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 think it surely depends on what your day looks like? Are you working? Are you very busy? Will this mean you struggle to start work in time? I mean if you're a sahm then I'd say its not a huge hardship. I would probably try to compromise and perhaps drive them a couple of times a week or if the weather is awful. Or drive them there and they can walk home or vice versa. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I’d try to do part of the journey by car, I think. That’s based upon me walking a 3 mile round journey to school when I was their age. I can’t say that distance bothered any of us at all but I walked with friends and it was a good chance to socialise. Will any of their friends walk the same journey? Also, it might be worth a trial walk with them to see how it goes.

can you hire electric (peddle) bikes? Then the hills will be easier.

What’s your fitness like Op?

This happening where I live too.
It will be chaos. Most kids ( secondary age) will be walking. There is however a safe footpath along the entire length of the route.

You trialled driving the new route. I suggest trial the walking to school next .

I'd actually get in touch with your school & county education transport folks. If it is actually 3 miles and not 2.9... with the road shut then the kids might be entitled to transport for the duration (depending on things like catchment etc) as the statutory walking distance is 3 miles for kids over 8...

Otherwise is there any other kids impacted by this - it might be worth a group effort!

Talk to them and agree a mix I think depending on times and weather.

but one of mine would walk every day even in rain than have a 45 minute drive the other would want to sit int the car all the time

it’s a month maybe a half term max to figure it out and do some different options including driving and walking and maybe a bus once they are out of the roadworks because surely there is some public transport

??? You were responding to the "getting dark" part the previous poster had raised, yes, but that poster didn't suggest they also had 12 and 13 year olds who were walking in different circumstances so surely the rest your comment related to op? otherwise who were you talking about?

3 miles is fine, it's about a 45-50 min walk on my short legs. (Have walked a hilly parkrun 3.1 mi in 43 mins...)

At 14 DS has done his DoE with sunstantially heavier rucksack and 10mi per day.

My DCs' school is about 3 mi away and they have a good bus service but still have over half a mile of walking to do to use it. I'm no stranger to walking commutes from my school days and work either. When training autistic DS to use the bus, I'd walk down and catch the bus back with him. The walk is a back up option for them if there are transport issues. If they had to do it, then they are perfectly capable of doing it.

I wouldn't want my DCs to cycle that particular route because of a particularly unpleasant section of 40mph road that isn't viable to avoid, but it does have an adequate footpath so walking is fine.

I would drive them. No doubt.

You don mention needing to get to work; your OP suggests it’s quite possible for you and your dh to spend 90 mins each doing the drop off and pick up during the roadworks. It’s just an inconvenience. Seems a bit mean to expect them to always walk both ways in the pissing rain.

Drive them . Its only for the month.
You only have to do it once a day. You said your dh will pick up and he sounds like he is fine with that

I’d do a mixture. On a nice morning they can walk (can’t you get a bit closer and drop them right at the road works?). Or cycle. It will be good for their fitness even with hills. Then you and DH alternate picking them up.

Or maybe all the kids could walk together? It might be fun. Would be about an hour. It’s not unreasonable at all and many used to do it years ago.

Dutch kids would do this on electric bikes. The pedal assist ones, not the crazy speeding food delivery ones. Really great for going uphill. I think Decathlon sell decent ones for an okay price. It could mean no more bringing them to school for the rest of their school years!

It used to be the norm before cars everywhere and more remote schools

Their legs won't drop off

I’m really surprised by how many people are saying they shouldn’t have to walk. To me, it seems so normal for my children to walk distances like this. My children have walked about three miles to school and back since they were four. It’s been an enjoyable part of our day. God, I’m so smug.

That's absolutely fine!

Agree! Its only for a month too. I'm genuinely shocked people think 3 miles each way is too much. Exercise is healthy.

You would pay your own children to cycle? Have I got that wrong?

Walk with them for a week and see how they get on if you're insistent on this. It's a lot of walking for children. I think this being a bit harsh.

Very good thanks. As it has been all my life. 😀The kids, like DH and I, are keen swimmers and runners.

And even if I was unfit, it has no bearing on whether or not my kids can walk 6 miles a day, does it?

I love this solution. So sensible

We'd cycle. Even if you have to get off and push some hills it's so much faster on the downs it makes up for it. Still definitely faster overall than walking.
If yours don't have bikes and you normally drive them to and from school then I would probably get ds to walk there in the morning and agree to pick him up afterwards (traffic at 4pm is never quite as bad as at 8:30am).

We have had to start walking/cycling to school with our 10yo daughter, i don’t drive and OH has had his license on hold for a year due to medical reasons, it is just over 2 miles to her school so she does just over 4 miles everyday come rain or shine (8miles for us haha), she didn’t like it at first but now she keeps saying that even when dad gets his license back she wants to walk/cycle still every now n then 🤷🏻‍♀️ we have been walking for 8 months now, its only a month, im sure they can handle it xx