To expect a 10 year old to manage a 15 minute walk

[listsandbudgets]

DD does an after school activity. I usually pick her up and walk her to it unless the weather is horrible in which case we get a taxi. Another girl in the year above also does the same activity and yesterday her mum asked if I'd be able to pick her up and take her with dd. I said that was fine but unless weather bad we'd be walking. Her mum said "Assumed you'd taje a taxi or drive, don't think she'd manage the walk I'll make other arrangements" and walked off.

The girl in question is in the school gym and net ball team so I've no reason to believe she has any physical problems.

AIBU to think mother was being rude and her dd could easily manage such a walk?

Some people are too reliant on cars and never walk anywhere.

Lists if a crossing i dont see the problem. For the person who says most adults wouldnt. Im surprised and shocked. I work for nhs and can see some of my 92 s not being able to but know alot walk more than that to see me! Often they come after walking around the shops! Everyone so busy now

YANBU, my 7yo does that easily but it's surprising how many of her friends don't

Most adults wouldn't walk that far. Maybe they should, but they don't as ordinary thing. It's probably as much a safety worry as anything. lol wut.

That's very strange to say she wouldn't manage the walk. It's not exactly a long way.

Surely she must be confused about how far it is? Is there a crazy one way system which makes it seem much further by car?

Is the girl asthmatic by any chance? I walked up hill from school with my DSs friend, who's 11 and did struggle a bit and needed his inhaler when he got to mine. He's othewise a very healthy chap.

I will never cease to be amazed by the super short distances that many people (very able bodied) routinely drive. One of our neighbours drives 300-400 yards closer to the school than she lives.

There are people on MN who won't even answer their door to an unexpected knock (for safety reasons), never mind walk down the street any distance.

How silly. Of course a 10 year old can walk that far. My dd was walking way further than that at a much younger age. Now she walks 40 mins to and from school every day.

It's not a popular view on MN but walking a mile along an average road is statistically much more dangerous than driving the same distance (because of being run into by cars not because of being abducted by madmen).

However that increased risk is still tiny in the UK, and far less than the long term health risks of being physically inactive.

I bet she could walk a hell of a lot further than that around Legoland or Chessington on a day out!

My three year old can manage longer walks.

The only time I would imagine a child would struggle is if they had medical problems of some sort

Yanbu at all. 10 minutes is nothing for a healthy 10year old. I despair of some peoples' reluctance to walk places

Is she confused or something?

My 2year old dd walked more than 15 minutes today before demanding to be carried.

My DD2 has hip problems and hyper mobile joints which affect her ability to walk long distances without pain.

She went on a school activity residential last year that involved a 2 mile walk. The SENCO told me that DD2 was the most up for the walk out of all the 10YOs and led the field the whole way. The majority were flagging badly after five minutes.

We only walk our small dogs locally. Not major hiking/walking holidays etc. We are not particularly sporty or active as a family so I was rather surprised to find that DD2 was the most able of her year group to cope with a 2 mile walk.

YANBU. I would expect a 10 year old to have similar stamina to an adult and be able to walk for 2 or 3 hours with no problem.

Ridiculous!

And we wonder why we have rising childhood obesity??

My 23 month old can walk that easily, my 3 year old is ticking off Wainwrights (Lake District) and will do 5 miles in the mountains easily.

They are exceptional, the mountains are in our blood but 15 mins is no distance at all at 10'

I would expect a 3 year old to be able to do that, never mind a 10 year old. What the Hell is happening to our kids when you get parents that wouldn't consider that a normal, regular, smallish walk?!

Most adults wouldn't walk that far? Of course they would. I've never worked anywhere in London that wasn't a 15 min walk from the tube. Or lived anywhere that was less than 10 mins.

It's a 15 minute walk to DS's school and k wouldn't dream of driving unless there's weather he can't handle because of his SN. But it's very rare.

Assuming there's no medical reason why the child could not do it then presumably the only answer is that the mother's one of those mothers who are terrified to let their PFB out near traffic. YANBU.

My 10-year-old niece comes on two hour-ish dog walks with me once a fortnight. We often cover 7-8 kilometres.

Yanbu.

Ds can manage a 15 minute walk somewhere quiet but probably wouldn't manage it alongside a road due to sensory issues. No physical disability. Doesn't seem like that is the issue here though.

How bizarre. My two year old can walk lots further than that. We live in London so walk loads of places as driving would be a pita

A 10 year old could certainly walk it, and I would fully expect them to. My 4 year old walks 20 mins to and from school every day no problem.

Good lord. My 2yo DD has come dog walking since she was born and now she'll happily walk for at least 25-30mins before being forced into getting into her buggy. I'm not sure I could have kept a straight face OP.