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AIBU?

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Original poster

To say that this is one of the best ways to improve work/life balance?!

74 replies

Statsquestion1 · 19/12/2025 11:55

Living near your workplace/school.

Now I know it seems really logical but I cannot believe how much easier it has made my life. I am now 15mins away from my workplace and I can drop my DC to School on the way. It just makes everything so much easier being able to be home by 5. Everything is an easy drive, going to the shop, bringing the DC to their clubs (some of which they can walk to themselves!) I really feel that being in a central location to the places you use makes a massive difference. We used to live early and I would waste half an hour in a car to get anywhere.

A cousin of mine has just bought a house right next-door to the school her and her husband work in. Their son’s nursery is two minutes up the road. She cannot believe how much easier their lives and and how much more time they have together. They used to spend 40mins commuting.

Another friend of mine lives a 5min walk from the school that she teaches in and her boys goes to the same school. No need for a childminder no need for an Afterschool service. They come into her classroom when they are finished and wait for her to finish her last bits before heading home. They do homework and play. It really suits them all. They are home by 3:00/3:15.

I know this is impossible for everyone to do but my eyes have been truly opened! Anything to make life easy! 🙌

anyone else have similar set up? So thankful 😌

OP posts:
CutePixieGirl · 19/12/2025 11:59

Wholeheartedly agree.

I changed jobs recently and went from a daily 40 minute drive to/from work to a new job that is a lovely, 20 minute walk from my home. The difference it makes is way more significant than I thought it would be.

As soon as I leave work, I am on my walk home, I decompress, I exercise. I get up in the morning without the thought of driving, traffic etc.. If boyfriend is away, I go home at lunchtime to let the dog out.

It really does make such a huge difference to your life.

Original poster
Statsquestion1 · 19/12/2025 12:08

CutePixieGirl · 19/12/2025 11:59

Wholeheartedly agree.

I changed jobs recently and went from a daily 40 minute drive to/from work to a new job that is a lovely, 20 minute walk from my home. The difference it makes is way more significant than I thought it would be.

As soon as I leave work, I am on my walk home, I decompress, I exercise. I get up in the morning without the thought of driving, traffic etc.. If boyfriend is away, I go home at lunchtime to let the dog out.

It really does make such a huge difference to your life.

God I love this for you!! Yes, it really just gives the time back to you! 🙌🙌

OP posts:
RessicaJabbit · 19/12/2025 12:12

Agreed, it's whyim not moving jobs any time soon.

5 minutes drive away, can drop and collect kiddo.

Could earn double I. London, but fuck commuting every day. BIL does it, leaving house at 5:30, not back til 7, working weekends oftentimes... . Yeah, he earns 6 figures, but never sees his family.You can't buy that time back.

whattheysay · 19/12/2025 12:13

It’s quite a privilege to be in the position to move to a house near to work and schools for a better life balance. Many people just cannot buy a house in the perfect area.

Thepeopleversuswork · 19/12/2025 12:15

Sounds great but most people can’t do this!

Nobumsonthetable · 19/12/2025 12:17

You know that kids go to secondary school right? And that jobs can change?

Porkbread · 19/12/2025 12:19

what happens when your child leaves the school/education ? I would not want to live next to a school with all the morning traffic/parking and general level of noise, if I was nothing to do with the school anymore

AorticValve · 19/12/2025 12:20

I went home based, which I know isn't possible for all. The difference that made was amazing. I used to drop kids at school on the way to work, drive 45 mins plus to do about 10 miles. If I then didn't get out bang on 5, which I couldn't because I work on US time a lot, I couldn't be sure of getting to after school clubs before 6. And then the school cut the hours to end at 5.30 so it was even worse.

One is now at uni and the other is in a secondary where he can stay until 9pm and eat at school if he wants (independent). Life feels so easy!

FancyBiscuitsLevel · 19/12/2025 12:21

Sounds good, and agree has made life easier that I work locally and dh WFH most the time now, but not all jobs can be done from home or in a small town, and not everyone wants to live in a city centre near offices.

Original poster
Statsquestion1 · 19/12/2025 12:22

Nobumsonthetable · 19/12/2025 12:17

You know that kids go to secondary school right? And that jobs can change?

Yes my one of my dc is in secondary, it’s walkable. And one of the reasons we purchased here.

I have no intention of changing my workplace…if ever to be honest, but if that changes,I wouldn’t pick anywhere too far away(unless I had no option)

OP posts:
TheNumberfaker · 19/12/2025 12:23

Agreed, I worked in my DDs’ school for a few years. Made the drop off so easy as I just had to walk to another classroom 😁but I wouldn’t want to live in the same street as their school. We considered it but felt school parking and privacy would be issues.
I now work from home most of the time but the office is a 10 minute drive away if I do need to go in. DH is similar but his office is 30mins.
I used to travel all over the place with work before kids - I wouldn’t contemplate it now.

