to expect DD to walk to and BACK from school

[ScoutFinchMockingbird]

DD (3.1) is starting Foundation stage at the local school in Sept. It is a 15 min walk at my pace and 25 mins at her pace. She is perfectly capable of walking there. I know this because there's a playground nearby we walk to regularly. She is motivated to walk to this playground with promises of good times to come. However, she usually moans furiously about walking back after 30-40 mins at the playground because she's "tired" (read "it is boring and there is nothing to motivate her").
When she starts school, I have every intention of walking her there, but AIBU to expect her to walk home? She will have been there all day for 3 of the days, until about 5.45, as I work and am using wrap-around care. Thoughts?

My DS started full days at nursery at 3.1, and after an 8/9 hour day at nursery he was shattered - lying down on the floor and trying to go to sleep shattered!

It would have been impossible to make him walk 25 minutes at 6pm without a lot of shouting/dragging/threatening.

I have the same "commute" and its actually my favourite bit of the day.

A good coat and wellies and we pretty much walk every day, if they walk nicely on the way to school then we stop on in the park on the way back.

We also choose a "pathfinder" that's the one who has to lead the way. We also play "adventuring" where one child says where we are travelling I.e. jungle and then every bit of street furniture is a supply station so they race to get water bottles, suncream, food for the camel (we do a lot of trips by camel).

That said, they are monstrously tired for the first few weeks, so I'd say be prepared for a slow pace rather than not doing it.

I think being tired after half a day pre-school is very different to their tiredness having been on the go for 9 hours!

I speak as the mother of a 5 year old who will happily go on day long hikes and cycle 15 miles (all at his pace) ie a physically able child.

We have a 10-15 min walk to school and honestly, sometimes the walk home just about finishes us both off. It's the tedium, he might be mentally tired as well as physically ready to just relax, hungry - whatever. We have a scooter. Problem solved!

www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplay0_10751_-1_1037_10001?$ja=tsid:49662&cm_mmc=googlemerchantcenter--nmppla--NULL--NULL&gclid=CjgKEAjwoJ-dBRDbjfKN7IzN0FsSJAAP0G_D2nhH6

she will get used to it but have one of these just in case ^^

Scooter with a strap so you care can tow her home or sling the scooter over your shoulder.

Honestly - I think she will be dead on her feet by 5.45pm for the first term. If you put her in a pushchair, she will instantly crash out so it's all about games for the way home, whether its sparkling shoes, hopscotch/don't walk on the cracks whatever. You will definitely end up giving her a piggyback and on rainy dark evenings if there's a bus, you'll probably take it just to get home.

Alternatively could you leave a bike at the school all day ? Sling her on a carrier ?

My DD is almost 4 and has been at nursery half days since last September. The nursery a mile away so a 30-40 min walk or brisk 20-25 min scoot. Her childcare usually takes her home by bus and it's not usual to find her dozing off.
She has been caught on a number of recent occasions sleepwalking home, and had to be sat down with a snack and some water just to get home without keeling over.
2-3 of her classmates who's parents have to walk a mile or so, drop off, get to work and then pick up from afterschool club use a light buggy. There are some raised eyebrows but it's walk a mile in someone elses shoes isn't it. If you can keep your small child warm and dry in a pram on a howling wet December morning then it's the sensible thing to do.

a) Don't underestimate how tired she will be and b) how tired and unreasonable YOU will be not to get home as quickly as possible. Do whatever makes the most sense, you can easily coach her into walking home as the evenings get brighter in the Spring.