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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Extra play time for ‘active travellers’

152 replies

microkneesya · 01/02/2024 18:21

We lived 2.5 miles from school. Moved mid-school year a few years ago because of being deployed by work nearby. Council allocated places and there was nothing closer with the year groups we needed. We love the school. After drop off I then have to go onward in the car to park & ride as I can’t wfh so it’s about more than the school run.

They have started awarding active travellers (children who come to school on foot, bike or scooter) extra playtime on Fridays. My DC are so upset and beg to be allowed to walk but we just can’t. I feel like the school shouldn’t do such a demonstrable ‘reward’ when for some families it’s not so easy.

Do your schools do this? Worth approaching the school?

OP posts:

StarlightLime · 01/02/2024 18:23

Why would you approach the school? Do you want to spoil it for the children being rewarded?

Motheranddaughter · 01/02/2024 18:24

I think this unfair and I would definitely mention it
When mine were that age I was part time and the days I worked i had to drive or I would have been late for work

Octavia64 · 01/02/2024 18:25

Park a little bit away and walk some of the way.

woodpecker2 · 01/02/2024 18:26

Can you find out what the minimum travel is, maybe park nearby and scoot the last 5 minutes. I’m sure it’s trying to remove cars and pollution from around the school so it might help.

VeterinaryCareAssistant · 01/02/2024 18:26

Can you cycle to school and then cycle to work or the park and ride?

Whu · 01/02/2024 18:26

Children should never miss out on things for reasons that are beyond their control.

All children should get the playtime - if anything those who don’t walk need the extra exercise .

CormorantStrikesBack · 01/02/2024 18:27

I’d leave it. It’s not like your kids are having something removed. They’re just not getting extra. The school is doing it’s best to promote not driving. You can explain to your kids why you can’t walk. They’ll have to understand

UniversalTruth · 01/02/2024 18:28

It's a population health measure. Overall, the population will benefit from children generally understanding that active travel is better than inactive travel.

I would also park a bit further away and walk the last 5 minutes.

Vitriolinsanity · 01/02/2024 18:29

Chuck the scooters in the boot. Park up half a mile away and scoot the rest.

Activity for them. Less congestion at the school so less stress for you.

ToWorkOrNotToWork · 01/02/2024 18:30

i agree this is a horrible idea,if they are going to use rewards it should be for something that is within the children’s control.

As for your kids whingeing about it - it’s just one of those things. They may as well learn early that life is arbitrary and often unfair.

Point out to them that because they go by car, they have more time before school to watch cartoons/eat a nice breakfast (whatever). So all the sad kids that walk are missing out on play and your kids shouldn’t mind.

AhBiscuits · 01/02/2024 18:30

Park half a mile away and scoot the last bit. Encouraging exercise is a good thing.
I hate the attitude of
I can't do it so no one else should.

Kalevala · 01/02/2024 18:31

Park and walk or scoot the last half mile.

PBandJ111 · 01/02/2024 18:31

Absolutely ridiculous of the school. I’d raise it with them.

MiddleParking · 01/02/2024 18:31

UniversalTruth · 01/02/2024 18:28

It's a population health measure. Overall, the population will benefit from children generally understanding that active travel is better than inactive travel.

I would also park a bit further away and walk the last 5 minutes.

What should OP’s children change, having gained that understanding?

DinnaeFashYersel · 01/02/2024 18:32

That would annoy me and I would complain.

(My kids get the bus to school)

Original poster

microkneesya · 01/02/2024 18:37

I definitely can’t cycle on my own with three children.

Not sure I have time for the hybrid method with scooters/bikes and don’t even know if they’d accept the last 1/2 mile on foot?!

It’s already pretty rushed to get them there for breakfast club opening at 0745 and I often don’t get them much before wraparound closes at 1800

OP posts:

MuggleMe · 01/02/2024 18:37

I live literally 2 minutes walk away from my (children's) school, sometimes people park outside my house to drop/get their kids. So my child would get extra play for walking but the child who parked and walked the same distance to school as me doesn't? There should be a distance where parents can park a bit further away and walk and it counts.

I know there are lots of parents rushing to drop off and head to work and I'm just lucky I'm not one of them.

BlackeyedSusan · 01/02/2024 18:38

Yeah we used to park further away than some kids lived and walk the rest....because we couldn't bike on a dual carriageway and one of the dc could barely manage to walk the small distance as it was due to disability. Those who were well.off enough to live nearer school got extra rewards.

It sucks.

Ouchmyarse · 01/02/2024 18:41

It’s really unfair.

Children (and well, parents), have no control over how far they live from school, if a parent has to rush off to work in the car, if one of the family is disabled and unable to walk.

it’s a really shit thing to reward children over.

Scarletttulips · 01/02/2024 18:42

Surely those that don’t walk need more exercise!

That said - it’s just a temp incentive - they get a walk to school pack and have to push healthy living.

Its done every year.

I bet your kids get other treats not accessible to all children.

CormorantStrikesBack · 01/02/2024 18:44

I guess kids have to recognise not everything is aimed at everyone. This is aimed to the families who can change and overall benefits everyone.

many schools do 100% attendance. Dd is disabled with chronic illnesses, she’s never going to have had 100% attendance

Jeffjefftyjeff · 01/02/2024 18:44

i live on a road at the intersection of three schools. All schools try to encourage walking/scooters etc including parking a little way away and walking last bit. I’m really grateful for it

andHelenknowsimmiserablenow · 01/02/2024 18:47

I had this at DC school. DS is ND and got really upset when we couldn't walk to school, it made him feel like we were doing something wrong. In those days it was really stressful trying to drop off at wrap around and rush back to the car to get to work on time. No flexibility with my boss at the time.
Unless you are a SAHP, DC at primary school is just one guilt trip after another.

cardboardnumerator · 01/02/2024 18:47

At my son's primary they had a if you drive can you park 5 minutes walk away (map provided) and then scoot/ride the last part to school? So we had those who lived close enough to walk/scoot, those that came in a car and could scoot and the poor bastards who had disabled parents who drove and dropped them off from the car in the drop off in the car park didn't get anything.

Lots of children just lied, and yes I was in the classroom so I saw them do it. It wasn't for any reward though just data collecting. I would contact the school and ask about it.

itsmyp4rty · 01/02/2024 18:47

This is right up there with rewarding children for not getting sick and so not having to have days off. Honestly why do schools come up with this crap? We live next door to a primary school so it was no problem for us to walk every day - didn't mean we were 'active' as it involved walking about 10 metres. Do i think ds should have got extra play time for this when other kids live 4 or 5 miles away down an A road? No of course not, it's just ridiculous.

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