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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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...

OP posts:

Wnikat · 27/09/2021 13:37

Get some dungaree style waterproof trousers, easy to take on and off. And an umbrella to hold over them when they change.

3scape · 27/09/2021 13:38

I did cycle today. Waterproofs on, it's fine, if you're heading somewhere with a shower. Just have to be even more cautious of cars as rain seems to reduce car drivers ability to see road users threefold.

Glitterbaby17 · 27/09/2021 13:40

@Gncq

You can get really fantastic double layered waterproof trousers from Mountain Warehouse to help with the wet trouser problem, sorry if I misunderstood your post but if trousers are getting soaked maybe they aren't wearing these?

They slip on over school trousers beautifully so the school trousers stay dry.
Works for my 5yo. We're walking too at the moment.

Which ones would you recommend out of interest?

ILoveShula · 27/09/2021 13:44

Free exercise and free fresh air. 0.7 of a mile is nothing.
I walk that to the station and about the same at the other end.

CyclingIsNotOuting · 27/09/2021 13:45

@Acunningruse I had to ask the TA for the school spares so my DC could get dry tights this morning as I “made” her walk in the rain.
In her defence we do have a car and I could have drove but (despite her pleas) I said it wasn’t raining that hard and didn’t even put her in wellies
Turns out it was pouring.

I also felt guilty especially after seeing the scowl she gave me when I asked for the school spares…

1forAll74 · 27/09/2021 13:49

There are some women in my village, who actually get their cars out, and actually drive their kids to school, and you can see their houses up the road from the school. Some of them say that their children don't like walking anywhere.. especially if it's raining or windy !!

RIPWalter · 27/09/2021 13:50

YANBU.

Forecast is terrible for tomorrow and DH will have our only car to go to a funeral so I will be cycling (e bike thankfully) the 3 miles across the moors (We live in Snowdonia and the school is very high up and we live even higher up at 335m elevation) to and from school to pick DD up from nursery class. I think full waterproofs are going to be required.

coachmylife · 27/09/2021 13:52

Really good waterproofs:
Most important are long wellies, which you can then swap for their shoes when they get to school.

I think waterproof trousers are a right pain, as they are tricky to take off outside etc. etc. Zippable trousers, or a cloak. Or just a longer coat.

We walk a similar distance, and have done so for 10 years - just two more to go now. I've got DRENCHED going to pick them up several times, but can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times we have been soaked on the way in.

HSHorror · 27/09/2021 13:52

One of our neighbours drove their 3yo a 1min walk literally round the corner in a 4x4. Now that is insane. Then drove to the park with a bike in the boot. (Maybe 10min walk) and said the dc walks everywhere lolol

BashfulClam · 27/09/2021 13:54

I always find it vex weird how many people drive kids to school. I walked every day, primary schools was half a mile away (I walked myself after a few months but there was always loads of people heading in that direction and no roads to cross) . Secondary school was a mile away and I live in the West of Scotland where torrential rain is common. I remember being wet and/or cold several times. I got picked up once because I nearly fainted.

Skinnytailedsquirrel · 27/09/2021 13:56

You would be being extremely unreasonable to buy a car/use a car to drive less than a mile to school.
This is why there is a global climate crisis, because people feel entitled to do selfish things like this.
Walk. Wear proper clothes. We are not in the Arctic.

sunflowerdaisies · 27/09/2021 13:59

We live 0.5 miles away and some of our neighbours drive, it's easier to walk than faff with parking! We have two cars but always walk. They wear wellies and have an umbrella each and that's normally fine. Heavens opened this morning so they put waterproof trousers on with skirt tucked inside.

LoomBoom · 27/09/2021 14:00

0.7 mile is doable though when chucking down and younger kids preferable to have the option to drive. Perhaps there are mums you could carpool with for those days?

We are 1.3 miles, 30 minute uphill walk, we mostly drive. When the car is at mechanic it is a real pain and all the taxis are contracted for school runs (with loads available outside of school run hours). That said I'd walk everyday if I didnt need to start work by 8/9am.

Etonmessisyum · 27/09/2021 14:01

We live 3/4 miles from school it’s not walkable but when it was I loved walking them.