Original poster
Statsquestion1 · 19/12/2025 12:23

whattheysay · 19/12/2025 12:13

It’s quite a privilege to be in the position to move to a house near to work and schools for a better life balance. Many people just cannot buy a house in the perfect area.

I am very aware of this. I said that in my OP.

OP posts:
TheNightingalesStarling · 19/12/2025 12:24

I WFH ... but DDs Secondary School is a 5 minute walk. I love how much time and freedom that gives them. They can do any school based activity they want without transport worries, I can get to the school if I need too, they can leave as late as 8.25 and make it on time, and be home before 3pm.

Unfortunately having to deal with school run parents leaving their brains at home is a daily downside

arethereanyleftatall · 19/12/2025 12:25

Yanbu. When I used to commute in a car for about an hour each way, I think of it now as one of the biggest wastes of time of my life.
now my commute is a twenty minute walk along the river, and it’s kinda life changing. Whenever I’m having a bad day and need to remind myself what I’m grateful of, I head straight for the river and my commute.

QforCucumber · 19/12/2025 12:26

Another who agrees @Statsquestion1 , I live an under 3 mile commute to the office.
DS primary is a 10 min walk from home, the secondary he will go to is a 15 min walk. DH works int he same town as I do, although his office is across the other side so more of a 15 min drive than my 5.

We don't leave the house until 8:30, We're both home by 5:15. including school dropoffs and wraparound pick ups. It is truly life changing.

Cheepcheepcheep · 19/12/2025 12:27

I work in quite a niche role in professional services in the City - 90m commute each way twice a week for me. There’s only one employer in our local town who has this role in their business and despite being v happy where I am, I have to confess I check the vacancies page of this employer weekly as I think it would be life-changing to have a 5 min drive to the office instead…

arethereanyleftatall · 19/12/2025 12:29

It’s life changing because most working parents have only a few disposable hours a day. So for many that is unfortunately entirely eaten up by a commute. Suddenly you have an hour or two to do something you like with.

Crystallllll · 19/12/2025 12:37

I wfh and am local to school/ work. It really does make life so much easier. No more sitting in hours of traffic. Lovely!

TheeNotoriousPIG · 19/12/2025 12:38

I used to have a job with a driving commute that should have taken 20-25 minutes, but in traffic, it was well over an hour!

I now live across the road from work, as the house is offered due to my job and needing to be there at all hours (a farm). Although I work long hours, I love my "just across the road" commute. It does mean that my neighbours are other people from work, but it's not a bad thing (unless you've made an embarrassing mess of something at work!), as we all have our own spaces, we get on, and it's handy to ask someone to go in to let your dogs out if you're working away for the day. I'm sure that one of my dogs would happily move in with a particular neighbour, as she almost wets herself with excitement when she sees him! The tiny local primary school is a five-minute walk, and there is a bus service for students at the secondary school in the nearest town.

Original poster
Statsquestion1 · 19/12/2025 12:40

Crystallllll · 19/12/2025 12:37

I wfh and am local to school/ work. It really does make life so much easier. No more sitting in hours of traffic. Lovely!

It really does, I wfh 2-3 days a week and it’s just amazing 🙌

OP posts:
Thunderdcc · 19/12/2025 12:41

Yep. We can pretty much see all 3 schools from our windows (infant, junior and secondary) and we are max 20 minutes from work.

Means I can leave at 2.50pm and make it home in time for the school pick up. Means that any school events are not a half day holiday, because I'm not losing much time getting there and back.

Glittertwins · 19/12/2025 12:43

I lived 5 mins drive from my office. Changed jobs and had to commute either by train and tube or around the M25 / client sites. Horrible. Now back to 5 mins from home again. There’s a lot to be said for being able to live close by.

Original poster
Statsquestion1 · 19/12/2025 12:45

Glittertwins · 19/12/2025 12:43

I lived 5 mins drive from my office. Changed jobs and had to commute either by train and tube or around the M25 / client sites. Horrible. Now back to 5 mins from home again. There’s a lot to be said for being able to live close by.

5min drive 🙌🙌

OP posts:
roosian · 19/12/2025 12:47

Completely agree OP, commuting is such a waste of time and must be so stressful when your kids are young. I’m 5 mins from primary and 20 mins from work and it’s just the best.

Joeydoesntsharefood25 · 19/12/2025 12:48

Same. I work in a few locations, all within 10 minutes. I can drop the kids off and pick them up. Shops 5 mins away, all my friends in the area are close by. Its great! In my previous job it was 45 mins there and back