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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think a 37minute school run is ok?

161 replies

jultomten · 14/02/2017 18:48

We are house hunting and I have found two houses I like with a 37min walking distance to the school we want. One of the things I was really looking forward too with the move was to be able to walk the kids to school instead of driving like I have to do now. But is 37 minutes too long to walk twice a day? Am I just going to end up driving?
If iabu how long is the longest walking distance you would consider doing?

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 14/02/2017 18:58

37 minute walk on a nice day is fine is fine.

In the rain with a hockey stick, a double bass and all the ingredients to make fairy cakes.....

Eevee77 · 14/02/2017 19:00

It's 1.2 miles to DS school, it takes me close to 20 mins to do. Head down, earphones in, it flies over. With him, he tend to travel on scooter/bike otherwise there's endless moaning and would take about 35 mins one way.

Original poster
jultomten · 14/02/2017 19:00

Ahhh haven't thought about all the equipment... do they often have a lot of stuff to carry in the uk? I can drive.. I was just hoping to walk...

OP posts:
Ilovecaindingle · 14/02/2017 19:01

I was doing a 35 min school run with a 8,7,5 and 1 year old. . Until the toddler started getting car sickness. . Moved school and its been a great change of routine!! Me and dh were tossing a coin it was becoming such a nightmare.

Eevee77 · 14/02/2017 19:02

For primary school there isn't usually much on a regualr basis apart from PE kit.

StarsAndStripes17 · 14/02/2017 19:02

It's not twice a day though, it's 4 times a day.

I do the walk 6 times a day because of ds2's nursery pick up in the middle of the day. He walks 4 times a day.
Ds1 walks twice a day as he is at school full time.

Without the kids or when it's just ds3 who is in the pram, the walk is about 20 minutes as I am a fast walker. It really doesn't bother me and it's the only exercise I get as I don't have any spare time for the gym.

BertrandRussell · 14/02/2017 19:02

Sorry, just seen your update

In the rain with 3 hockey sticks, a double bass, a euphonium and a bassoon, the ingredients for fairy cakes, a cardboard castle and an A1 art portfolio......

MeNeedSleep · 14/02/2017 19:04

Is that 37mins by google maps standards or have you actually walked it with your dc?

HollyJollyDillydolly · 14/02/2017 19:04

I thought I'd be ok with a 30min there 30min back school run - until I did it for 6m.

Dc4 started nursery in Sept and she does from 12.30 - 3pm so had to do 3 x school runs. I was spending 3 hrs of the day doing school runs. We're on the border of catchment areas so dc go to their catchment school but there is a closer school 10mins in the other direction that isn't our catchment school unfortunately.

I had to learn to drive because it was pretty horrid in the cold and rain. If you can drive then walking for 30mins or so if you fancy it is fine.

Original poster
jultomten · 14/02/2017 19:06

Yeah I guess it will not be so tempting on a gray rainy day... I'm kind of envisioning us strolling along hands in hands on a nice sunny day :D

OP posts:
MeNeedSleep · 14/02/2017 19:07

Hockey sticks in primary?

My ds is only in yr2 so have to carry a book bag and a lunch bag, a ukulele one day a week

CrohnicallyPregnant · 14/02/2017 19:07

1.2 miles? I walked that today with 4 yo DD. Took us 30 mins there and 20 back (uphill the whole way there!).

I'd do it, if there is an odd day when they need lots of equipment you could drive them.

I think on my worst school days I had cooking (so ingredients to carry), PE, and music lesson (I did violin). I could carry all that at secondary age. At primary age chances are they wouldn't need all that stuff, and if they did you could perhaps leave the PE kit overnight and collect the next day or something. Make sure you and the kids have decent backpacks and all weather clothing, job done.

VanillaSugar · 14/02/2017 19:08

Bertrand You forgot the indoor & outdoor trainers, 2 sets of games / PE kit, the book bag which weighs 72726 kilos and the class teddy, the bloody class teddy.

DancingDragon · 14/02/2017 19:11

Yes of course. Its not that far. My dc's school is a similar distance.

iwanttobemissmarple · 14/02/2017 19:12

& the teddys suitcase!

omnishamblesssssssssssssss · 14/02/2017 19:12

How do you know it's 37 minutes? Have you walked it already? Measured it?

Mine do 40 minutes both ways. The youngest is 5. We do it in all weathers and the kids are much fitter as a result.

Can you stick your little one in a buggy with the bags?

MeNeedSleep · 14/02/2017 19:13

Do they not just leave pe kit in school for the term?

omnishamblesssssssssssssss · 14/02/2017 19:13

If you need to take in lots of equipment, stuff it into a large rucksack that you can carry, rather then the kids.

BlueEyedPersephone · 14/02/2017 19:14

As it's a private, you may be under estimating the kit, you would probably need to drive on a Monday and Friday, rest of week should be okay

pontefractals · 14/02/2017 19:14

I've just Google -mapped the route from my childhood home to my primary school. 1.4 miles, 28 minutes (fairly sure it didn't take that long, but my mum was famed for her walking speed!). We managed it from when I was in nursery, though I think I was in a pushchair then, cos I was quite a sickly child. Later we did the walk with a violin (infants), then a guitar in junior school, and it was fine (even though I have never been a light packer and carried at least one book at all times). I carried my own school bag from the beginning, though!

Kookypants · 14/02/2017 19:15

I never had a walk to school shorter than 40 mins . Just ate up my day. Bloody miserable in the winter.

ErrolTheDragon · 14/02/2017 19:19

As it's a private, you may be under estimating the kit,

Not at primary.

NataliaOsipova · 14/02/2017 19:19

I thought you were going to say a 37 minute drive, which, in my experience is just that bit too long. Half an hour in the car is the limit (for me, anyway!).

Agree with others that the sheer quantity of stuff you'll have will mean that amount of walking is impractical on an everyday basis!

Original poster
jultomten · 14/02/2017 19:19

I really like the idea of walking. I used to walk every where. But after living 10+ years quite rural iv got used to driving every where and i hate it. It would do us all good to walk. But if it's too long i might just start driving which would be a shame.

But at the start I might have to walk as I'm slightly terrified about driving in the uk :o

OP posts:
TheMysteriousJackelope · 14/02/2017 19:20

37 minute round trip is fine imo.

I have to drive the DC to school and its around 18 miles so about 25 minutes each way. It's a pain as it's at least two hours out of my day and it's expensive for petrol. I'd be so happy with a 37 minute round trip.

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