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?

Up at 6, out walking the dog for 6.15, home for between 7-7.15, then an hour to get ready and breakfast etc. Leave at 8.15, in school for 8.45. They leave school at 3 and are home for 3.30. Have an evening walk after dinner from about 6-7. Kids in bed for 8.

I work in the office 9.30-14.30 about a mile past their school, then work 3-4 hours from home in the evening when theyre in bed.

If you factor in a lot of people's commute time and theyre drop offs to wrap around care its probs not that much different time wise.

I walk 4 miles to the station on my 3 days I go into London. Then 3 miles the other side. Then I do it again every evening 😘

Imagine telling someone who wants their kids to get exercise when it’s not convenient (I.e would actually be a huge undertaking that would take the parent twice as long to do compared to the kids walking) for them to be driven to ‘get off their patootie and be a mum.’ Sorry, I thought part of being a good parent was to want your children to be healthy…apparently not!

This is the obvious solution

So you’re in the office and supposed to be working now then

Which doesn’t work. The roadworks start about ten doors down, and both our cars need to be on ‘our side’ due to family circumstances/work.

At least you’ve all realised now. Of course they can walk and very quickly their stamina will build up. It’s for a month so I am sure something can be cobbled together - bike in the morning and pick up in afternoon sounds doable, or walk but lift if it’s torrential rain etc.
It’s fine for fit and healthy children to walk for a couple of hours a day. Really surprised at those saying the children are not being prioritised etc. But then I see things like that on Mumsnet a lot and I think I just parent differently.
What about if one wants to do a club after school?

Yeah. When we could get a lift we would but that wasn't an option most of the time (except for my youngest's last year there - nursery was until 6yrs old in my country, both started at 3, when I learnt to drive)so all weathers walking or biking (more biking with DS as he went into nursery earlier in the morning while DD didn't go in until 10am), in winter I'd pull them on a sledge if there was enough snow.

Just do a mixture of both. If its pissing with rain, then drive them, if its a nice morning then they can walk. It doesnt have to be completely one or the other, and it's only for a month. It's not like you're sending them up a chimney, and if they're sporty kids anyway they will be fine.

And now… what’s your walking like now? Do you still walk so much? You must have spent most of your days walking

One month they can handle it.

I went and checked and I did over 2 miles a day in secondary through snow and rain, it wasn't super fun on wet days, but no one suffered!

It's a long way to walk first thing in the morning when you might be rushing, but I would cycle, which won't take long at all.

OP ignores this very sensible suggestion

Gosh this sounds intense to me....not as an occasional thing, that would be fine but every day...wow. Well I guess you're all fit at least. I should probably do more 😂

I can't believe some of these responses. No wonder there are so many unhealthy people in the UK.

I walked 2 1/2 miles to school and the same home, every day for seven years at secondary school. PE kit, cookery basket, whatever was needed. I think there was a bus but my friends and siblings wouldn't have taken it. The walk was a big part of our social life.

For those who walk as an activity, the basic rule of thumb for children is that they should be able to walk a mile per year of their age. So a five year old should be able to walk 5 miles. DS was ahead of that, he loved to walk, and still does.

OP, they will be fine, send them with an extra healthy snack if you think they'll need it.

Well, in that case I think you try it and you will know if the first week if they will stick at it for the whole of the month.

I'd probably offer one way a day...so let them pick if they want to be dropped off or picked up.

I'd also be mindful that coughs and colds are rife this time of year and walking might really be a slog if they're under the weather

Couldn't you have taken taxis at least for a couple of trips?

If there's no bus on the other side of the roadworks then of course they can walk. 🤷

Have they got a group of friends who will all be walking the same way? When I was at secondary (in the dark ages), there was no bus that could conveniently get me to school (and my parents couldn't afford the fares anyway) and I and many of my friends walked 2.5 miles (uphill all the way) to secondary. We'd all call for each other on the way and a huge group of us would arrive at the school gates, and we'd all walk home together too (although it was downhill all the way back). We'd chat, muck about and it was part of our social 'school day'. This was in the days before rucksacks were allowed too, so we were carrying all our school books, plus extras (sports kit, lab coats etc) with us in carrier bags.

I look back on those walks to and from school as some of the best bits of my school life. But only because it was so social. If I had had to walk alone all the way it would have been a very different story. But then nobody's parents had cars back then and we all regarded walking as a perfectly normal way of getting about.

wow come on guys they are 12 & 13 i dunno about anyone elses kids but my 13yo will quite happily cycle/walk the other side of town n back to call for his mates, go to the skate park etc so yes if he had to do 6 mile round trip to school he can, my 10yo does 4.5 round trip to school come rain or shine as we don’t have any other option, its a month! Im sure they will live.

Why would she when they could walk?

I think 3 miles is quite far. I live in a country where most kids walk to school. In order to qualify for the free school bus you need to live a certain distance. I think its more than 3/4mile for preschool, 1.5 miles for primary and 2.5 miles for secondary.
Since its only for a month or so i think 3 miles is doable for them at that age if the weather isnt absolutely terrible. I didnt read all the updates, so not sure if the bike is an option. Would be the obvious solution.

I’m right in thinking that your kids never usually walk to school op?

Op, where are the public buses in all this?

Why hasn't anyone rang the council and said this level of disruption is unacceptable and the road work people must use traffic lights like everyone else manages to?

My 13 yo walked back from town yesterday carrying shopping bags - just checked and it’s 2.8 miles. There was a bus strike on. He didn’t even mention it to me until he read the paper over my shoulder about the strike and was like “oh that was why there were no buses!”. Walking 3 miles carrying bags didn’t even register to him as an event.