to walk home. It would take us about 40 mins, because she liked to stop off and feed the ducks, pick up leaves, play in the park for a few minutes etc. She never seemed tired, and now has plenty of energy for after-school clubs & activities.

DS, on the other hand, has always been an extremely reluctant walker. He hates it, but won't use the buggy either. So we're rather stuck with him whining and moaning about having to walk anywhere. He gets extremely tired and bad-tempered. Nevertheless, he needs to build up his stamina.

diavlo · 23/09/2012 15:00

1 mile is most definately not too far!

Mrsjay · 23/09/2012 15:08

mine walked to nursery I don't drive dad took them if he was off work and if the weather was really rubbish we got the bus, It was just under a mile so not really far for little legs obviously if you are in a hurry it can be a pain but walking wont do them anyharm imo

TerraNotSoFirma · 23/09/2012 15:11

We have about a mile to walk to nursery.
In the morning, I take the pram and buggy board which DD rarely uses, she walks or sometimes takes her balance bike.
DH picks her up at 11.30, poor bloke usually ends up carrying her on his shoulders as she is knackered.

I would think about a buggy board for the home journey OP, they are not too cumbersome. I started off kicking it all the time but you get used to it being there.
(Think how toned your arms will be :) )

sarahtigh · 23/09/2012 16:19

a mile is fine for 4 year old, 2 miles is considered fine for 5 year old because you need to live more than 2 miles away to get free transport to school (3 miles at senior level) so that would be upto 4 miles a day

OP is not being mean or anything a 4 year old who is genreally fit and healthy should be able to walk a mile without any problems, to get recommended about of physical exercise a mile walk is about 25% of daily quota for 4 year old, the vast majority of children get no where near enough exercise so we start to see moderate exercise as being too much for little ones

a days hiking for 4 year old would be 3-5 miles, when we were 8 or 9 we were expected to do 10 mile sponsored walk

sarahtigh · 23/09/2012 16:20

ps they thought 4 hours ( to include picnic break) would be ample Grin

NowThenNowThen · 23/09/2012 16:56

Ds has done 1.5 miles, lots of hills, both ways from 4.5.
Yep, he was pretty tired at first (as was I), but he got used to it. It's not slow, either- we do it fast, and he jogs most of the way there (downhill), or scoots.
We are both fit as butchers dogs, I have lost a stone, and he recently did a gymnastics class where the instructor commented on how strong his legs were!
You just need to remember to bring food to stoke her up for the journey.

messtins · 23/09/2012 17:10

A mile is perfectly reasonable. Is it any wonder our kids are getting fatter? My 2 yr old walks half a mile back from school twice a day (I push him up the hill in the buggy, we walk back at a more leisurely pace) plus he walks some of our dog-walk. Most of my five yr old's friends have been horrified when asked to walk half a mile, downhill, back to our house. One of them asked me "don't you have a car?" Well, yes we do, lazybones, but we don't use it for short local trips! I'd take her a drink and snack and walk at her pace within reason, but you are doing her a favour in the long run.

Mrsjay · 23/09/2012 17:12

I think walking is probably the best and cheapest exercise for children we send them to dance classes or football etc so a mile walk is nothing really,

Nancy66 · 23/09/2012 17:14

Slow down though OP so your DD doesn't have to 'jog' to keep up with you.

Watching kids running to keep up with parents is one of my pet hates (along with parents wearing sunglasses while failing to notice that their baby/toddler is being virtually blinded in the buggy)

Pancakeflipper · 23/09/2012 17:16

My DS1 did that distance ( up hills, across fields). Walks to school and back.

We have good chats on the way. Now he takes his scooter. I fill my pockets with goodies to munch on the way home.

lljkk · 23/09/2012 17:17

I think it depends on your patience levels. If my DS walks home with me (just over half mile, flat) he dawdles like the devil & it takes ages & ages (about 3x longer than I would go by myself). My older ones get very bored, they just want to race home & do things so I let them go ahead (I am still waiting for a call from social services for that).

NowThenNowThen · 23/09/2012 18:21

Pancakeflipper-my ds said to me the other day that he didn't want to walk to school on his own when he is bigger "because that's when we talk about everything".

motherinferior · 23/09/2012 18:25

Walking is nice. Stick with it.

Pancakeflipper · 23/09/2012 18:30

NowAndThen - those school chats are brill aren't they? I would find nothing out if we didn't have that walk together with his little brother.

Last week he sulked when DP said he'd take him to school in the car that morning. I smiled to myself thinking " yeah......".

I know it takes longer and we have to get up earlier in a morning but the conversations are priceless.

IceBergJam · 23/09/2012 18:46

Really? People think a mile is too far? What is this world coming to. No wonder we are becoming a nation of overweight people. What a sheltered easy life we live.

slartybartfast · 23/09/2012 18:57

and i hate seeing parents chat on their mobiles while walking home from school, ignoring child

loveschocolate · 23/09/2012 19:34

My Mum used to walk 2-3 miles to nursery with my younger sister in a buggy and then we'd all walk back (I was about 4). Never thought anything of it and my main memory is that we'd sometimes stop at the corner shop for sweets Smile Won't harm a 4 year old and getting children in the habit of walking and being active, even if they are not sporty, is a good idea.

NowThenNowThen · 23/09/2012 20:35

Absolutely. A bit of stoicism in a child is a good thing. Life sometimes isn't easy. I dont have a car, and I would kill for a nearer school, but we don't have a choice, so we walk-and as I said earlier there are definite benefits to it.
Chillren are actually quite hardy little souls.
Many people have said to me "oh but you need a car when they get a bit older to ferry them about" but we have bus passes, and legs!
Incidentally, ds has more road sense than any 6 yr old I know.

cheeseandbiscuitsplease · 23/09/2012 21:05

Aah if she's tired get a buggy board. They are brilliant. A miles quite a long way at the end of a busy day for a little one. Yeah I'm probably soft but sounds like she's tired :)

financialwizard · 23/09/2012 21:16

My 2 year old walks twice that at least three times a week to the post office and back. She refuses the buggy. It is good to teach your children to be active.

Gravenwithdiamonds · 23/09/2012 21:21

It's really not much - my 3 DCs, youngest aged 3 now, have always done that to school. I had a buggy board when they were young, now they scoot. Just take plenty of snacks for the way home. Going n the morning is always much quicker (though it's also slightly downhill).

catwoo · 23/09/2012 21:48

Of course not! A 4 yo should be able to manage a mile easily.We recently went on a whole school walk (Reception to Y6) which was 4 miles.You can really spot the couch potato kids!!

LucieMay · 23/09/2012 23:10

"We live a mile from school and it's alwa taken up 20 mins. Ds managed fine in perception."

Eh? Please let me rephrase! We live a mile from school and it's always taken us up to 20 mins. DS managed fine in reception.

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