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?

Sorry, I thought part of being a good parent was to want your children to be healthy…apparently not!

did you say that to your DH Op?

You answered already

Refuse to take your own children to school?! How odd and worrying.

You’ve practically given us your home address and the school your children go to op

not too bothered about privacy are you

I'm confused about how you have to visit your elderly parents every single lunch time but get a train and work in London half the week.

Actually even 2 miles in 30 minutes is much faster than average. I thought that i was perhaps a slow coach but have checked with google maps for a walks I did to school and work and they have come up with 21 minutes for the 1 mile walk to school and 32 minutes for 1.5 miles to work. All on the flat and only one main road to school and 3 to work.

Why are you walking 4 miles to a station op

when there’s one less than half a mile away (Battle)?

Pedal bikes?

You may well find that the DC enjoy it. They could keep track of their times and aim to improve. They'll probably be more alert when they get to school. They'll notice changes in the seasons and perhaps talk to each other more and they'll definitely be fitter. I'm glad your DH has agreed.

That’s daft! Most children make their own way to senior school. Not everyone has a car anyway.

I’m confused the OP is walking 4 miles to a station when there’s one half a mile away

You’re not doing it for your children’s health but because you don’t want to do the drive.

Because I don’t go from battle station. It is possible for people not to commute from the station nearest their house - particularly if they have valid reason for doing so!

Do you always pop up on threads and just be contrary whilst offering nothing of meaningful value to the discussion?

Going for a hike in the countryside for pleasure is a completely different ballgame to walking a 6 mile round trip to school day in day out!

So you stroll past the main line station 0.5 miles from your house and proceed to walk along country roads for another 3.5 miles?

oh op, you’re making me chuckle now.

If DH is that worried he can do lift in the afternoon and they walk in the morning
Our secondary school was nearly 2'miles for most pupils so a bit less but we didn't have a choice but to walk it. Did we enjoy it? No but we still did it.

The valid reason would normally be to go to a station that's better for where your office is located. But if you get into Charing Cross (from Battle) you can walk to basically all of central London in three miles so I can't think how your journey works at all.

This

Why on earth wouldn't you go to your nearest station unless I am missing something.. Maybe porkies being told here. 🐖

I do. 😂

My closest station is Tonbridge but I get on the train at Hildenborough. Better walk, more chance to get a seat on the train. Cheaper parking when I do drive. And I walk at the other end more as well, as I get off at London Bridge rather than Charring Cross. Shocking though it might be to you, some people like exercise and aren’t lazy

Yeah I always thought my primary school, which wasn't the nearest, was about mile away. It use to take about 20 minutes as a young kid. I now have google maps and have discovered it was only 0.7 miles from my house. As an adult, I actually think it was a lovely walk but as a child, I just thought if was long!

They can bike it at those ages.

They are 12 and 13

Yup electric bikes would be the obvious and long-term solution for me. It's how DH and I commute to work and it's how I'd expect secondary age children to get to school if it was too far to walk.