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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Walking vs driving kids to school

458 replies

OpportunityKnocks · 12/02/2020 13:27

I've seen a few rants about traffic on local Facebook pages.

Every single time there is someone who says 'well, if the parents walked their children the half mile to school then we wouldn't have this problem' with an inference that parents are lazy.

Well, actually, people usually drive because it is quicker, just like they drive to work because it's quicker than walking or public transport.

Parents, like the rest of the population have stuff to do. It wound me up because a lot of comments were targeted at parents that don't work. I'm currently on mat leave and drive DS to/from preschool. I have other reasons why I drive him aside from time, but that's irrelevant. Why is my time any less valuable than someone who has to go to work? That half a mile is a 40 minute round trip walking vs a 20 minute round trip driving.

So AIBU to call these people out on blaming parents for traffic?

OP posts:

youareacuntychops · 13/02/2020 08:55

In fact it must take me less than 10 minutes on the way home as I can get ds to nursery, in jacket off, change shoes, kiss goodbye and back home in 20 minutes.
I genuinely think it would take longer / be more hassle driving.

Selfsettling3 · 13/02/2020 08:58

@youareacuntychops how do you get your 3 year old to walk that fast? We walk the same distance but it’s takes me so much longer with DD.

LaurieMarlow · 13/02/2020 09:02

how do you get your 3 year old to walk that fast?

Mine scooted at that age. Or buggy board.

BackInTime · 13/02/2020 09:08

A 40 minute round trip walk is not really that bad OP. I think people are overly attached to their cars when its often easier to walk plus the health benefits for both you and your DC.

Songofsixpence · 13/02/2020 09:14

surely someone who is old enough to be at college is old enough to wear a coat?

I don’t know about college, but my children’s high school has made it pretty impossible for kids to wear coats to school.

Coats are not allowed to be worn on school grounds and they’re not allowed to be carried into class rooms. They have no lockers or cloakrooms so no where to store them.

They strictly enforce it, even on days like today when it’s absolutely pissing down.

My kids walk most of the time as it is only half a mile or so, but I do drive them it when the weather is absolute pish like today. I drive past their school to get to work so I just stop and let them out.

BreathlessCommotion · 13/02/2020 09:18

Thousands of people, including children die every year from respiratory conditions directly linked to air pollution from cars. Which is usually very high around schools.

So no, your time isn't worth that and the future of the planet.

motortroll · 13/02/2020 09:22

I've moved away from my kids school, it's a 15 min drive and would take an hour to walk so we drive.

However....I don't park right by the school where it's really busy, I park about 10 mins walk away or by my old house and we walk.

Tbh I find the road around the school really stressful and hard to park, I don't know why anyone would try to get that close!!

I am now a sahm but when I was working I can understand the stress of walking as you then have to walk back to your car before you can actually leave for work! That said when I was working I had to be at work for 8 so they went to breakfast club before everyone else arrived so I'd drop them much closer to school.

I honestly think if you can walk all or part of it then you should! It's far less stressful!

Selfsettling3 · 13/02/2020 09:25

@ LaurieMarlow Thanks. She nolonger likes to take the scooter and baby is in the sling. I think I just need to walk faster and hold her hand.

PooWillyBumBum · 13/02/2020 09:30

The only time I ever drove DD the 0.5 miles to school was on the way to work (which is 11 miles away :( ). Unless someone has issues with mobility I think jumping in the car for a 1 mile round trip is a bit of a poor example. Yes, they dawdle when they’re young but they soon get faster and that time outside doing gentle exercise is really beneficial.

I don’t understand why anyone would prefer driving over walking, especially in congested areas. We are looking to relocate and ability to walk to schools and amenities is probably number one on my list!

Do walking crocodiles still exist? Maybe we need more of those!

opticaldelusion · 13/02/2020 09:35

SAHMs )of which I am one )do not usually go straight home but pop to shops /coffee with chum/dog out ! Many people seem to think its a piece of cake to walk DC to School until they have tried it!

Is this satire?

Oblomov20 · 13/02/2020 09:38

There are 3 primary's where we live. All the same distance from us, approx 1mile. Takes 20 minutes to walk. We are at the end of primary now, but I've walked the mile there, every day when I wasn't working. On a work day I drive, dropped ds's at school, or pre school club in the early days, and went to work. Assume that's the norm.

Original poster

OpportunityKnocks · 13/02/2020 09:41

I love how much I'm told that I'm lazy.
When I return to work in a month and do that same drive, will I still be classed as lazy?

OP posts:

JosefKeller · 13/02/2020 09:46

No but they don't want to get wet!
Who wouldn't want their child comfortably dry?

ahem... may I introduce you to a groundbreaking concept of waterproof clothes and boots.

