Should schools be telling parents to walk kids to school?

[bellamountain]

This isn't an argument for the environment or to keep kids fit but to stop the roads around schools becoming so dangerously congested and for parents who do need to drive their kids, to be able to do so and not have to battle for parking. I take the kids to school and then have to shoot off to work, any one doing the same and the car is essential. However, the majority of the mums at my school do not work, they could easily walk their kids the relatively short distance but choose not too. They all have huge cars and all aim to get as close to the school as possible, it makes crossing the road dangerous, even with a one way system in place enforced by the school. Parents also sitting in their cars with the engines idling with the heater or air con. I'll be the first to admit that I love my car and I couldn't live without it, but when I'm not at work I walk to school and back. It's far less stressful yet the same parents clog the roads every day. I swear it's a pissing contest sometimes to flaunt who has the nicest car and this is a state school!

"I didn't know it had nuts in it".

IN THE RAIN!? Holy shit, you're hardcore.

Thank you to those who got what I meant, those of you living in the real world. To the others entirely missing the point.... carry on being bitter.

🤣🤣🤣

You don’t get to dictate one rule for you and another for people with different circumstances. That’s just being a CF.

Get over yourself!

Best example of 'do as I say, don't do as I do' I've seen on here for ages.

it's about doing our collective bit

I'm interested to know what 'bit' you are doing - collective or otherwise, whilst you drive your child/ren to school?

We're 15 minutes walk away so my pair walk/scoot but the majority of the kids are driven.
It's absolutely lethal in the morning. There is a nearby car park but there's still cars up on the path, or on double yellow lines to get nearer to the school.

OP, I walk my kids to school and have pretty much the definition of a Big Important Job, so I’m not “bitter” (really? ) and have no axe to grind here.

You really need to stop digging yourself into this hole. This is coming across as “Parents, stop driving your kids to school as you are getting in my way so I can’t park opposite the school gates. I have a Big Important Job don’t you know, not like you worthless SAHMs spending all day drinking coffee”.

Schools should tell parents to walk children to school.

Haha. Light the blue touch paper and stand back!

That will do lots for home/school relations.

You are being a hypocrite because you are differentiating between your driving and other people's driving. You are part of the problem - accept it and stop judging others for doing what you do.

😂😂 What a hypocrite.

Sorry, what an important and busy hypocrite.

But this is the same for you then on your working days too surely?

Fwiw I've never known a school not to have this issue.

Though I definitely notice that in the summer fewer people drive.

I remember when Ds1 was in primary school, one parent used to insist on driving her son to school, against all his protests. They lived opposite the far corner of the school aging field. The rare time we drove to school, we parked virtually outside their house :o

How do you know what other parents are doing most days after dropping kids off unless you're following them back home? Even if they are just going back home they could still have a "need" to drive to school such as health reasons. If I had to do the school run now I couldn't walk it, and nobody but my close family know about it.

There's a point to me made about all the traffic making it unsafe for pedestrians and wanting to reduce that but you can't say only parents who work can park near the school. Dds school used to do a thing where parents could drop the kids at local library and staff and volunteers would walk with the kids to school, that was popular because parents could drop a bit earlier too, maybe you could ask the school about that with you volunteering to help in your days off and drumming up other volunteers and helping with a rota of parents.

Playing field 😣

Why haven't any school implemented a system like America?

People need their cars (get over yourself OP)

We need to upgrade the school system and streets

I’m just settling in with popcorn for this one 😂

Because most people live too close to the local primary school for it to be worth it over here! No point a school bus driving around and picking up kids from 500m away is there - even OP says most children live less than ten minutes walk away.

I didn't mean the bus

They also have a very effective and simple pick up/drop off system.

Everyone always moans and bitches about all the cars but never comes up with a workable solution that accepts the cars are staying.

You know, this thread reminds me of how much fun the Workzilla threads were.

OP has to drive, because she work-work-work-work-works (twirl)

@AskingforaBaskin oh fair enough, I misunderstood you.

These types of campaigns are always 'walk to school' aren't they? Not 'walk to work' or 'walk to the supermarket'. Lots of people drive short distances every day. Lots of people park where they shouldn't, and for more than 10 minutes as well. No one goes on about 50 year old executives clogging the roads up. When we hear about non essential journeys it's always women and children getting in the way of legitimate road users. Even though children are, unlike employees, tourists or people going to weddings/birthdays/etc legally obliged by statute to be in the place they're heading to.

Honestly, it’s ok for you but not for the other parents just because they don’t work. I drive to school for part of the week because I need the car to drop off my youngest at preschool 10 minutes drive from the school. I’m a stay at home parent but still have a valid reason to drive. On the other days we walk the 50 minute round trip. You’re so clear that your reasons are valid and more important!