Mum guilt!

[HH93]

I can’t drive, and nor will I unfortunately.

I have tried before a few times and had extreme anxieties which crippled me and made me very very poorly.

however now my children are getting older I’m beginning to feel guilt for not being able to take them places that don’t require walking or a bus when it comes to the holidays .

They certainly don’t go without!, we go on plenty of holidays and weekend trips when their dads not working, but I can’t help feeling so so shit about myself and really getting myself down about it.

As long as you don’t live very rurally (which so many non drivers on mumsnet seem to!), then being able to walk to use public transport is no biggie during the holidays surely?

only the cost is the real issue with it

Public transport? But so cheap to travel with kids!!!

What kind of place do you live in?
local to their schools and friends?

Yeah! £18 for return tickets to town and back!! (I know, £6 each but there’s meant to be a cap. Which there isn’t here unfortunately!!).

Local to schools yes, their close friends - no.

I get it! I don’t drive either. But I’ve got to know the bus routes really well and we go all over the place. With the view of learning to drive later this year. Just have to be a bit more inventive. It’s good for the kids to get used to being patient and stuff I think.

Oh right that’s expensive! Transport must be much higher where you are

how far from town?!

and there’s no family bus passes? How many children and how old??

It is, I’ve got no idea why!

it seems really craft as well that currently there are many roads closed or restricted access and that’s when noticed the prices change dramatically

I am guessing then that you live very rurally

how many and how old are the children?

Only about 6 miles.

2 child, 9 and 5.
I’ve never heard of a family bus pass, I’ll have to ask next time

I mentioned on another comment just now, I’ve noticed a huge price hike this year. We have many roads closed or with restricted access atm, so I don’t know if they’re being craft and that’s why?

Loads of family bus passes in holidays

Thanks for this info, I’ll certainly ask!

So is that £9 return for you and £9 return for the two children

for a 6 mile bus journey? That’s outrageous!!

£6 each
and there’s no difference In pricing between an result and a child?

Are you sure op?

Ours is expensive too. I thankfully drive but the dcs wanted to bus/train to the cinema to make a day of it. It had been a long time on public transport.
1 adult 3 dcs bus return to station was £14 ( 6 stops ) train was £23 return.
So just to go to the next town travel before cinema was £37!.
Parking would have been £6. Fuel barely any as the drive is 15 min

I pay less than a fiver for most day passes depending on where I’m going. The kids go free. Not sure when they have to start paying but it was always half fare for kids if I remember correctly.

yeah!

one blacked out where I live, but you can see it changes to 3 adults after adding children

Thank you!, I’m beginning to think we might have some dodgey drivers that are charging more than they should

I don’t drive but we live in the midlands so the bus service is great compared to other places.
We get the coach or train to holidays.

The price cap is on single tickets - usually the daily rate is cheaper than a return ticket. Have you looked into that.

Oh is it? Thanks, I’ll look into that

Our buses are capped at £3 per single, it's only 7 miles to town in one direction, 10 miles in another. Same price as you.

which can be okay for every so often but doesn’t take long to mount up when you’re trying to be careful with money

My mum didn't drive when we were kids and it wasn't an issue but I grew up in London. I think it's living quite rurally that makes things difficult.

Do you have a medical condition that means you can't learn to drive? Or is the cost an issue?

If neither are a problem I'd definitely make the effort to learn; it will open up your life so much. Is there any treatment you can get for the anxiety around driving? My friend passed her test but had severe anxiety about driving but when her husband left her she had to push through.

Cost is definitely a huge factor of it.

i was on medication which I came off last year which I don’t think I’d go back on as it began to have to opposite effect of what it was meant for.

so sorry your friend had to deal with that, pleased she was able to push through

Now try two young persons