To not buy a second car we can't afford just to do 0.7 mile school run!

[Acunningruse]

Our second car broke during the first lockdown and we haven't replaced it as DH and I now both do 3days wfh/2 days in office. This means that the parent wfh that day walks the children (9 and 5) to school. We live 0.7 mile away from school and to be honest it's been absolutely lovely over the spring and summer months, having time together on a morning and not fighting for a parking space. However...
This morning was absolutely biblical rain, just torrential. I wrapped kids up as best as I could in waterproof coats, wellies and took ab umbrella (utterly useless in wind!) but we still got soaked. Dd (5) thought splashing in puddles was hilarious but DS (9) was increasingly grumpy, muttering about how 'no-one else' walks (this unfortunately is almost true, 99% families drive) abs then got very upset that his trousers were soaked so now of course I feel horrendously guilty. Not to mention all the playground comments this morning of 'oh goodness, you walked in THIS! You must be soaked!' No shit Sherlock but it's a bit of water I'm not sending them down the mine ffs!!!

AIBU- no, buy another car at once, walking every day will be awful in winter
IANBU- no, buy the kids some waterproofs (where to change them though? School not really set up for it as above no-one else walks far) and tell them when I was a girl I walked to school in rain hail or snow, uphill both ways...

Seen your comments regarding taxis- if you use them more than once and they know where to go then they will turn up. I have also lived in rural Yorkshire !!

If you can afford it buy a car. I don't do rain or cold. But if folk love getting soaked and frozen then ok walk.

Absolutely you shouldn't be buying a second car just for this. For all sorts of reasons!

I know what you mean OP.

We walk to school most days (0.9 miles) or go on scooters - getting an adult scooter last year for myself has been brilliant.

However, there is just the odd day when you really want to go in the car, eg today, when it was torrential rain for us too.

I don’t think I’d buy a car for just the odd days though. It’d be cheaper to get a taxi on those few days!

I always think we’re so lucky just to have 0.9 miles to school! Mind you we’re in outer London and there’s a school on every corner!

If you genuinely don't need a second car for any other reason, don't get one! If it would make your life easier in other situations (when you have different plans at the weekend / holidays) and can afford it, I'd get one. But definitely not just for the odd school run!

No way. 0.7 miles is not even that far. It’s bad for the environment and is an unnecessary cost. The obsession with driving everywhere, is a contributing factor in why so many people are overweight and unhealthy

where I live 0.7m would take longer by car than walking...

Walk them to school and bring a change of clothes.

I'm rolling my eyes at those suggesting a taxi when it rains 🙄

I used to be a lollipop lady and honestly, the first sign of rain meant traffic chaos in and around all the local schools.

Some parents need to get the memo that their kids won't dissolve. Plus, you'd likely be stuck in traffic for ages anyway because (see above).

YANBU.

Get proper clothes, good umbrellas, maybe bring spare socks. We have an obesity crisis and a climate crisis because everyone got used to driving short distances and “cannot cope without a car”. There won’t be torrential rain every day, where I am today was the worst day in probably a couple of years.

As for the poster upthread who “hates walking”, FFS, there are people in wheelchairs and children who walk 5 miles to school every day to get an education, check your privilege.

@Availableforbaking

Unless one of you is disabled or has mobility issues driving 0.7 miles is the height of laziness. No wonder the propulsion is obese and roads near schools are chaos. Walk or cycle. Change of clothes if it’s that wet.

I agree with this - 0.7 mile to school!

Can the 9 year old walk in wellies and joggers and then nip in and change into school trousers and shoes and give you the wet clothing to take home? Its only a few days a year.
I would ask about taxi firms as there are often a few around even in very rural areas.

Decent rain coats (knee length if possible rather than hip length and welly boots are all you need.

0.7 miles is no distance. It must take you longer to strap everyone into the car and find a space at the other end than it would to walk.

Blimey, 0.7 miles?! I wouldn’t think of using my car for a distance like that!!

Also, your kids are quite old and can walk at a normal pace, carry their own bags etc. It’s a bit harder in the rain with a slow meandering toddler.

They need longer wellies and a longer waterproof coat so their trousers / tights don’t get soaked. It is absolutely ridiculous that anyone would expect healthy kids to be driven 0.7 miles!!!

If others make comments like "you didn't walk in this!" for a bit of rain, I'd be throwing it right back at them "You drove! Yet again! Really? Don't you just live round the corner? Have you heard of something called climate change?"
No way I'd be made to feel bad for saving money, helping to save the planet, and keeping my kids fit.

Honestly, you are doing your kids a favour by teaching them how to deal with bad weather. When they get their first jobs or go to university will they be able to afford a car? Will they even have a car parking space at their home or place of work? Much better for them to learn now how to live without depending on a car.

If you live rurally then I imagine you would
already be kitted up with wellies and bad weather gear. As they say, no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.

I think it’s lazy to be honest. It really is.

Be prepared for the weather, and you’ll not go far wrong. Get the kids decent shoes and coats and they’ll dry out. Give them spare socks if you must.

Full expensive waterproofs will set you back £500 for the family, much cheaper than a car but spend the money.

Also, if possible get them to take off the waterproofs at school and wfh parent takes them home and puts them on the radiator. So they are dry to walk home with.

i would buy waterproof pants and jackets - spend the money on that! waterproof pants you can take off and put in your bag and take home to dry? then you walk them back for pick up

no i would not buy a 2nd car for 1.4 mile round trip a day!

Agree re waterproofs. You could take the waterproofs back home with you and have them dry for the return journey, if the weather has not improved during the day.
I definitely would not be buying a second car for such a short journey.

YANBU

We always walk. We're lucky enough to be about the same distance you are from school and driving is way more stressful. There's nowhere to park anyway.

We usually walk or scoot but days like this morning, we have driven as kids tend to be so much slower walking in the rain and we do all end up quite wet (waterproof jackets are great but find stepping in puddles is the problem for little ones).

Whoever said these days don’t happen often must be living in a different part of the country to me (London was pouring today, had it a couple weeks ago too and rain expected the rest of the week too).

I wouldn’t especially buy a second car for it but def don’t want children cold and wet by the time we get to school.