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?

First time I’ve ever read a mumsnet thread and think I recognise the Op!

Battle 10k is on this weekend, meaning that even more roads will be closed Sunday morning.

The poor organisers feel terrible, but they booked it in months in advance. Had the roadworks gone ahead in August like they were supposed to, the race wouldn't be causing further disruption.

Avoid at all costs!

Lovely countryside and places to visit down your way though, OP.

Disruption sounds very annoying, but I'm not sure I feel too sorry for you getting to live somewhere which is so nice most of the time 😂.

OK, first of all, it shouldn't take any healthy teenager an hour to walk three miles. That's 5km/hour and I can't physically walk that slowly unless I am with my two year old DD who insists on pushing her own pushchair.

Secondly, your last drive to work is irrelevant, because the OP has said it will take her 45 minutes each way.

So the real maths is that the OP and her husband would be losing three hours of their day between them in order to save their children about five minutes each way and the possibility of being rained on.

3 miles isn't very far at all. Any healthy teen should be able to walk that distance with ease.

I prob would have driven them the two days you don’t walk 7miles each way to and from work

and they walk the 3 days you work

equally I am a not a huge walker due to arthritis in hips knee and ankle and lazy and possibly would get up hour earlier and drive kids in early esp if raining

Couples like this must clash over so much

Dutch children do that every day, on bicycles, of course. And lots of the UK is pretty flat before you say anything. Of course, the Dutch do invest in their country for the benefit of all. So kids can cycle safely. They are happier, healthier, and wealthier - the Dutch. The habit of exercise lasts a lifetime. :-)

Is it possible that the council could temporarily provide transport? Are there other children going that way? I have a feeling that if you are over 3 miles away they have to offer something. My two had a taxi pick them up when they were at primary school because their school was 5 miles away, not sure if it applies to secondary age children though. Could you lift share with someone?

walking three miles there then doing a whole school day and then three miles back? That sounds like a very long day.
I would much rather drive my kids to their school than having them wake up early, to leave early and then do a whole school day to only walk all the way back. I do feel like you’re being unreasonable here.

Maybe she would. I’m 70 and I average at least 7 miles a day. Just you can’t imagine doing it, doesn’t mean they can’t.

This is not a one-time hike - this is there and back, every day, lugging books and sports gear. Would you look forward to it, if you had to do it yourself? Do as you would be done by.

Absolutely no way. They’ll be shattered, poor things. Way too far.

@DHdoingmyheadin Could you pick them up/drop them off some of the way? They walk the rest?

Walking 3 miles is perfectly reasonable. I'm not sure why present -day children are considered to be so less physically capable than their parents snd grandparents were at the same age. Nutrition is better, housing is better, so shouldn't physical capacity also be better?
I walked 4 miles each way to school at the age of 7 & 8 years.
From 11 through to 21, at school & at college I walked either 6, or, if going home for lunch, 12 miles a day, yes carrying heavy books. In all weathers.
I was a 7 stone stick insect with a diagnosed heart murmur, not an athletic type.
So if I could cope with it, and my contemporaries, I cannot for the life of me understand why walking 6 miles a day is considered at all remarkable.

Kids have energy to burn, resilience, they have no arthritis. Let them get some real exercise and earn some confidence while walking with friends. It is a normal human function, not torture... to just walk. Unbelievable ppl act like walking is abusive and rain is somehow dangerous..LOL!

Walking is fine. Do they not go out to hang out with friends out of school and walk round for something to do.
I wouldn't spend all that time in the car when it is doable on foot.
Walk with them first day if they are unsure.
Get them to pack a raincoat in case of rain-we are still in summer for another two weeks its not dark when they come out of school or when they leave home for school.

We should be encouraging our kids independence.

As much as a whole round of golf!

In Africa kids run to school 10 miles or more, in Britain 3 miles is "way too far, they'll be shattered poor things". What has happened to this country?

Are YOU happy to walk 6 miles a day to and from work in rain ?

My 14 and 10 year old do this most school days. Have done for years ! They are absolutely fine. It’s actually lovely for them they Are far more alert by the time they are in school…. Have lots to talk about on the way back. Have hands so can have a snack while they walk. We also wine in Malaysia so never see below 30 degrees even on the 6.50am walk to school or the biblical rain!!!! Basically I'm on your side! They will be fine!!!

No but I wouldn't be happy to go to school either. Because I'm an adult and have worked in order to pay for a car.

Agree 3 miles is a perfectly reasonable walk but you be misremembering here. If you lived 3 miles from home it is not possible that you walked home, had lunch, and walked back in time. Genuinely this cannot be correct.

I think a lot of people on here are guesstimating their childhood distances to school.

In the past some schools had a 2 hour lunch break.

I know it was a few years back but omg what are we doing to kids. We walked 3 miles to school as teens come rain or shine we just put a coat on!! Btw no mobile phone to ring and beg for a lift either. It will do them no harm, might even make them feel proud of themselves.