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?

I am assuming the walking route is by footpath only where cycling may not be allowed anyway

Yes but the poor op won't need to do the 30mile return drive.

The council have adapted routes so kids can get to school on time on a bus.

The whole can they walk thing seems an exhausting unnecessary debate when they can catch a bus!

To be fair to @DHdoingmyheadin she's never changed her position and the question was whether her husband was being unreasonable.

Anyway it's been interesting to see how people perceive an hour's walk. I genuinely wouldn't bat an eye lid because I do that walk (we have a three mile loop) twice a day at least five times a week to pick up things from our nearest shop and I'm a middle aged woman.

It's really not a test of endurance in any way and it is eye opening some would consider it so (when done for a few weeks)

Ah, sorry. I’d missed that update.
Yes, the special bus seems the obvious solution, especially in this awful weather.

Do you do that walk come rain or shine?
If, so, I really admire you!
In this weather I’m loathe to walk to my car! 😂

When my kids were little and at the pre school I did it every single day (twice) and I live by the north sea. We only have one car and my husband has it at work.

It's a pretty walk. Bit brutal in storms but we just wrap up. Never missed a day. You soon get used to it.

It might be a test of endurance actually, I’d love to see some of these posters walk 3 miles to work then back from work, in shitty weather, across hilly terrain and with heavy bags to carry! For 5 days a week for a month. I have a feeling they wouldn’t be so blase then!

Are there other parents in this situation that you could share the journeys with?

Is this really how you wish to spend your time?

As I mentioned before, my three year old’s nursery is 1.5 miles away. I always walk. He nearly always cycles.

That’s a 3 mile round trip for me for drop off and the same again for pick up. 6 miles away day in total.

I find it unbelievably sad that a couple of hours walking is such an insane concept to so many people. We’re in an obesity and mental health crisis. Let’s normalise something that has proven benefits in combating both of these issues instead of being snotty.

Walking 6 miles a day to and from school is not a solution to the obesity and ‘mental health crisis’.

Glad they've walked. Hopefully the weather stays dry for the next 4 weeks, it's usually good when the kids go back and like you say a bit of rain doesn't harm.

They won't even notice walking and chatting with friends. It'll help them sleep too.

OP has already said others are walking too.

It certainly won’t make it worse.

Who said anything about “solving it”?

If everyone walked 6 miles day, there would still be obese people and people with poor mental health, but there’d be fewer of them.

@Thedevilhasfinallycaughtupwithhim That is so blatantly ignorant that I cannot even be bothered to waste my time explaining the myriad ways you are wrong.

What's ignorant about it? You think there would be more obesity and worse mental health if everyone walked 6 miles a day or do you think there would be less? We know exercise helps with weight and mental health, so it stands to reason that everyone walking a bit more would result in at least some improvement on a population level.

I’d like you to explain because I’m intrigued as to why you consider something so logical as to be obvious is ignorant.

I would have a chat with the workmen and see if there will be any days where they can leave the way clear for the school run. We had this when they put in broadband, most days we could with the dug up bit left covered for the section we had to pass, we only had one day we couldn't go out (in any direction) for about 4 or 5 hours.

I certainly would not make my kids walk 6 miles a day to and from school - school bus if you dont have a car.

Not everyone in in 'Mental Health Crisis' or is 'obese'. Why are some of you delighting in putting your kids through hardship?

Back in the day, we walked 6 miles there, 6 miles back, in 3ft of snow.
On good days we biked both ways.

I've walked further so have my kids. Not everyone has a suitable bus route. 3 miles is fine and for most children the only opportunity for exercise.

It’s not hardship.

It’s gentle exercise.

This thread is wild but explains so much about the problems in our culture.

How convenient that you “cant be bothered”

Do you find this is a common theme in your life?

It certainly seems to be