Lifts for kids wwyd?

[Spicylolly]

Multiple choice wwyd.

Background: DD year 9, to get to school its 15/20 min walk (uphill) to the station, 10/15min train ride and then a 15/20 min walk (uphill) to the school. And obviously vice versa back home but always usually picked up from home station as fits in with parents work pattern & and are nearby/passing.
Lift to school isn't really an option, too far away and sibling is at a local primary school, they leave about 45 mins later to drop them off. Parent leaves for work about 9.30am/10.00am ish

A) Always drive them to the first station, that's a long walk either end.

B) Drive them to the first station if the weather is nasty, otherwise walking is fine.

C) Never drive them to the first station, they are at secondary school now.

D) Drive them occasionally but make sure they earn it/know it's because of good behaviour

E) Drive them all the way to the school gates and arrange alternate arrangements for the other younger child. (Just threw that in for fun...no one is that mad to to do that surely!? Lol)

F) They should walk to AND from the home town station they are 14 now regardless of how far they have to walk either end.

Interested to hear your thoughts 🙂

B

It doesn’t fit in with morning routine to drop them off atbthe station & it’s good for them to walk. 30-40 minutes walking in the morning is healthy.

In the afternoon pick them up when it’s not massively inconvenient to do so, on the proviso they just walk home if you’re not there and no whinging, else you’ll leave them to walk every day.

Why is it an issue now?

I'd do A if I could.

I'm projecting here but my young self would have hated that journey as I hated school, hated walking and hated mornings (not sure which I hated worse!) I had a 30 minute bike ride to secondary school which was bad enough (I never got a lift whatever the weather!) Plus I am a soft touch so I would want to help them out

A

Do A. That’s a long journey with a heavy bag. Not strictly necessary, but the caring thing to do.

I had a 10-15 minute walk then a train ride of 30-40 minutes followed by a twenty minute ( some uphill) walk with a heavy suitcase from my first day at secondary. Never had a lift. I would have appreciated one on a bad day or end of day.

I would think B would be best option.

Mine both have had similar. I often, though not always took them to the station, especially in bad weather. But they had to appreciate that I was going out of my way and be grateful. Any hint of entitlement and it was withdrawn for a bit!

B

A. Secondary school is hard and it’s nice to make your dc’s lives easier.

Drive to station in the mornings .i do similar and enjoy the time together. I wouldn't be against let them walk though in terms of distance or time, they are string young people. As someone up thread said I did more than this donkeys years ago and never resented it, in fact I enjoyed the journey and the freedom.

I would do A if it was possible time wise.

B. But I would provide a decent backpack, waterproof cover, make sure shoes are waterproof and provide waterproof trousers and a coat. wearing them is their choice!

That journey is exactly the same as many of the DC in my town take to out of borough schools and I am always surprised that a lot of them are dropped off and picked up from the station at secondary level. I would do option B and drive them if the weather was bad or they weren’t feeling great.

What time do they and then younger sib leave home and how close is their school? Could parent who doesn't leave till 1000 not drop at station? If is a 15 min walk surely a drop off is about 5 mins? I still remember my heavy wool blazer getting all wrinkled from the heavy bag l carried and then getting into trouble for that!

i would do occaisional lift if dc were ready and on time.

Let them get to school under there own steam
Unless pissing down with rain ☔️

I think B is fine.
Both my dc walk to and from school each day. It takes ds about 30 minutes each way and dd about 20.

Occasionally I will give them a lift, if it is torrential rain, but otherwise just make sure they have appropriate clothing.

They are young, fit and healthy so the exercise is good for them!

B - because it's not about caring - it's about teaching self reliance (making sure they leave on time for the train) and independence.

Far far too many kids have absolutely no idea as to how to get from a-b without mum and dad simply taking them.
B will enable this as there is no reason this acceptable level of exercise is not perfectly doable.

One of the contributory factors to our child obesity epidemic is parents insistence on driving children everywhere , a change , certainly from my childhood when 'free bus passes ' were a thing but only available to those who lived further than 3 miles from the school. This was considered the reasonable distance to walk in the morning. So we did.

It would be interesting to know who chose the school and why the journey wasn’t factored in beforehand? Personally I’d drive my child to the first station and drop off. If I can make the start of the day for my child slightly easier then why not.

Yes I would definitely drive to station - kids have much more on these days than when I was in high school. Is your daughter in grammar school? I f yes, she would also have a lot of homework. Travel is tiring... yes she could do it - but if you can pop her to the station it will make her day easier. She's an adult is 3-4 years - its not that you will be doing it forever. I also find a quick 10 min drive also a good opportunity to have a quick one on one with my children.

I’d go with B, but if they were ready on time and asked me to I’d still do a drop off at the first station even if the weather wasn’t rubbish.

A.

B, F or bike

I used to do that walk, but downhill in the morning and uphill home.

Never a lift in the morning (parents usually still in bed), but a lift home if weather bad.

So id say B