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?

Whether a poster is or was obese is surely irrelevant to the points being made, which are that, as a society, we are becoming more obese, children are engaging in far less physical activity, and walking is good exercise.

The fact that so many people appear to believe that 3-mile or a one-hour walk twice a day is excessive for teenagers exemplifies the problem.

Walking is fine. I was supposed to take 2 connecting buses to school…I caught the first bus, to the next town, but walked from there to the town with the school, about 6 miles for bus#2 I walked to save the bus fares so I could buy lunch. I was 12.

No, I don't think OP is being unreasonable. It is only for 6 weeks at a fairly decent time of year - not too hot or too cold. Will they enjoy it? Probably not? But no less than OP would enjoy a 1.5 hour round trip. Though it would probably be her DH doing it, as she probably leaves the house before the DC are up in order to do her commute into London which also involves 7 miles of walking. There may even be other options that she hasn't even investigate (though not perhaps the horse), I still think may to the posts on here are truly bizarre.

This was back in the early 1900s, he was born about 1906, so this would have been 1920 ish. Everybody had horses, and there was a stable where you could 'park' your ride. Wouldn't it be fun if we could travel back in time to different periods, just to experience it for a day?

I think I’d not bother coming back

They are senior school

Not really! Most people never had to walk 3 miles to school because they never lived 3 miles from school. In urban areas they generally lived closer and/or had regular pubic transport. In rural areas many people lived a good deal more than 3 miles from school so school buses were provided.

Would love to ride a horse to school but I wouldn't want to miss indoor plumbing.

I don't think it would be practical! Even at a smallish secondary, you would require accommodation for about 700 horses! Sounds fun though!

I agree.

Also no one is saying that teenagers / pre teens shouldn’t be able to walk this distance. Some posters either lack reading comprehension or are being obtuse. Posters have been pointing out that a 6 mile walk in the CONTEXT of going to school, likely with heavy bags/equipment, is hardly going to be a ‘fun adventure’ stated by some. It’s just funny at this point!

Ah but think about the money the school could make selling the manure to gardeners!

That's mad..

Fit kids should be able to walk 5/6 miles daily without killing themselves!!

Hilarious that you are questioning others’ comprehension. It’s not a 6-mile walk, it’s a 3-mile walk twice, separated by about 6 hours of mainly sitting down. Of course it’s not fun to walk to school. Sadly, life isn’t all unicorns shitting rainbows. Walking to and from school for a few weeks is not a problem, even with a heavy bag. As many posters have pointed out, a great many of us have done this without any harm. You cannot possibly argue that this kind of gentle exercise could be harmful to 12 and 13-year-olds. What a disingenuous argument that would be.

I’m saying I wouldn’t put my children through the faff of walking to and from school in shit weather, with heavy bags, up hills. No need to start frothing at the mouth.

Strawman fallacy and ad hominem attack - why am I not surprised.

More hyperbole. Yawn.

If you can’t genuinely disagree with the substance of my argument, stop embarrassing yourself with these infantile barbs.

You are literally arguing with yourself and just winding yourself up. Zero self awareness. What a lonely life you must lead.

Every time you avoid the point with personal digs, you just prove you don’t have a counterargument.

If your only goal is to get the last word with insults, that’s pretty sad. I’ve made my point. if you can’t engage with it, then I’ll leave you to talk to yourself.

Parking your car other side of roadworks is a sensible option. Or get a taxi or liftshare on a rota with likewise people?

What time would they have to leave for school to make it on time? I think YABU to expect them to walk 6 miles a day. On top of learning, they will be exhausted.

@CecilyP My Primary school had pupils from 10 miles away - farm families, who travelled by taxi. In secondary school there were pupils who travelled much further on the school bus - I remember one boy who caught the school bus at 0730 for a 0900 school start. Towards the end of my time there, the Local Authority was trying to ensure that no child travelled for more than 1 hour.

A lot of people seem to have missed this :-

"DC are happy to walk. They seemed surprised we were even considering driving as they’d assumed they’d walk anyway."

They can walk…. sets them up for later in life. Too many children ferried about in massive cars, no sort of childhood IMO, save the car for really inclement weather or if they are having to take something heavy into school.
Hopefully they notice the changing seasons!!!

Love this, HP is my favourite. Honestly, so long as it's safe and tge kids are stranger danger savvy, they will be fine. If the meet up with other kids too and chat on the way, time flies! Used to walk to my school sometimes but it was frowned upon by the school as it was very isolated. 2.6 miles, says an hour but took less at a decent pace rather than a dawdle.