Coats are not allowed to be worn on school grounds
REALLY? You are a parent, up to you to take up with the school.

JosefKeller · 13/02/2020 09:48

I love how much I'm told that I'm lazy.

Not so much lazy as strangely organised. It is true what a poster said above, when you have decided to have children, the school run becomes part of your commitments. Yes, it takes time, but so does feeding your kids. You don't shortcut it because it's taking over your "me time".

LaurieMarlow · 13/02/2020 09:49

When I return to work in a month and do that same drive, will I still be classed as lazy?

Well it depends. Is your place of work an easily walkable distance from the school? Then yes.

However what often happens is that school drop off is at 8.45 (say) and you have 15 minutes to get to your workplace 4 miles away. So in that case, no you wouldn’t be.

As a SAHM you have much more flexibility to organise your time than a working parent. That’s why people are somewhat that you can’t manage walking half a mile to school.

cologne4711 · 13/02/2020 09:51

My son's secondary school was half a mile away and it took him 7 minutes, me 8 minutes if eg I was going to a parent's evening. Even if you double that, it's only about 15. It can't reasonably take any longer than that. So 30 mins morning and evening. That's perfect for keeping fit.

I remember a while ago someone said on here that all the furore over school runs was sexist because on the whole it's mums who still take their kids to school and so the men think it's wrong that women are blocking the roads. There may be a small element of truth in that but in reality, most people live within walking or cycling distance of school and there's no need to drive. And if you do need to drive because it's further, or you're carrying on to work, can you really not park up 5-10 mins walk away? Doesn't ease the congestion necessarily, but does ease air pollution around the school.

LolaSmiles · 13/02/2020 09:53

LaurieMarlow
Shhh. Don't go speaking sense or pointing out the obvious difference between the school run drop off on the way to work and the school run when not working and simply preferring to not take an extra 20 mins to walk.

LaurieMarlow · 13/02/2020 09:53

Don't go speaking sense or pointing out the obvious difference between the school run drop off on the way to work and the school run when not working and simply preferring to not take an extra 20 mins to walk.

elliejjtiny · 13/02/2020 09:57

Primary school is 1.5 miles away from us and secondary is 2.5 miles. We started off walking when dc1 (now 13) started in reception as I had the buggy for dc2, who is disabled, and dc3. When dc2 outgrew the buggy and switched to a wheelchair we had to start taking the bus as I couldn't walk that far while pushing dc2's wheelchair and carrying 1 year old dc3 in a sling. Now dh takes them in the car as the bus took forever and got very expensive when I had to pay for the dc as well as me.

MrsHusky · 13/02/2020 09:58

JosefKeller.. actually, there's quite a few schools that don't allow coats on school premises... there's some idiotic 'academy rules' out there!

MrsHusky · 13/02/2020 09:59

TBH... local parents who drive do tick me off a bit.

I HAVE to drive my DD to school as we live in the next town over from where she goes to school.. trying to find a damn parking space in the morning is a nightmare.. afternoons she walks around to a local friends house and I park on their driveway!

JosefKeller · 13/02/2020 10:02

actually, there's quite a few schools that don't allow coats on school premises... there's some idiotic 'academy rules' out there!

Oh I believe you, but it makes as much sense as banning shoes would be!

adreamofspring · 13/02/2020 10:04

Try walking when you can. It doesn’t have to be one thing or another.

Some days I drive the kids to breakfast club when things are mental at work but we try and walk at least 3 days a week. It’s over a mile. It took 45 mins when they were in reception but gets easier as they get older. You get time to chat with them and play games. It can be my favourite part of the day. If you’re on mat leave you can then take the baby out for activities afterwards. There was a coffee morning near the school that I could go to.

BlueHarry · 13/02/2020 10:06

Our school is half a mile away and it has never taken 40 minutes for us to get there. Maximum 30 mins on a bad day (when DD is being difficult) but mostly I'd say it takes us 15-20 mins. DD usually goes on her scooter but she's still fairly slow, and I'm slow some days because I've got mobility issues and use a walking stick, but I still can't see it ever taking 40 minutes. I do get annoyed by some of the parents who live closer than me and still drive there. It's so congested around the school and the school are always having to ask parents to be more considerate to pedestrians and residents. One woman I know lives a 5 minute walk away and still drives every day. I'm pretty sure it must take her longer to drive than the walk would, once you take the time needed to park into consideration.

BlueHarry · 13/02/2020 10:08

You get time to chat with them and play games. It can be my favourite part of the day.

Yes it can be my favourite part of the day too.

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