Walking the school run.

[allwalkedout]

I live in a fairly rural area. Cool is 2 miles away and I have one child in full time school and one in pre-school every morning.
I usually take the car to do the school run but do walk it a couple of times a week for one run of the day ( I do it 3x) . Yesterday my car was in the garage so I walked all 3 School runs so totalled 12 miles but it took a huge chunk out of my day and I felt like I didn’t get much done.
I’m a fairly fit person and do triathlons so I’m not unused to physical exercise and didn’t find the walks difficult, just really inconvenient timing wise.
When walking back, another Mum commented that she thought it was odd that I didn’t do it every day and that she thought it wouldn’t be too much of an effort for me to do the 3 runs on foot every day. I asked her if she would and she said she would and that most people she knew would.
I know it’s possible...but realistically, would people really do 3x 4 mile School runs in a day?? Aibu to think most people would find that a bit much, especially since I have a toddler who is confined to the pushchair or carrier for large amounts of time and it means I don’t get the time to do much with him...or am I just lazy??

I don't have a car so have always had to walk. We walk 3-4 miles a day, certainly not 12 though.

I did it every day for years with mine, but I like walking (one of mine doesn't, but it wasn't negotiable). However, I can understand why other people might not want to/be able spend the time doing it. Where we live, it's quicker than using the car, which played a role too...

@redsky, that’s great but I honestly couldn’t face it. There are far too many busy roads and parts of the estate we walk through doesn’t have any pavements and I just don’t have the confidence. I’d be on edge the whole time.

12 miles a day seems a lot - I'd say looking at all the local school gates pretty much no one walks more than a mile.

I cycle around that far every day. So many people comment on how far I cycle and wouldn't I prefer a car and oh look it's raining, poor you. Now I don't mind this and I think cycling 12 miles a day is nothing really (no kids with me). But walking 12 miles a day? No. And from the reaction I get from cycling I would say very few people would contemplate that. Something like half of all car journeys are 2 miles or less and 75% are 5 miles or less. She's lying.

I bet hardly anyone would do that. Round here perfectly able adults drive 2 miles to work rather than walk or cycle. Walking three times a day with three children in tow - as if. If you lived in the Netherlands cycling would be a possibility and you would not need helmets which would save a bit of faff !
In extremis you could run one way? That would make one half of the journey much quicker. Running with a toddler in a carrier would be great for fitness!

We are 3.3 miles from ds school it would take over an hour each way and we both then have jobs to get to. Even in a Friday when I'm off with toddler Ds2 I'd not contemplate it

No, I wouldn't walk all of them but might do occasional ones for fun like OP. A 12 mile run at your own pace is fun and a couple of hours or so in one block. Walking half of them at toddler pace and being in and out repeatedly is not remotely fun and most of the day wasted.

I live 5 minutes from school. It is not worth the effort of driving even in torrential rain lile today's. If I'm coming from somewhere else on the other side of school around home time, I might park up at the nearby car park then walk home and retrieve the car later as we often have extra-curricular activities in the area. Generally it's still no more effort to park up at home and still walk in. I walk up and down the same stretch of road at least 16 times a week which gets surprisingly time consuming!

I walked 1.8 miles to school and back in 6th form (plus text books and folders) as I wanted the fitness for DoE. 25 mins each way with a school day between was perfectly fine. That's completely different to 3x return journeys involving children.

I live 1.25 miles from school and don't drive so walk there and back each day so I clock up 5 miles just on the school run. It's a very hilly area. My youngest is in nursery so does a half day on one day. The eldest is full time. No way would I be walking back from school after picking him up. The school run takes up 3 hours of my day so I don't get much done.

My school run next year is likely to be 1.3 miles each way, up and down two very very steep long hills. No way am I walking that 🙈😂

Should add it is more the hills the issue than the distance for mine

@Bugsymalonemumof2 mine is up and down two very steep hills, it’s an absolute killer and I hate it 😂

No. I live a similar distance and I’ve never walked it. It would take me maybe 45mins. I simply don’t have time with kids, work, etc. Nor do I want to! I enjoy walking my dog for the amount of time, but in the country, not along a busy polluted main road

I’m so glad to see others who agree with me. The days I work I don’t do any school runs (I leave at 6:45am and get in around 7:00pm) and grandparents do them. There’s no way they could cope with it if they had to walk. I’m so glad for others who wouldn’t choose it either. I was kind of expecting a whole load of magical mumsnetters who did 3x6 mile School runs whilst doing yoga, cooking 3x nutritious, organic meals a day, running their own business, cleaning the house from top to bottom and going to get their hair done .

Thanks ‘normal’ people. I’ve decided the other mum is a complete liar.

The idea of running one way some days isn’t a bad one. I have a decent running buggy. If I ran the hills on the way back a couple of times a week with the buggy, I’ll be a machine for the next tri season!

Not read all the thread.
If you run anyway, could you run the bits when you're by yourself? Quicker and an easy way yo get the training in.

I walk the 10 miles school run daily have done for years and will do for years to come and do other walking during the day too as well as tending to the livestock it’s just part of the daily routine.

ElectricMonkey I'm learning to drive but have told the children that it's unlikely we'd drive to school even once I've passed my test and got a car. We usually get there before those who pass us in the car because of traffic near the school and the parking. Residents are complaining about inconsiderate parking by parents, the traffic is awful and then there's the environmental and health impacts. We used to have a school bus but it's been withdrawn so more are using the car. Quite a few parents walk or park away from the school in public car parks and walk the rest of the way. School has a walk to school fortnight to encourage walking. There's rewards for those who walk or use public transport instead of cars. I enjoy the walk to school as it sets us all up for the day and is stimulating for mind and body. The walk back involves a huge hill and is no fun but we can cut through the woods which is easier although longer. It's the only exercise I do so don't want to give it up. If the weather is dreadful we get the bus home but always walk to school. Clears out the cobwebs. So many at our school could walk as live close and don't work but are too lazy.

We notice that. The ones who live 5-10 minutes away are always the last to arrive and half asleep.

Where as we have been up for hours, played at the park etc and ready for the day to get going. We have some of the most random yet amazing conversations on the school walk.

So she would but doesn't? Fuck her. Who cares what she says?

It's not fitness that's the issue, it's time which it takes. Even if you are super fit, it's still going to take a significant amount of time.

I used to have a car but don't at the moment. Luckily school is a ten minute walk away but all the extra walking I do in a day means I have far less free time...like a trip to the shop to pick up a few bits takes 45 minutes, whereas if I had a car, I could do it in 15...it's very time consuming.

I used to walk 25 mins to school but two miles would take me longer. I think I would probably walk half the time of it were me. I like the walk but it’s nobody else’s business if you choose to drive.

Thanks ‘normal’ people. I’ve decided the other mum is a complete liar

It would of course be better for everyone, and for the environment, if we did all cycle and walk more. The trouble is, especially in rural areas, the infrastructure just isn't there. So what should be a quick journey on foot or by bike becomes something more dangerous and difficult.

You would spend all day doing it! I wouldn't I'd get nothing else done.