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?

You can’t see the difference between yourself as a big grown woman and a 12yo?

Why is walking hardship? That's crazy.

Call the NSPCC - abused child has to walk home from school!

Excellent parenting. My dad said he walked to school, barefoot, with a flapjack in his pocket for lunch. 2nd thru 5th grade. All 8 of us walked to our 3 different schools, no matter how far, or the weather. It strengthened and toughened us, it bonded us and others who walked with us. Also, it encouraged us to be confident, independent, autonomous.

If parents over-parent their children, hover, impede their development by doing everything for them, tying them to metaphoric apron strings, disallowing them individuality...what do they learn?

Loving your child is being supportive, facilitating and guiding them to help them be successful achievers in navigating society and the ways of the world.

If you arent certain your child can do a task, do it with them until they can. Make sure they know safety precautions. Find others they can walk along with and trust your kid to follow the rules. Just don't burden him with minutiae or a bullhorn.

i used to walk 45 minutes each way to and from school. They should be fine. It won’t be forever. Some people are raising very delicate children these days.

Er, 12 and 13.
OP just said.

YANBU why wouldn’t they walk usually? Our council only provides transport if it’s more than 3miles door to door. We are just over 3 miles DD gets bus in mornings but will often walk home.

If all kids walked 3 miles to school and back there would be a lot less childhood obesity.

My dad said he walked to school, barefoot, with a flapjack in his pocket for lunch

A whole flapjack ! Not just a pebble to suck ?

I love how 26 pages later people still comment on the first message.

He was one of the lucky ones!

My mum and her siblings grew up on an island in Lapland, until the dyke was built to connect to the mainland the only way to get to school was by rowing boat when there was no ice, and skiing over the ice in winter. Sometimes it was necessary to board at school because it was too dangerous to travel either way. My uncle almost drowned on one school journey.

Careful, a whole flapjack might lead to obesity 🙄

The OP did say in their post, that the kids are 12 and 13.

Im unsure whether some of these posts are taking the piss or not 😂

I used to walk to work 5a.m in the morning 3 miles… it takes an hour, its shattering, i did the job 6months and was on burnout, theres no way kids should walk 3 mile to school,full stopx

I used to walk to work 5a.m in the morning 3 miles… it takes an hour, its shattering, i did the job 6months and was on burnout, theres no way kids should walk 3 mile to school,full stopx

I used to walk to work 5a.m in the morning 3 miles… it takes an hour, its shattering, i did the job 6months and was on burnout, theres no way kids should walk 3 mile to school,full stopx

I used to walk to work 5a.m in the morning 3 miles… it takes an hour, its shattering, i did the job 6months and was on burnout, theres no way kids should walk 3 mile to school,full stopx

Of course it’s fine. It’s also really good for them to get the exercise. A bit of wind or rain won’t kill them (although make sure they have good waterproof coats so they aren’t dripping wet at school all day). Exercise before school is also great for concentration. I used to walk 2.5 miles a day to work and then back again. That was no problem and this is only slightly further.

Is everyone OK? Acting like this tantamount to child abuse. They're being asked to walk! Presumably together? And for maybe an hour? Good grief, everyone suggesting it's impossible - people do it everyday!

It'll do them good, health-wise - so many kids are so sedentary these days, can see why with all this hand wringing.

That's really down to personality. Perhaps these kids are more upbeat.

It also doesn't pour with rain every day so that's good.

Do you walk 3 miles to get to work? I'd guess probably not. It is customary to drive or catch a bus whilst using leisure time for health related activities.

3 miles is the distance that the local authority deem acceptable for a high school age child to walk if you are trying to arrange transport for them. so at that ages i think its fine.

I used to walk over and hour to work, and not that many years ago either. I didn't have a car for a long time, and I walked everywhere - to and from work, to the big supermarket (so I had a big rucksack), all over the place. Sometimes the bus but there was really no need.

I really don't see the problem, it was just part of my day. It's also not forever for these kids!