To insist DCs walk rather than scoot/bike on school run

[Missnearlyvintage]

DCs are 6 and 3. They are generally quite well behaved and listen enough outdoors to key instructions, but I find it a bit stressful keeping track of them both when they are on scooters/bikes and feel like I spend a lot of time repeating instructions to them or shouting for them to stop/slow down/ stay closer to me, as there are quite a few roads to cross and driveways you can’t see down easily etc.
It’s about a mile to school, and I doubt I’ll be very popular with them for suggesting going on foot at least sometimes, but I’m getting to the point where I’d rather drive to school than have them go on scooters/bikes...

Yes I agree. I had to stop mine going on their scooters too. It was too stressful as they ended up too far ahead and messing around. Walking is much better.

Scooters drive me mad on the school run

I made mine take their scooters every day because they can scoot quicker than they can walk. After a month they were utterly sick of scooting and now they walk unless we are running late x

I agree that its really stressful, what helps with the children I look after is giving them places to stop so, for example, "stop at the blue car, stop at the bus stop etc". They know that if they ever don't listen to instructions then they walk for the rest of the week.

Me too! I'm always the big bad mum because I don't allow scooting to school. I dont trust my children not to get in everybody's way and I definitely don't trust other children. They're all menaces.

I banned DD from scooters on the school run because she was doing my head in. I gave it back after about a month and she has been much better.

Why don't you just get yourself a scooter as well so you can keep up? 😀

Mine are the same age and walk just over a mile to school. I don't see the problem with them walking. Only problem for us is it takes 50 minutes to get to school.

Lots of kids cycle to school but they are always on the road with a parent.

We do scoot/bike mostly as its quicker and they have set stop points - they know they have to wait - or are in big trouble. 2/3 of our short school run is through a park or I would probably still make them walk so Yanbu.

Mine have both had their scooters taken away in the past when they did not follow the safety rules. Generally after about a week I gave them another chance and they did follow the rules. They’re pretty good at being considerate of other people too now after many months of me reminding them to get to one side, slow down, stop there as there’s only a small space etc etc.

I find walking stressful because mine are so slow and whingy on foot and the littler one gets distracted by every interesting cat/plant/manhole cover we pass.

I hated them on the school run because I was always being hit by scooters as the children in charge bulldozed their way through the myriad of adults and children without any consideration of the hazards surrounding them.

Their responsible adult was usually a fair distance away calling out, to no avail, for them to be careful. There were many heated discussions in the playground over this issue!

I totally agree but then school actively encourage them to ride them where we live. I think this is to discourage driving rather than walking, but it doesn't help me!

I was about to post similar Always.

When I used to do the primary schools run the biggest challenge was constantly having to avoid collisions with out of control scootering kids.

The school sent out letters about it but it didn't really make any difference.

The pavements are busy at that time and increasingly so the nearer to school you got.

To be fair some kids were fine, in control, staying near parents, not excessively fast - but there was a fairly sizable contingent who made the school run into a moving obstacle course and there was many a battered shin to prove it.

Worse was the number of near misses I saw - kids wobbling into the road, not looking where they were going and crashing into parked cars or once smashing into a car pulling out of a driveway (not drivers fault, they had pulled out safely and were indicating to turn when the child was a good distance away, child totally oblivious kept going yelling to friend behind him even though the car was blocking the pavement in front of them).

Sorry but longer than intended but if your children can't ride/scoot safely then they should walk until they prove they can.

I had a thread about scooters yesterday I was told I am bu....but I agree with you. My kids walk everywhere. I don't have a car and I'm not carrying 3 scooters and pushing a buggy

YANBU

My kids primary keep doing these stupid scoot/bike to school weeks where they record the journeys made on bike/scooters and the classes with the most wins a prize.
Most parents just drive to school as usual then get the scooters out the boot, the pavements close to school are just full of kids on scooters and bikes knocking into each other, falling off, going in the road it's a nightmare.

Scooters are great fun, my kids love theirs but they are for the park only. To be safe on the pavements they need to be slow enough to stay next to me which isn't fun for them. We're moving and our school walk is increasing from 3 minutes to 25-30 minutes so many people suggesting we will have to scoot.

I let mine scoot on a Friday so I don’t have the hassle everyday. Could be a compromise?

We live too close to school so that it takes longer to get them out and park them up than the time saved. Also being so close, we're home before the pavement quietens down.

Stopping at the lamp post, red car etc does work well. I've got a scooter so I don't have to sprint along in catch-up as we do find them useful for longer distances and on quiet paths. They are easier to store at a destination than bikes.

Maybe establish a "walk zone" where the pavement tends to be too busy but scoot where the pavements are quiter to keep the main benefits.

When I used to do the primary schools run the biggest challenge was constantly having to avoid collisions with out of control scootering kids.

I have to go past a primary school on my way to work. Narrow pavements, kids scootering along three abreast, heads down, not looking where they're going. And like pp said, the adults strolling along some distance behind, sometimes too busy nattering to be aware of what the children are doing.

Mind you, I was in London this week, and I seemed to spend half my time dodging adults who weren't looking where they were going because they were glued to their bloody phones!