AIBU to think that sometimes, there's something magical about the walk home from school?

[VioletBam]

With your DC?

My DD is 8 and it's Autumn here in Oz. So the light, the trees and the air is all a bit magical.

I often feel really happy during the walk home from school in the afternoon...it feels all a bit nostalgic and special.

Anyone else? I get it in the mornings sometimes too.

No, I never felt there was anything magical about the school walk. There was the constant terror caused by DS3's scooter-speed (I've no idea how he's still alive), DS2's stream of consciousness talking, and DS1 and DD permanently trying to beat the shit out of each other. It was fraught, and I don't miss it now I don't have to accompany them.

I think the secret is to walk home with 1 dc.

I loved it

At one stage it was all three, i felt like mother duck

I do miss it, but my teenagers dont want to walk to school with me no idea why

I did it for 11 years

Nope 10

I get that feeling in September in the UK; a hint of Autumn, clear air, cosy jumpers and gorgeous colours

I love picking DS up from school. I also have my 2 preschool DSs with me too - so 3 boys - and the school runs can be bloody hard work at times But still I love it going in getting DS (especially when he has a beaming smile when he sees me!) and most of the time love the walk home.

Sometimes we go to the park and/or for an ice cream after school. Or we go to my dad's and they can have a play there :)

Swing's and roundabouts. Sometimes it's lovely an davina nice chats, sometimes it's hellish when u are shouting at them to stop pushing each other next to the road

We walk home from school through a park. Sometimes it's ridiculously lovely in an Enid Blyton way - the kids play pooh sticks in the stream and delight in spotting new ducklings and improvising games.

Other times, when the kids are bickering and tired or the weather is shite and I'm shouting at them to behave when we've still got a mile to go, it's horrible.

On the whole, I think I prefer the walk to school. DD2 is already at nursery so it's just me and DD2 having a chat, greeting the dog walkers and admiring the scenery.

Another in Oz here. Walk from school is great...we don wellies if its been raining to splosh in the puddles down an unsealed path/RoW. Bloody council have filled the holes. How will we splosh now.

(went on bikes today- it was freezing -8 deg!)

This thread makes me really sad. As a single mum who has to work full time, I never get to walk my child to school.

Just one more thing to feel I am letting my child down with...

I'm sure you aren't letting your children down at all ittooshallpass. I only ever picked up my children from school once a week and I don't think those days were any more special than the days I picked them up from their childminder, or the ones when they walked home, or now when they take the bus. Special moment happen fairly randomly I think, and I'm sure we all experience them (from time to time at least!)

Autumn can be a great time of year though :)

ittoo my Mum never walked me either...all my memories were formed alone. I loved it! As soon as I was old enough I went alone...back in the 1970s that was when I hit 6!

Prior to that I'd gone with an "Aunty" ...basically a neighbour!

I adored it all. My best memories are from ten onwards. It's ok...you don't need to be sad.

ittoo it was definitely a pleasure sometimes for ME, not my kids

from y4 they were BEGGING me not to walk them/to leave them further and further from school

now they can come home alone they are beyond glad

I'd go so far as to say the only time they really enjoyed me picking them up was when I brought a load of supersoakers with me

I love it - I have four children and cherish the walks to and from school and the conversations that we have about a million and one different things. This year I've only had three to walk, next year my DD will be off to secondary and so I'll only have my two smallest boys. I'm dreading the day when I don't have to walk any little people to or from school!

How can something you do every day for years and years be nostalgic and special?

My walk to and from primary (alone after my 7th birthday) was through a cemetary- basically a huge garden. One winter a water pipe burst and coated every branch of a yew tree in ice. The grave diggers would greet me from six feet under and ask me to play a tune on the recorder, like a forest sprite... Magical.

With small DC I always stopped and had a little sit down to depressurise from playschool, holding hands and gossiping about what we'd done that day. A sweet or a new pencil as a surprise.
Now at 10 DD picks up various friends as we walk into school and it's just a distant wave at the gate. Same on the way back. Only one year to go and she'll be driven to secondary by DH.

Slipping through my fingers...

Autumn is the season that makes me feel nostalgic too OP.

I'm the same with Autumn. Walks just seem that bit more special with the crunchy leaves, nip in the air and seeing the smoke coming out the chimneys. I just love the thought of taking the girls back home and getting dinner started and being all cosy together. I haven't explained the feeling well at all but I understand what you mean, OP :)