To think 1.3 miles isn't too far for a 4 year old to walk?

[LlamaFace19]

Hi all. DD started Reception this week. Her primary school is 1.3 miles away and we walk as I'm trying to become more active and this seems like a good way to get some steps in! It takes anywhere from 25-40 minutes depending on how much DD dawdles. She used to walk a mile to nursery. She manages the walk fine and actually seems to enjoy it as it's a good chance to natter! But I was recently talking to a friend who seemed horrified at the distance and said it was far too much of a trek for a 4 year old? I don't think it is, especially for DD who has been walking a mile to nursery since 3, but what do you think?

YANBU - It's fine
YABU - Too far

We were out and about today and walked 4.5km, on Tuesday we were out all day and walked 7km and DS4 was fine. He walks and often runs the 1.4km to nursery. He’s got tonnes of energy, but rather than wearing him out, all the walking seems to only be building his endurance!

It's quite a luxury to be able to let children "amble along" on the school run though.

What I think. You are a lovely and caring parent and looking after yourself as well as thinking of your DD.

Unlike those who drive half a mile to school and back home again, many of whom cannot properly drive the vehicle they have, and cannot park it easily.

I dont think its the distance so much, but the time/level of patience needed by the parent. Mine dawdled so much at 4.

It’s absolutely fine, but I’d also recommend a scooter if they’re finding it difficult. Mine have done the same distance every day on scooters since 4 (I don’t drive!).

I think it's fine in September when it's warm and light.

Miserable in November when it's freezing and wet.

Seems fine if she’s used to it , which she is . Perhaps you could take her a scooter for pick up time .

If she’s happily walking that far then great. My daughter is the same age and would moan the entire way. I’d be carrying her 10 minutes in. It is quite far.

A child should be perfectly capable of walking that far but I didn’t have the patience to walk at their speed. As with pp’s it was scooters all the way for us!

I was going to say way too far before I saw your DD already happily walks it. Please tell me how you managed that, got a DS who complains about walking the 30 seconds down the road to school! I don’t drive (never have and his dad doesn’t take him out in the car), he’s walked everywhere his whole life but I’m so tired of the moaning so please pass on your expertise

My friend is a reception teacher - she had kids arriving and leaving in them! They are almost 5! They have working legs!
She soon put a stop to that.

Of course a 4.5 year old can walk that far. I used to go to a walking group and we had a family who joined us with a 4 year old who walked the 5 or 6 mile route including over stiles and across fields.

Don't get a buggy board! The more they walk the easier it will be. Your friend is part of the reason why there are so many cars around school and why children are becoming obese at a younger age.

Buggy boards didn't exist when my DC were small. My DS had to walk everywhere from aged 2 as his sister was in a wheelchair and I couldn't push a buggy at the same time (and a double buggy wasn't possible).

If it wasn’t for my chronic tardiness I would definitely walk 1.3 miles to school with my DC. If you have the paths for it that would be great, to take a “safe” footpath to our school doubles the journey!

It's weirder that you need permission either from your friend or internet strangers when you can see she manages a similar distance perfectly well.

What is even the issue? If your child is happy to walk it then do so 🙄

If she has a disability, fair enough, but if she doesn't, then she really needs to build up a bit of physical stamina.

It is a very small distance and a normal 4 year old should manage it with ease - I am quite alarmed at anyone saying YABU, I assume that these are people with disabled children. |I hope so. It doesn't bode well for the future if 10% of 4 years olds have parents who think asking them to walk such a tiny distance is too much for them!

Seems fine to me. My DD's school is a mile away and we've done the walk since receiption. My 3 year old is more or less able to do one leg of the walk to collect her sister as well, although I take the buggy/scooter because she can't quite manage there and back yet.

My DD is 6(7 in January) and we have a similar distance to cover. We go on bikes. No way would I do that walk, there and back with a child that age, it's just too frustrating with the whinging

My 20 month old happily does this. Your child will have to contend with the tiredness of the day when walking home so maybe see how it goes. If they're showing signs of tiredness in the afternoons, go for the scooter option on the return journey but absolutely no need to jump straight to that option.

I wouldnt expect a 4 year old to walk that far. YABU.

Absolutely fine at that age. We have had the same school run distance since reception and no car, although DS often has a scooter which makes it a lot quicker!

I never minded the chilly, frosty walks through winter, just wrapped up well and you don’t feel the cold as much when moving. The very hot days are much harder.

Ive also had the odd person acting horrified at the distance but I think people have lost sight of what should be normal walking distances.

Not too far at all. But a million miles with an over tired, over hot 4 year old having a tantrum. There is nothing that won't walk more than a 4 year old who won't walk.

We don't have a car so mine are used to walking but I don't think my 4 year old would do this twice a day every day. As an isolated journey, yes. We also both work so walking that far at a 4 year old's pace would not work for our schedules.

Our school is a lot closer but we would have used a scooter or bike if we had this distance to cover

True! I hate walking at slow paces so I always try to hurry my children along, now DD is a fast walker like me (even faster, now she hurries me along) but DS is much better at resisting the hurrying than his big sister was!

I used to walk a similar distance most days that my DCs were at primary school. They managed absolutely fine with it and it was a good way for them to let off steam after school. It also avoided the faff of getting everyone into the car, sitting in a traffic jam and driving around looking for a parking space. On the way home, the walk tended to be broken up with chats and playing with other kids who were walking the same way, so it was much more sociable than driving!