I knew this morning we’d need to leave early as no one would be walking due to the rain. I’ve to cross a city and take dc to 2 schools so need to get there on time. High school was mobbed. Primary school I didn’t see anyone walking. We park a bit away and walk as it’s a nice area but no close parking anyway. My kids actually (weirdly) like the rain so was telling them to do their jackets up etc. When I was a child we didn’t have a car. Mum could drive, dad couldn’t and he was miserly with money so we didn’t have a car. We walked everywhere so no choice. We walked to Safeway with mum and took backpacks for the shopping and carried some bags once a week, walked to beach etc i don’t remember it being awful and it was in the north of Scotland so really cold wet & snowy winters we survived but we’re always well wrapped up always had welly boots and waterproofs etc. I don’t even really like driving my own kids to school but I don’t have a choice due to where we live, I’d enjoy a walk too. That’s the rain back on just in time for home time

HarrisonStickle · 27/09/2021 14:01

You could also have an arrangement with another family who do drive, so that on days when it really is too awful to walk, you can give them a ring and they can take your kids to school. These days will be very far and few between, but it'd be good to have a backup if it were needed.

Mol1628 · 27/09/2021 14:02

10/15 minute walk for us. The rain is really a non issue. Sometimes they get a bit wet. They dry off. On really bad days they put wellies and over trousers on.

They moan occasionally but I explain to them that rain isn’t an acceptable reason to drive a short distance. I have a car and can drive but if it’s a walkable distance, we always walk.

Kids moan about stuff sometimes that’s just what they do.

Mustreadabook · 27/09/2021 14:04

We (almost) always walk to school. I find that actually at least 50% of the time that it looks like you will get soaked it doesn't actually happen, it does rain less than you think it does! Also it probably helps the children be awake and ready for school.
If your son is tall and slim look at decathlon for waterproofs, they all seem to be slim fit and are pretty cheap too.
We also use scooters quite a bit of the time, when they were little it was much faster, now that's not really a problem but I have one too and it's much more fun than walking. The school has a bike shed to leave them in. I wonder if you could try and interest the school in getting their 'green credentials' by encouraging walking and cycling eg somewhere to hang coats, time to change, somewhere to leave bikes. There is a national cycle to school week where our school randomly gives a prize each day by attaching it to a bike in the bike shed.

DrCoconut · 27/09/2021 14:04

I'm not sure that schools have the facilities and time for everyone to get changed out of/into and dry head to toe waterproofs. Not to mention all the items getting lost or stolen every day. I'm pretty sure our school would ask you to stop bringing them due to the logistics. It's one of those nice(?) but impractical ideas. The reality is you either drive/get lift/taxi or your kid spends the day soaking wet and miserable. I just missed the rain this morning luckily.

RobinPenguins · 27/09/2021 14:10

I'm not sure that schools have the facilities and time for everyone to get changed out of/into and dry head to toe waterproofs. Not to mention all the items getting lost or stolen every day.

It doesn’t rain heavily every day. This is just making excuses.

Calendulaaaaa · 27/09/2021 14:11

@DrCoconut

This might depend on your school - our school get annoyed by parents driving when there's no need.

Lockdownbear · 27/09/2021 14:13

For the very low number of days when it's raining that heavy I'd taxi.

Back in the day we all walked very very occasionally it was really really heavy rain. On those days we all changed into gym shoes and I think some into shorts too.

But really your talking maybe one or two days a year.

steppemum · 27/09/2021 14:13

When mine were primary age, we always walked. So three kids, that is about 12 years. (youngest is now 13)

I think we really only got wet about 2-3 times a year. On those days we wore wellies (dry feet was the most important thing I think).

It was often drizzly, or cold or damp, but very, very rarely actually wet.

thecatsthecats · 27/09/2021 14:15

My local school has an 800 yard catchment area, but they've still had to put up a special anti-traffic zone around it because of the number of people driving their kids in.

I lived a 1.5 mile walk from work and only ever skipped walking when I had stuff I couldn't carry. It gave good head space from my working day. In fact my vets is that distance away and I find driving and parking more difficult just walking.

HTH1 · 27/09/2021 14:15

Not to state the obvious but why doesn’t the one who is working drop them into school? If they work reasonably standard hours, the timing should work and the school run shouldn’t add on that much extra time.

KittenSmitten · 27/09/2021 14:16

Look at Polarn and Pyret, they do amazing rain and cold weather coats. Get yourself some nice all weather boots too- Dubarrys or similair. It’s not cheap stuff but compared to a car and all running coasts it’s peanuts! And it will keep you all dry and toasty. Great way to start the day: well done, wish I could do they same!

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