Too far for 4 year old to walk?

[Thejoyfulstar]

Sorry, this is so mundane. Feel free to just do the poll if you don't want to reply (it's super boring!)

My 4 year old goes to a club after school (the club requires the kids to be quite active). She will be 5 in a few months.

It's a 25 minute walk from our house (and of course 25 minutes back). I'm trying to get at least 10,000 steps in a day to help with losing baby weight and this seems like a good opportunity to get my steps in.

I have a baby who will be in the pram, so can't stick my 4 year old in a buggy or anything like that. I tried the 'ride on' attachment before, and it really hurt my back as I don't have arms like Inspector Gadget. DD would just have to walk alongside me. The walk itself is lovely: a straight road along a long row of leafy trees. The weather where I live is currently beautiful.

I can't help but feel guilty that it's too far for a 4 year old to walk. On the other hand, we are trying to promote a healthy, active lifestyle for our kids. I would just drive if the concensus was that the walk is too long for little legs as its only 5 minutes by car.

So,
YABU: it's unfair to make a 4 year old walk for 1 hour in total
YANBU: this is fine for a 4 year old

I have no idea what people who don't drive do. Take the bus, take a scooter, give piggy backs, bring a buggy board, break the walk up? That's why I'm asking 😀

@InChocolateWeTrust it most likely won't rain today. I live in a country with a warm climate where the weather is less changeable than in the UK.

Baby in the sling, pushchair for the 4 year old?

Or start with walking and do the switch if she runs out of energy?

I also would add that I wouldn't take a child in my car without the correct carseat, as much as I would hate to see anyone walking in the cold 😬

This. Lots of parents also simply wont have room in the car for, say, another parent & two more kids.

That's not too far. I was walking to school that distance at your child's age, and back, and we did 9-3.45 from day one. Walking is good.

Get a balance bike. My 4 year old does massive distances on his balance bike that he just wouldn’t walk. He goes to nursery and back on it every day (2.5 miles each way) and at the weekend we can do a massive London park with him on it.

My 4 year old had to walk a mile to school and back every day. They soon get used to it but expect tiredness and tears for the first week or two. Extra snacks, cuddles and patience. Consider a buggy board for the short term.

Thanks all! I am going to investigate a balance bike. My husband just texted and says he can come and pick us up afterwards if DD is too tired so we have a contingency plan for that! Will also look for the scooter to save her little legs.
Thanks everyone. I'm very glad I asked!

It's worth paying out for a scooter, rather than getting a cheap one. I know that you aren't in the UK but you could get something similar. While the walking is fine, it's after a school day and children do get tired. Scooters make it fun.

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I honestly don't know why you would consider it too far!

I do 25 mins to childcare and back 3 (6!) times a week with my just turned 3 year old. It's fine

Sounds like the perfect road for a balance bike. As long as your not in a hurry sounds great.

Those of us who can’t drive… Walk. Don’t be one of those parents who raises a child who moans if they have to walk 50 yards. Take a scooter if you feel you must, but in my experience they turn out to be more hassle.

honestly a 4 year old child is not going to be harmed by taking to their legs for a couple of miles. Yes they’ll probably moan, but small children moan about every non-exciting activity to start with, doesn’t mean it’s hurting them. Talk, play I Spy, whatever. Most of the world’s population has to walk, and how do you think the human race survived before the advent of cars? Seriously, humans didn’t just evolve legs to stick out from their arse, they do have a function.

My almost 4 year old is a super walker and would manage that no problem at all. Go for it.

My daughter has just turn 5 and in reception. We walk 20 mins to and from school every day with no issue. I wouldn’t say it’s too far.

i did take them on a walk at the weekend that was 1hr 30mins and they got tired towards the end (6km). How far is the actual walk each way?

I never had to walk to school as a child, nor have my kids. I've recently had a baby and during the pregnancy couldn't walk for more than ten minutes at a time. After my c section I could barely walk yo the park across the road for ages afterwards. Thats a year of limited mobility so I guess my whole view of how far is ok feels skewed at the minute.

We walk. My kids have walked 30 min each way to school and back since reception. When we go out or on holiday they'll happily walk 20km without an issue. I find it quite shocking how quickly some of their friends start moaning about "long walks", I guess they get driven everywhere

The walk is 1.5 km each way

Is this a joke? I should bloody hope an almost 5 year old can wslk 25 minutes each way!!

I’d try the buggy board again if she’s tired she will probably be grateful .take a sling and put baby in that .

I think it purely depends on the child, you'll know if it's too much for her. DD who's almost 3 would happily do this (it would likely take us a lot longer) but we walk a lot so she's been used to walking everywhere since she started walking. DN who is 4 would moan the whole way there and back so I wouldn't even attempt it. Defo take a bike or a scooter to break it up a bit for her.

@CorpseReviver I don't want to raise sedentary kids either so that's interesting you have noticed the difference. Definitely thinking I'm making the right choice. Was doubting myself.

My DD is the same age and there’s no chance she’d walk it. We’d get there fine on a scooter but wouldn’t get back after an active club at the end of the long day. It sounds like your DH can do pick ups if required so that’s great, if he couldn’t then I’d suck up the buggy board even if it’s awkward, or not do the club. They’re all different though, yours might be fine!

My 5 year old could do that walk but he would struggle, after school, to do that walk then a physical activity and then walk back. It's the combination not so much a 25 min walk in and of itself.

We don't have a car and I am finding it really tricky for after school activities for this reason.