Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

'Scooting' to school

65 replies

supersop60 · 31/01/2020 19:12

On my commute, I pass 2 infant and junior schools, and I see more and more children on their scooters. On a surface level it's cute.
In reality - the parents will have to carry the damn things back with them (unless, I suppose the school has a scooter park).
Also - the children are getting LESS exercise than if they were walking. I saw a small child today standing with both feet on the scooter while the poor mum was bending over at an awkward angle, pulling him along.
AIBU to think it's unnecessary hassle?

OP posts:
gaffamate · 31/01/2020 20:00

My DD scoots or goes on her bike. Yes it is less exercise than walking but walking would take 40 mins of irritating dawdling. Scooting takes about 20 mins (and I can pull her so she hurries the fuck up) and bike takes about 10 mins. She wears a helmet and we scoot down the bike lane, which is on a pavement so I don't see any issue in it at all.

EstebanTheMagnificent · 31/01/2020 20:02

What a mean little thread

Qasd · 31/01/2020 20:03

Our school has a scooter park I think most do nowadays?

Really great for young children who cannot walk long distances but scoring is fine, better for the environment as no carbon emotions and I think primarily used as an alternative to driving not walking. I think they have been really useful. Mine started to walk by year two but had more stamina for longer walking by then

NotLangNow · 31/01/2020 20:04

OP I hear you. I hate scooters. I would have them banned. And I've told our headmistress this. They swerve into the road all the time. They travel so fast, that they could and do cause accidents.
But apparently we are in the minority.

Mypathtriedtokillme · 31/01/2020 20:12

I made a carry strap.
Fabric Webbing with loops either end (over the handle bars and beneath the back wheel) so I can chuck the scooter over my shoulder on the way back home.

Dd1 (6) scooters to or from school with her 3 year old sister (who is sometimes on her running bike) while I walk/jog.
We follow road rules, they wear helmets, have to get off for road crossings, go single file on the left if someone is walking or stop and wait til they pass plus they have to get off and push once we get near the school gates.

My youngest could scooter 6km when she was 2.5 but would of struggled to walk that far.

Mumma12345 · 31/01/2020 20:14

My oldest bikes (high school) and younger 2 scoot everyday infant and junior so in different schools but on the same site. We have a 20 mins walk there and back but scooting only takes 10 to 15, all the schools have a bike rack so we store them during the day.

ShakespearesSisters · 31/01/2020 20:14

My two scoot to school. I was dreading it the first time, but I'm amazed at how much quicker it is.
It took a few sessions initially, but they are now well trained on how far they can go, them they wait for me to catch up, them they are off again. If there are dogs coming towards us they know to stop and wait for them to go past as I know the noise freaks some dogs out. They also stop and wait to the side if there is a pushchair or mobility scooter coming. The sixth form students who walk 4 abreast staring at their phone with no concern for anything however....

angelikacpickles · 31/01/2020 20:15

YABU. Kids can go further faster on a scooter than they can walk. My kids' school has a scooter park.

SimonJT · 31/01/2020 20:18

My son sometimes scoots to school, he did on Wednesday, he was tired on the way home so he sat on his scooter and I pulled him along. It had the added bonus of giving me twenty minutes without him moaning!

Waxonwaxoff0 · 31/01/2020 20:18

DS scoots to school. There is an area in the playground to store scooters and bikes.

And seeing as I don't own a car I can assure you my DS gets plenty of exercise from walking, thank you.

VioletCharlotte · 31/01/2020 20:44

I used to scoot home on DS's scooter! He loves scooting to school, so much quicker than walking, he was a proper dawdler.

GrapefruitsAreNotTheOnlyFruit · 31/01/2020 20:53

I bought a scooter too so I can keep up with mine. We all wear helmets. I can confirm it is quite good exercise and makes everyone happy to leave the car at home for those journeys that are a little but too far to walk.

Littlecaf · 31/01/2020 21:00

We love scooting to school. The school has a shed for the bikes/scooters. So much quicker than walking.

You can’t win as a parent. Criticised for using a car, criticised for scooting or riding a bike, criticised for dragging children along as they won’t walk. Criticised for using a buggy. Have you tried walking a two year old a mile in the rain OP? Scooter/bike is way easier.

Urkiddingright · 31/01/2020 21:09

I wouldn’t mind it but most parents seem unable to catch up with their children therefore the kids end up scooting into the backs of people’s legs...

mummysherlock · 31/01/2020 21:11

My DC’s scoot to school - they have to dismount before they go into the school grounds and there is a scooter park so they can leave them there. They scoot entirely by themselves - I have never pulled either of them along, and it makes the drop off and pick up quicker. There are so many parents that insist on driving their little darlings to school and parking as close to the school gates as possible, id much rather see children either walking, scooting or cycling to school.

lanthanum · 31/01/2020 21:33

In reception I used to pull my DD along on her scooter - but her peers with siblings would be on a buggy board - they're tired after a long day.

The downsides are

  • don't use them when it's very windy - a sudden gust can move them very fast into the path of a car
  • some kids don't look where they're going (but that's the same with anything)
  • kids need training to stop and wait for their adult at appropriate places on the journey, especially when it's a grandparent who has no hope of catching them up. I've frequently stopped kids and suggested they wait for granny, who usually smiles gratefully!
Rowgtfc72 · 31/01/2020 21:38

Dd used to scoot to primary school and I used to scoot it home. Great fun!

recrudescence · 31/01/2020 21:48

I’m fed up with being forced to take evasive action from children on scooters. Scooters don’t belong on the pavement.

Biancadelrioisback · 31/01/2020 21:53

I'm fed up of people whinging for the sake of it.

Yellredder · 31/01/2020 21:57

We have a ten minute walk/scoot to school. Daughter rarely zooms off as she likes to hold my hand and chat. I wheel it back. No problem.

recrudescence · 31/01/2020 21:59

I'm fed up of people whinging for the sake of it.

Do you have any examples?

EvilPea · 31/01/2020 22:03

I don’t have an issue with scooting assuming the child is with the parent, infants are just the wrong height for people pulling out of drives to spot.
Also, as others have said the scooting at you until you move attitude.

But other than that, I can’t see the issue.

lovelove9 · 31/01/2020 22:04

You are driving by in your car and judging kids outside on their scooters getting fresh air, exercise and having fun?! Really? They have to pump their little legs hard to keep the scooter rolling along it's not just a passive ride! This is such a dumb post.

lovelove9 · 31/01/2020 22:05

Walking = slow & boring
Scooter = fast & fun

VenusTiger · 31/01/2020 22:20

My 6yo has one OP and it's a godsend! He doesn't ram anyone out of the way - and he is very sensible with it and has manners.
The reason we bought him one is because, he was finding cycling to school tiring and walking with those little legs took a bloody age!!!!! Scooting is fun, and it saves us walking at -1mph!
If he's tired at the end of the day, I push him on it - I don't have to bend at all, it's great!