To make the kids walk 3miles to school?

[DHdoingmyheadin]

Due to ongoing roadworks, the main road through the village to my kids school is closed and will be for c. a month. We are right at the edge of where the roadworks are so we have two options:

(A) A 15 mile detour by car, down the road all the traffic is being funnelled down (a main A road that is congested even when the road through the village is open). Which I trialled yesterday, and took me 45 minutes each way. This was with no school traffic as schools go back tomorrow. So I’d be doing at least 90 minutes of driving each morning and DH 90 mins in the afternoon.

(B) The kids walk to school and back. 3 miles each way.

DH is adamant I can’t possibly expect them to walk. It’s hilly. It’s due to rain. I think they walk. I think it would be insane to drive when it’s literally faster for them to walk. It’s 3 miles. I’m not asking them to swim the channel and then scale Mount Everest. Kids are 12 and 13.

AIBU to put my foot down and refuse to drive?

Exactly. I think a lot of people are estimating the distances they are talking about. This person takes 20 minutes to walk home - I am sure she's right about that but I'm also pretty certain she's wrong that it's two miles.

Just to be clear before people accuse me of being a fat layabout - walking 3 miles is not a huge feat and can certainly be done by some kids walking to school. It's just some of the time estimations that are way off on this thread.

That is speed race walking pace literally competitive race walking speeds so the likelihood is unless you are a competitive speed walking the iPhone isn’t registering it accurately!

or you should become a competitive speed walker

OP i live in battle, I would just go down telham/powdermill. I know it’s tight but it’s definitely passable for 2 cars and it’s only a short diversion.

But battle hill to claverham if that’s where they go doesn’t seem that far to walk tbh. I’m sure lots of kids do it.

But travelling at that speed is not normal 'walking'.

My watch records it the same (not iphone watch so separate app and separate recordings).

You're going to put your foot down? There's a turn off phrase I haven't heard of since the 80's.
2 hours walking a day on top of homework plus swimming and other sporting activities is too much. They'll be exhausted and they'll get sick when they have to truck all that way in the wind and rain.
Find a kinder solution rather than putting the foot down!!

Or we are confusing miles and Kilometres because there is no way a 10 old is walking at 6mph

the average for a fit adult is 3 to 4 mph
fast is 3.5 to 4
sperd walking is 4 to 5.5
olympic levels is 7.5 plus!

km/h would make much more sense

But are you running? That is not a walking speed

Yeah a large proportion are pretty slow. DD hates it when she has to walk with some of her slower friends but the one she always walked to school until this year was equally fast thankfully. I suppose many of them have slower parents - I became a fast walkers trying to keep up with my dad, DD became fast keeping up with me, and DS is on the way to being a fast walker trying to keep up with me.

With respect 6mph walking speed is competitive level are you sure it is 3 miles in 30 minutes

DD school commute is 1.6 miles and if she wants to it is 20 minutes and if she is meandering it’s is 30 which fits 3-4 mph which is normal

Haha no i don’t run, i look like an idiot when i run so avoid it where possible haha xx

12 and 13 she said !

I sound like my dad, but no wonder so many kids are unfit if they can’t walk an hour to school and back 🫣 it’s not even like it’s a permanent arrangement, it’s only for a month!

OP - of course it’s okay for them to walk!

My DD doesn’t do it in that time, i never said she did i said it takes her half an hour to walk the 2 miles to school but i do it in 20 without her xx

It doesn’t sound like a very long walk for active teenagers who like swimming and running, and it’s only for a month (did I read that right?) so it won’t be dark like PPs suggested. I would probably get them to walk either there or back and drive for the other journey, depending on which direction would work better. But I’d give them a lift in really bad weather. It’s only for 20 days, they’ll survive

3 miles in itself is fine but it really depends on how much stuff they have to carry. I walked 2 miles to school from the age of 4 to 11. It was fine. I couldn’t have done it at secondary school though because I was loaded down with a bag of heavy textbooks plus at least one out of a musical instrument, games kit, sports equipment, a basket of cookery ingredients and art folder, sometimes 2 or 3 extra items on the same day.

Do they have lockers at school or any storage? It’s pretty miserable sitting in wet clothes all day. I would suggest having a change of clothes at school. Even with the best wet weather gear, they are probably going to get wet trousers/tights on rainy days.

TBH, although it is fine, you are asking them to walk for 75 minutes twice a day lugging bags up and down hills in all weathers because you don’t want the inconvenience of sitting in a warm and dry car for 90 minutes. It doesn’t sound like you can’t do it because of work, just that you don’t want to do it. It does seem a bit selfish.

My children's school is exactly 3 miles away. I'd let them walk. It's only for one month, it's September so still decent weather and light, and your children are in good shape (runners, even!). But I would drive them when it's raining and a few times extra, say on Friday afternoons. You could give them a monetary reward for all their efforts and for helping mum and dad out (mine would love that). You could also ask the school for a bit of help (can they leave heavy books at school, just for this month?) So: I'd try to find a compromise but would let them walk most of the time. They'll be fine!

This. Not sure where OP is getting her walking times from.

It’s 3 miles to and from my work and its flat surface. I rarely walk back and when I have it’s a fair trek (and I’m a fast walker). I think it’s unfair to expect them to walk and completely unreasonable to have to walk both ways.

Walking home is acceptable, but not every single day. That feels a bit mean. I wouldn’t make them walk there especially as they could get soaked.

I wouldn't make them walk but that's because I'm a bit of an idiot and far too soft and I'd be worried about them. However, it seems a bit odd to me that people think that three miles is a long walk. Surely a lot of kids do after school sports that expend more energy?

@Edenmum2 DH just tried to come that way back to see if it would work! He said absolutely not, apparently everyone had the same idea so I imagine tomorrow will be even worse! He thought about Catsfield (turning off at the fields) to Crowhurst, but that’s probably going to be as bad! But he does agree with me now they should walk - I think he thought I was being dramatic.

The only good thing about this entire debacle is watching people bomb along the road to little Tescos, then shoot past a few minutes later going back towards Hastings when they realise they can’t get past Glengorse! It’s not like there’s not sign posts 😁

Side note - but I am in mourning for how much further I will now need to drive on a Saturday for a Great Park Farm cake!

I've just checked the distance that my son walked from age 11 to his Senior school. It's just over 3 miles and he did that every day for 5 years. Rain, wind, snow, whatever.

Poor kids. What a long and exhausting day.

Are you speed walking or jogging? Are you sure it's two miles... because if you walk 2 miles in twenty minutes that's a pace of 6mph... average adult walking speed is 3 miles.

Edited to add...I see someone has already asked you this

Do you know anyone who lives on the other side of the roadworks who drives to the school. Or could you ask for help on the school/ class website or WhatsApp group? Someone might be willing to help if it's only for a month.