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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

184 replies

Acunningruse · 27/09/2021 12:00

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... Grin

OP posts:
MasterBeth · 27/09/2021 12:50

@FabulouslyFab

Don’t buy another car - it will work out cheaper buying good quality waterproof clothing in the long run!
It will work out cheaper in the short term too! How much were you planning to spend on waterproofs!
AntiMaskersAreTwats · 27/09/2021 12:50

We got a really small, cheap electric car as our second car. We use it for local runs and for the rare occasion we both need a car at the same time. It’s been a godsend, especially in times of fuel shortage. It has ended up saving us more than it costs us.

ChaoBella · 27/09/2021 12:51

Better more expensive waterproof clothing will not always keep everything dry. It is far more important that they fit well and they are tucked in where needed. I also suggest changing shoes and socks upon arrival. A good sized backpack with pairs of shoes wrapped in carrier bags will do the job.

Stellaris22 · 27/09/2021 12:52

Driving that distance, twice a day would be completely ridiculous. Definitely stick to your guns and keep walking, it's great exercise and teaching big kids that you can't just 'jump in a car' for everyday short trips is very important.

We walk about the same distance to school and it's just over a mile (each way) once a week for a swimming lesson.

Emmacb82 · 27/09/2021 12:52

I walked in the torrential rain this morning with ds5 and ds1 in his buggy. Rain cover on, waterproofs on and off we go. And I have a perfectly good car outside that I refuse to use on the school run. Can’t be doing with the amount of traffic and trying to find somewhere to park. So much easier to just walk.

arethereanyleftatall · 27/09/2021 12:52

If you're not exaggerating, and your school is not in the middle of nowhere, it is INSANE that 99% drive. Awful.

It wouldn't cross my mind to drive 0.7 miles anywhere. Nor anyone I know.

My own experience is that 90% of our school walk, we're all within a mile. Others come from further or on their way to work so they drive. Amounts to about 20 cars.

How big is your school? If it's one form entry, 7 year groups, that's 200 cars every day?!? Just how?

Stellaris22 · 27/09/2021 12:52

*teaching kids

Lovelydovey · 27/09/2021 12:53

Both of mine walked just over a mile each to school - they’ve got decent waterproof jackets. It would take longer to drive them than it does to walk there and back - and even longer at the moment given queues for petrol….

I guess I’m in the mean mummy camp.

DoctorSnortles · 27/09/2021 12:54

I live in a rural village. We moved here years ago and part of our reason for doing so was so our child could go to a local primary school and would be able to walk there and back, which we always do. I am always shocked to see neighbours driving their kids round to school. Some days they have to park so far away from school they are actually walking further than if they walked from home! One woman, like a PP, told me she just refuses to do cold or damp, so puts her child in her massive Audi and drives 0.5 miles to school so her hair doesn’t go frizzy, then spends ten minutes trying to park.

Ridiculous.

Keep walking, OP. You just need waterproofs and a cheery attitude.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 27/09/2021 12:55

I can't drive. School a 30 minute walk away. On days where the rain is absolutely torrential like this morning I take a cab. If it's just light/medium rain then it's wellies, umbrella, waterproofs and a change of socks in DS's bag if his socks get wet.

I have found that torrential rain really doesn't happen that often, not at the exact moment you're walking to school. Just regular rain is manageable.

Iggly · 27/09/2021 12:55

@AntiMaskersAreTwats

We got a really small, cheap electric car as our second car. We use it for local runs and for the rare occasion we both need a car at the same time. It’s been a godsend, especially in times of fuel shortage. It has ended up saving us more than it costs us.
How can you save more? Are you saying that a decent coat (which you should have anyway) and decent shoes (ditto) are more than running a car Hmm
Macncheeseballs · 27/09/2021 12:57

Cycle, scooters, cargo bikes

Peace43 · 27/09/2021 12:59

I walk my dog in all weathers. The key is clothing! Buy waterproof trousers and coats as well as the umbrella. I’d also carry a dry flannel in my pocket to dry my face with as I go in through the door. That and wellies means I stay fully dry when walking 3 miles twice a day.

