To think kids should be able to walk in the rain

[MiaMarshmallows]

To school if it is less than 30 minutes away?

I wish I'd had a choice when dc were smaller for the 5 years I didn't have a car. We survived though. Dc are now pretty hardy and play out in all weathers

Why is starting your day in the rain, starting the day miserably? Why do you perceive people who live differently as 'living in bubbles'?

For many schoolchildren, starting their day in the rain means starting their day wet and cold. If you're happy for your DC to do that (because you think it will toughen them up and prevent any snowflake tendencies), then do crack on. I'm sure they will learn so much better sitting damp and shivering in class.

Less than 30 mins walk in the rain,such a task

@EatYourVegetables

YANBU. Obesity epidemic, climate emergency, and a fuel crisis, yet some people can’t walk for 30 min.

As for the poster who says But it took me 2 hours to get ready, YABU, jeez, what do you do for 2h, it took me less time to give birth.

My fave answer. If you and your child have no physical limitations and you can manage to buy waterproofs, of course it fine to kids to walk, I bought some loose light weight waterproof trousers for exactly this reason! I live on a road with 2 senior schools, so when everyone decides their little darlings need driving cos it's raining, it can take me 30mins to make the 0.6 miles to the school. I can walk it in less than that even with a 2 and 4year old!

And 2 hours to get ready on a school/work day?? What insanity is this 🤯 you need someone in your life telling you, that you look just fine without that much work everyday!!

@Macncheeseballs

Why is starting your day in the rain, starting the day miserably? Why do you perceive people who live differently as 'living in bubbles'?

The OP said, in a subsequent comment, that it was ridiculous for parents to drive. It's only ridiculous if you have time on your hands and ability to walk that far. It's not ridiculous if you don't.

I'd be bloody fed up if I had to walk to work for 30 mins in the pouring rain knowing I had an alternative. We don't all love the rain.

It might not be your idea of how people ought to run their lives in your heads but it isn't ridiculous. Ridiculous is asking an elephant to make you a sandwich. .

Ridiculous is people who "just don't understand" that other people's lives aren't like theirs.

You could also sit with the lights and TV off in the evening reading by candlelight, and wash all your clothes in the bath but I bet you don't.

Can you compare nursery-age kids to teenagers? Don't they usually have to take all the waterproof kit to nursery with them anyway? So it's expected and the nursery/school will have somewhere to store it. I can't see many teenagers turning up in puddlesuits!

We live a 30min walk from our school. We walk unless it's pouring. The girls have raincoats as do I. But TBH I just don't fancy 1hr round trip in the rain with them moaning the whole time.

This wasn’t even a question when my kids were little. Raincoats with hoods and wellies. They loved it!

I think a 30 minute walk is reasonable, provided its safe and they have the proper clothing, shoes and an umbrella if necessary.

Totally depends on whether the parent then has to go somewhere else immediately afterwards. My eldest is in secondary school and walks around 30 minutes to school and then again on the way home whether rain or shine. My youngest we only walk one day a week because other days I need to be elsewhere immediately afterwards which is why she does breakfast club and tea club. If I walked the half hour in the rain to school and then the additional half hour to the university I would not only be late but also probably look a state because I sweat like crazy in waterproof coats and end up just was wet as if I hadn’t worn one. However my youngest will also get the joy of walking herself when she is a little older and then I may be able to walk as well because I won’t have to detour in a different direction to the school first.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to drive in the rain because who wants to end up with wet feet all day (which has happened to my kids before when passing cars have drenched us). But I’m the afternoon on the way home who cares about getting wet when you can get changed and dry straight away when you get home.

Maybe I've never spent enough on waterproofs but they have never kept us properly dry in really torrential weather. But I don't see why kids couldn't walk in non-school clothes with their uniform in a plastic bag inside a rucksack, so it was dry when they got there if it was going to be that bad.

I do know people that walk in all weathers and have expensive rainwear that seems to actually work, but you'd need wellies and waterproof trousers not just a coat or umbrella.

To be honest if it was really hammering down I would take the car even if I don't usually. But light rain or drizzle is different, they would walk in that.

My DH walks my son to school and back every day, whatever the weather.

ha ha ha; agree with you ! :)

@EatYourVegetables

YANBU. Obesity epidemic, climate emergency, and a fuel crisis, yet some people can’t walk for 30 min.

As for the poster who says But it took me 2 hours to get ready, YABU, jeez, what do you do for 2h, it took me less time to give birth.

This ^ 🤣.

We walk to school and back come rain, sun or snow if anything he'd take his scooter.
His dad takes him in the car though.

We walked to school everyday as kids, rain or shine. It was horrid.
I had so many chest infections from sitting in wet clothes all day, it was miserable.
10 min walk in light rain is one thing, half an hour in a downpour is another.

Blimey, I walked to and from school every day in the 80s. A good 45 minutes each way, whatever the weather and in whatever coat I had (less choice and less affordable back then, for us at least). Torrential rain, thick snow. I personally thoroughly enjoyed it, chatting to my mates. My kids also walked to and from secondary school (a good 40 minutes each way). A lot of kids do, I see them every morning on my way to work. It's fine

@FancySomeChips

We walked to school everyday as kids, rain or shine. It was horrid. I had so many chest infections from sitting in wet clothes all day, it was miserable. 10 min walk in light rain is one thing, half an hour in a downpour is another.

Agree with you

Yep, as long as they have decent outer clothes and shoes and aren't made of sugar they'll be fine.

Walking home from school in the rain was quite nice when I was a kid/teen, coming into a nice warm house AND we didn't piss about walking home as we were too cold

If adults wouldn't then why should children. This country still has a strange attitude to childhood.

@Goldbar

For many schoolchildren, starting their day in the rain means starting their day wet and cold. If you're happy for your DC to do that (because you think it will toughen them up and prevent any snowflake tendencies), then do crack on. I'm sure they will learn so much better sitting damp and shivering in class.

Having adequate clothing is important. A raincoat and umbrella and decent shoes will stop them getting damp and shivering in class.

Obviously a child inadequately dressed for the weather is another issue.

It isn't nice to treat children worse than adults. It's from a former time when they needed to be toughened up, I think.

@Bonbonours You have no idea how schools work! They wouldn't be allowed in the building in non uniform. Should they change in the street? In the rain?

I always feel very sorry for the odd kid who is made to walk in the rain, I bet their mum and of course their dad don't do it and then sit in wet clothes all day. To me its abusive, and stonkingly hypocritical.