To have taken DS into school late as couldn’t be arsed to sit in traffic?

[FrostyFreda]

Whole town was gridlocked this morning due to knock on from a bad crash on a nearby motorway which was closed. DS (12) and I were sat in standstill traffic in the road next to ours from 8.10-8.30. He needs to be at school for 8.45. I could see that we weren’t going anywhere and DS would be extremely late anyway (further 15 min drive to school in normal traffic).

So I turned around and went back home. Told school DS had an appointment and I’d take him in for Period 2 at 10.00am. Motorway was cleared at 8.45 but traffic was still heavy although moving at least at 9.30 so I think I was right to turn around rather than sit emitting fumes for an hour.

DH does not agree and thinks I should have waited in the traffic or made DS walk - 40 min walk, he’d still have been late and he is getting over that horrible monster cold virus that’s going round.

So was I BU?

You do a 30 minute round trip in the car when he could walk 40 minutes or cycle 15?

You don't miss school for a journey that short!

Thanks for replies.

Those saying he should have walked. did you miss the bit where I said he’s still not 100% after being off last week ill. Still got a bad cough, bunged up nose and slight sore throat. He’s also got a serious medical condition which can become dangerous if he’s unwell and is also affected by exercise (low blood sugars) which is why I drive him in the AM and he walks home.

So why not walk in the morning this time and pick him up for the PM?

You just sound lazy tbh. Either make him walk (you’ve bought him a coat right?) or sit in the car with the radio on. It’s not like you’ve saved yourself any time by turning around.

Oh for Christ sake it was one hour some people really like to moan, I’d of done the same or just waited either way they are still going to be late it’s freezing aswell today wouldn’t of liked the walk in this weather. Don’t sweat it op.

@Sleepygrumpyandnothappy

Please tell us how you got that name. 😁😁

Ridiculous, what’s the betting your Son does this in 10 years time when he needs to get to his work.
This is exactly why we have problems with certain groups of the younger generation.

YABU not to have walked as soon as you realised the traffic was bad. If a kid is too ill to manage a 40 minute walk at normal walking pace then they're too ill to be in school, in which case you should've kept him off school for the whole day. Gentle exercise is good for the immune system.

Fair enough that you didn’t want him walking when he was still unwell but I can’t understand why you lied to the school and didn’t just ring and tell them that you were stuck in traffic that was presumably affecting other students and staff and would bring DS as soon as you could?

Meh it's a one off, as long as you aren't doing it routinely it's not a huge deal. Can't say sitting in traffic for an hour before school would have been setting anyone up for a good day, although I don't think lying about an appointment was necessarily great. I'd have probably rang and said it's gridlocked I can't get out of my street/ town he'll be in as soon as it's cleared.

Exactly! I was once driving into school but due to a massive fire both the A roads were closed or gridlocked, the motorway was rammed and I got into school at almost 10am, maybe I should have gone home, ignoring my classes.

I think you’re fine if it’s a one off. Sometimes the stress of these things is too much and you have to just say “I’m not going to manage it this time”.

If it was a habit it would obviously be different.

Completely reasonable in the non-moving traffic circumstances this morning, but a 40-minute walk is what, 2 miles? Your child should probably be walking that every day rather than you clogging up the roads and the atmosphere in your car. I suspect you know that, which is why you had to lie to the school about an “appointment”.

Why can't he cycle? Does his health condition make it impossible for him to cycle ~15 mins to school in the morning?

You should have walked . 40 minutes is nothing.

And before you say “but he’s still sick”, well apparently but sick enough to stay gone altogether.

Only well enough to walk one way? Why didn't you leave earlier?

You couldn’t be arsed

says it all really, fantastic parenting

Bloody hell this thread.

YANBU OP no matter what all these Holier than Thou posters think.

To be fair, if he feels exhausted or unwell after the walk home he can rest. He can't do that if he walks to school and doesn't feel great.

OP this is mumsnet where there is never an excuse to be late for school, and there is no need to drive any distance that you can walk in less than an hour.

Back in the real word, no one gives a shit.

OP, I think you did the right thing. School is not the beginning and the end of everything. Missing one period is fine, as log as you cover whatever was done in the lesson. Sitting and fuming in traffic for an hour is not good for anyone's health. The walking martyrs have a lot of time on their hands.

This thread is silly, people must be very grumpy today. YANBU to have taken him in later and not sit in traffic, you shouldn’t have bothered lying though, traffic is enough of an excuse.

Also, it’s pretty normal to go back to work/school when not fully recovered but try to reduce other activities to stay out of the cold until you’re back to normal.

I don't think it's unreasonable given the circumstances (him being under the weather, and the traffic)

But given you leave at 8.10am anyway, and you could walk if you left at 8am (so I assume the traffic is quite bad generally?) then surely when he is well again, it would be better to get in the habit of walking or cycling to school? It would be healthier for him as a) exercise, and b) air pollution (it's counterintuitive but research shows kids in cars are exposed to higher levels of pollution than those walking or cycling)

Depends on the place. I can walk from work to my house in an hour. The location of the office makes it a pita to drive to at the best of times and gridlocked in rush hour - to drive from work to home at 1730 has taken me OVER an hour on the few occasions I've had to do it.

Cycling takes 20 mins. Bus takes over an hour due to the same hideous traffic affecting cars.

Sorry OP but I say YABU because a 40 min walk isn't that onerous (assuming it's not a route along an unpaved motorway or anything). I would say walk or cycle / scoot every day.