NamechangeApril21 · 27/09/2021 13:00

I do a 20 minute walk in all weathers with the kids just so we don't have to put a car on the road. To be fair, torrential rain is the most miserable it can be, we can tolerate all other weather, even the snow or bitter cold, much better than torrential rain. We luckily don't get that much torrential rain, it's normally drizzle. So it's not worth putting a csr on the road for the torrential days that are actually few and far between. Sod all the other parents passing comments.

Blurp · 27/09/2021 13:00

A second car just for this would be ridiculous. On really bad mornings can you get a taxi?

I always find that wet mornings are fine; it's the mornings that are really windy that are difficult! And actually there are very few mornings that are really terrible; this time of year is generally worse than the depths of winter (depends where you live though).

HaveringWavering · 27/09/2021 13:00

I’m really surprised that your 9 year old is pushing you to buy a car- most kids these days are taught a lot about climate change at school and love shaming their parents about not living sustainably. My 5 year old is quite the little eco-warrior. At his school it would be kudos to have parents who don’t drive.

Fizbosshoes · 27/09/2021 13:01

I got absolutely soaked on my way to the station this morning- wearing skinny jeans. I ended up buying a cheap pair of trousers at the nearest shop to work (thankfully I don't need to look smart!Blush)
My kids are secondary age and their school is a similar distance away. I did feel bad not offering them a lift but the school requests parking one street away and those streets are usually so ridiculously busy they would have had to walk half way anyway. DS wore a coat and put his blazer in his bag to put on at school which is essentially against the (stupid) rules but I'm hoping they'll show some leniency.

BoredZelda · 27/09/2021 13:01

Take a taxi if it’s raining really hard.

Maybe if they live in a big city, but in any town at the moment, trying to get a taxi at school drop off at the moment is nigh on impossible. Our LA hires every spare taxi there is for providing school transport for kids with disabilities.

Kotatsu · 27/09/2021 13:02

If you really can't change waterproofs, then wellies and a long coat is the best you can do (surely the school asks for wellies? Most primaries in rainy places I've lived have required a pair be left at school - at least those that didn't require full snow gear that is!)

manywildhorses · 27/09/2021 13:02

Dc have just moved schools so we now have to drive.

We were in your position the last 5 years though. We have two cars but walked no matter the weather. They moaned but it's not that far and the parking was a nightmare and now they kind of miss it. Wellies when it's really bad, nothing worse than wet feet all day. Change into shoes at school. Take spare socks just in case. Decent raincoat and a brolly each. It won't be daily and it would be ridiculous to buy a car just to drive them a short distance to school on the odd occasion it rains.

We're missing the walk and also the exercise. I now have to get an extra half an hour of exercise time in a day to make up for sitting in the car during the school run!

FreeBritnee · 27/09/2021 13:03

You can get waterproofs that are easy to whip off once you get there. Don’t buy a car because of rain.

10yearwarranty · 27/09/2021 13:05

Some answers are a bit daft... wellingtons, a waterproof jacket with hood and some waterproof over-trousers that zip from top to bottom - so that you can open them out completely along the outside of your legs to take them off. Spare pair of shoes in a bag. Easy and dry. I do it all the time as I have horses to care for and often go straight to work from there.

LowlandLucky · 27/09/2021 13:05

Half a mile from school, that is a 10 minute stroll. Use waterproofs

ineedaholidayandwine · 27/09/2021 13:06

I can't drive so have to walk when my husband isn't around, i'm buying some waterproof trousers and some smart school appropriate ankle boots, granted her trousers will have to go over her dress but as long as she's dry.

Bimblybomeyelash · 27/09/2021 13:07

Getting a car would be madness. We walk rain or shine. Sometimes when it is absolutely torrential we might leave 5 minutes later to avoid the worst. But it really isn’t that torrential that often. Pretty much everyone walks at our school though, you’d be more likely to be judged for driving than you would be for making your kids walk in the rain.