To think a 40 minute walk to school nursery is manageable?

[Heckythump1]

We are looking at pre-schools for September for an almost 4 year old. (We've just found out we have to move in a few weeks) we have a few choices but our favourite on paper is a school nursery 40 minutes walk away. Neither of us drive so we will have to walk whatever the weather, although there are buses for some of the journey.
We are visiting all options in the next week or so.
Am I being daft wanting to send them to a better place further away or should I send her to a closer one that I don't like as much?

Had to do an hour and a half walk with DD (it had been a 20 minute walk when she started there but then we moved house) and it was pretty tiring but manageable but I definitely took the opportunity for a lift whenever possible. Was much easier on bikes. (In winter I pulled her along on a sledge which was fine for her but hell for me!!)

If you already walk everywhere and there's a bus option for really foul weather/really tired days then I don't see why not

I've done it. Lovely when it's nice, but in the pouring rain it is absolutely horrible. And by the time you've walked home on the half day, it's almost time to start the walk back to get them. Adding in hills there is no way I would want to do this. Plus a 40 minute walk at adult speed is closer to an hour at 4 year old speed

I would also consider eventualities like sickness. What will you do if the nursery calls and wants her picked up immediately? How will you deal with her vomiting on the way home? Its unlikely a taxi would take her in that state.

Also consider what happens if you're unwell or break a leg for example. How will you get her there then?

Given the distance when she reaches 5 look into whether she would get door to door transport (sometimes it is free other times means tested).

If you love it, go for it. Pretty much everyone could do with more exercise and outdoor time. You can get one of the buses when you feel the need, and you have the scooter. You never know, you might decide you DO want to bike as well!

How far is the nearest decent school, and do you have a good preschool nearby? Honestly in your shoes I wouldn't even visit, it would be off my list because of distance. There are probably loads of great schools within an hour of my house, but i only considered the ones nearby, and picked what I considered was the best of them, isn't that what most people do?

I walk my son to school it's a 10 minute walk. The walk to school is fine. the walk home at the start of the week is ok, the walk back on a Friday afternoon is painful as he is so tired. He is 6.

My dc walk everywhere when Dh is at work too. I wouldn’t want anything longer than 15 minutes (adult pace) to school/nursery. It might be ok on the way there but not so much on the way home when they’re tired, especially towards the end of term or if they aren’t feeling great or the rain is lashing down (&/or any combination of the above) I’m not bitter. 40 minutes is also quite far if you need to collect them when they’re ill (in terms of getting them back rather than getting to them)

My three year old does a 25 minute walk twice a week (increased to 30 minutes sometimes over winter when we couldn't use some shortcuts) and is happy enough to do it, so I don't think an extra 15 mins would break him. I do drive but have only driven it twice so far since last September. Mostly the walk is lovely, but there has been days its less lovely.

Get an electric bike?

Get one of those electric bikes. I’m hoping to get one, so I can nip to the shop, instead of taking the car every time. It will help me up the step hill and I’ll recharge it by peddling on the way back.

Xpost Destinesia 😁

Nah, I wouldn’t, by the time you’ve walked back on the half day you’ll soon have to turn round and walk back again! 😁 our walk is 15mins and it’s fine, but by the end of the week DD is knackered (she’s 5) and it drags. And she’s a good walker because I don’t drive so we walk everywhere.

So, that's 80 mins each way, twice a day, for you/OH
If you have nothing else to do and never plan to (no job, no other children, no other commitments) that could be ok
Otherwise I don't think its practical really, esp if they would go to school there. That's 8 years. 5 days per week for 7 of them.
Also it means fewer chances of local school friends on the doorstep etc.

Select the school closer to you if its decent. We had a 20 mins walk to my dd nursery and I hated it, as did both my kids! They complained always (even though it was me pushing the double buggy!!!). Thank goodness we got them in a school that is now just 8 mins walk away and it was life changing for me. We now love the school run. Its easy.

I wouldn't even consider this tbh, that makes me sound a bit lazy 😂 but I promise I'm not. Imagine it's absolutely pouring with rain you would be soaked! Or sleety snow, again soaked and freezing. I couldn't think of anything worse to have to do with a 4 year old, especially on the way home after a session.

S1naidSucks great minds

By coincidence I recently walked the distance between the two school buildings that I used to walk with DS, four at the time, after dropping off his older brother. It was a good 20 minute walk for me, less than a mile, and I feel a bit bad now making him walk that when so young.

To this day we still joke how his classmate would be taken in a pushchair and sail past us while dear son had soldier-on. He's a strapping 38 year old now but I did have a twinge of guilt the other day!

40 minute walk is too far IMO.

Also definitely read the fine detail of admissions for all schools. Catchment isn't everything.

Get a car and learn to drive. Your DC will thank you for it!

God no, wouldn't even consider it. Dragging a reluctant small child for 40 minutes in rain, sleet, snow etc when they're tired and overstimulated from preschool is my idea of hell. I know you said buses are an option but they're not known for being reliable, especially if you have to change buses I can see that being pretty stressful. I know you're thinking ahead to when your DC starts school but please don't underestimate how tired they can be in their Reception year. My DD (5) is absolutely shattered in the evenings after school and we only have a ten minute walk home! If we had to do a 40 minute walk after school everyday I think I'd be struggling to keep her awake for her tea by the middle of the week.

Nope.

You're already going to be experiencing her catching every bug going at school if this is her first school experience. I can't imagine how many more colds, ear infections, sore throats etc you would have to deal with if you do that walk in horrible weather all the time.

Heckythump1 if you’re planning to learn to drive then in the short term it’s ok

I think you would come to regret it...a 4 year old walking that far quite early in the morning would be a bit much.

I agree check whether you are in catcent. Most LAs split towns between them so you would only be in catchment for one school irrespective of distance door to door. We had schools closer than the one we were actually in catchment for.