To expect my DCs (Yr 7&9) to walk 40 mins to school and home again.

[Lauresbadhairday]

My DCs are at an independent school and therefore most of the children live some distance away and are dropped off and picked up from school by parents every day. We live a 40 min walk away and I think my DCs should be able to manage this to and from school. They are 12 & 14.

They moan daily about walking - "it's too far", "my bag's too heavy, "it's raining", "none of my friends walk" etc, etc.

Now by my own admission I have been too soft and have dropped them off/picked them up quite frequently however I really want this to stop and for them to walk. I am getting much tougher and have not given them a lift at all since half-term but the moaning continues.

So, AIBU in making them walk 40 mins to school and back? If the general consensus is that I am then I will suck it up and give them a lift but I really think at 12&14 they are perfectly capable of walking this distance daily.

1.5 miles is nothing!

I just googled to see how far I used to walk to school. Years 5-8 it was 2 miles (carrying a violin some days too) and years 9-11 it was 2.5 miles. I didn't realise it was that far - at their age that walk shouldn't be an issue at all.

It's no distance at all. I teach rurally and many of my kids walkthroughs than that at Primary age. My own two used to walk 3 miles at 5and 6, although I did have my bike to load up. Now they go to school the next village along which at ten miles is a bit of an ask! Good bags, good coats and shoes, or do the cycling test and bike.

1.5 miles is easily doable. 40 mins?? They must be walking backwards.

I assume there's no bus since you haven't mentioned one?

I walked that far as did most of my friends when we went to school.... Moaned about it because that is what teenagers do!! In reality had a blast! And it is great exercise.

I have 3 dc's at one school which is about 40mins walk there and 40 mins back. I would love them to walk or do a bus/walk combination which would be ideal but due to the sheer number of bags that have to go to school with them daily and the associated weight of them to carry or drag I give them a lift each way. Today for example there were 13 bags for the car for them.

To do this I have to leave early so I can get to work so they are dropped off at school by 8am and they are collected at 5.30pm. Their choice but it does fit round me and they can stay for after school clubs or do their homework.

Jesus wept Can't believe how many people thing that this is too far. A generation ago it would have been far more common and 2 generations ago totally normal.

My boys are only 5 & 6 and they walk 30 mins to school each day. I think it's good for them and it's a good habit to get into. They are used to it now and early complain.

YABU.

Poor children are probably worn out by the time they get to school and then have to try and concentrate during a day of learning before facing the long walk back again.

Poor things.

Slalom- 13 bags between 3? What on earth did they take in? This can't be daily?

Writer, . You are joking, aren't you?

1.5 miles is nothing as long as bags aren't too heavy.

When I was at school my town friends walked over a mile to school. Down a steep hill in the morning and up the same hill in the afternoon!

We had lockers and old fashioned desks with lids and storage so only ever took the odd exercise book and text book home for homework. Unlike dd now who has no locker or desk and has to carry everything!

Oh and on a Friday all the kids had to walk to school for registration and then walk a mile back up the hill to go swimming and then back to school after swimming! Character building.

My son has walked 1.5miles to school since we moved 'nearer' at the start of year 8 (he got the train before from next town).

I used to give him bus fare but he walked and pocketed the money which I respect.
You shouldn't drive them, they should get the exercise and means one less car in the school run and all the rubbish parking near a school where parents try and get as close as possible.

They could always cycle?

Can they not cycle?!

I walked 45 minutes to my old secondary school. I had a massive embarrassing bright orange cagoule for when it rained.

No bus from my house to my catholic school - would've been more faff catching 2 or 3 buses to get there.

More recently, DD walked 30 mins to hers (we gave lifts if we were going that way but usually she walked). £2 each way for the bus journey - you're having a laugh aren't you?

Its not too far with reasonable bags in reasonable weather but snow, wind, rain can make a walk of that length interminable. I know I did it for my entire 7 yrs of secondary education, followed by a 10 mile bus journey.

I think you need to look at what days to help out e.g. doing that on top of football practice or athletics or similar is prob too much, so how about a compromise of picking them up. Or on big bag days again prob sports or music etc picking or dropping them off. Or days when the weather is bad, I think there is a happy medium to be had.

"Bluebeard I would say that the distance these kids are walking is about 3 miles each way, at a guess. I think 12 miles per day for your 3 year old was a lot, I don't know many 3 year olds who would do that every day!"

Yes it was 3 miles each way Jollyphonics. Over the years we did that distance to two schools. The first was on pavements and footpaths and then when they were about 6 and 7 and moved schools we did the same distance over fields.

My 3 year old did it because of knowing no different. We had no car so we walked everywhere. It's what we did. This is why I think the OP's kids are perfectly capable of walking the same distance and in all probability are being bold about it because they know there's an alternative (aka Mum's taxi) and think that making a fuss will get them chauffeured about in a car. They wouldn't be the first to claim their legs would fall off unless Mum drove them!

CatherineU "That's too far to walk especially in bad weathers, stop being lazy and drop YOUR children off yourself".

I have a special message just for you, CatherineU. Waterproofs, wellies, a rainproof jacket, walking shoes, warm jumpers - these were all made for bad weathers dontcha know? Lazy is to drive or be driven when one is perfectly able to walk. My kids managed it at 3 and 5 so don't tell me it's too far for a 12 and 14 yo please! And finally, the OP is a parent, not a servant.

I agree with you Onlylovers, the Op sounds as though she can't be arsed ferryng her kids around anymore and that she finds it a pain well it's kind of what you do get you have children isn't it? You do what's best for them not yourself, and there's nothing "martyr ish"about it.

Have you never seen little house on the prairie? They walked miles to school each day as do children in developing countries who are grateful for the opportunity to learn. Toughen up.

And that comment referring to children who are driven to school to being fat is ridiculous. I know plenty of children who's parents drive them and they are fit and healthy including my own three children, there's barely an inch of fat on them yet I drive them to school everyday and have done for the last seven years.

Good grief, there are a lot of pampered teens out there. They need exercise or they will get fat and unfit and no the amount of pe they do at school isn't nearly enough unless they are active members of school sports' teams.

I think it is good exercise, and an excellent habit to get into. I walked further, and my Dc walk further ( mostly through choice, there is a bus, but they prefer to walk)
They are active, healthy and concentrate so much better in school on the days they have walked.

Children who walk to school often settle and concentrate better, I find.

Pampered teens, no it's called parenting and giving your child a helping hand to school when they've got tons of bags and books to carry, my kids will not become fat simply because I drive them twice a day, they are always walking, riding on their bikes and running around with friends so I've no need to worry.

" the Op sounds as though she can't be arsed ferryng her kids around anymore and that she finds it a pain well it's kind of what you do get you have children isn't it?"

No.

This might come as a shock to you but some of us don't ferry our kids about at all.