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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect my dd to walk to school?

62 replies

hillbilly · 21/04/2010 13:44

She will be 5 in June. It's a 15/18 minute walk. DH thinks it's too much. I think she should be able to do it. AIBU?

OP posts:

FunkyMonkey1983 · 21/04/2010 14:26

I work in school transport (Scotland) and it's policy that children between 5 and 8 can be expected to walk up to 2 miles to get to school, children over 8 can be expected to walk up to 3 miles.

Original poster

hillbilly · 21/04/2010 14:29

I like that FunkyMonkey! Something official to tell DH!

OP posts:

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/04/2010 14:29

yanbu

god gave us feet to walk on, not to use on pedals

walk if sunny, but take car if pissing down

Original poster

hillbilly · 21/04/2010 14:31

I agree Blondes, and would take car if pissing down.

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staranise · 21/04/2010 14:33

My 3 year old and 5 year old both scoot or walk just over a mile to school. if yor daughter get very tired, get her a micro scooter and then you can always pull her along. It takes 15-20 mins, more on the way home (which is uphill).

I used to hate the school run but now we positively enjoy it, particularly in the summer.

KRH · 21/04/2010 14:34

Definitely not too far to walk. Our walk to school is about 18-20 min for an adult and 25 min for my kids. My son has been doing it since he started nursery at 3.5 and my daughter (2.5) has now started walking with us rather than going in the buggy. I always leave 30 mins to get there so we can appreciate what's around us as we go and admittedly my daughter can take up to an hour to walk home, but as it's all uphill on the way back and she's already walked the whole way there it's not too surprising! My son's favourite game is the rainbow game - we sing the rainbow song "do you know the colours that you find in a rainbow?" and when we get to the colours they have to find something of each colour before we can move on. Indigo and Violet are tough in winter, but in the summer there are loads of flowers around that are close enough! I have some of the best conversations with my son on the walk to school - we probably cover every school subject as we look at what's happening around us and it's a genuinely pleasurable, unhurried part of the day!

Original poster

hillbilly · 21/04/2010 14:35

In October she moved from a 3 wheeler micro scooter to a 2 wheeler which obviously takes more effort. This morning I ended up carrying the scooter

OP posts:

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/04/2010 14:36

saying that, we do drive every day but it is about 5miles each way and mainly country lanes so no paths

so i do use my feet for pedals

Joolyjoolyjoo · 21/04/2010 14:39

YANBU! My poor children have had to walk at least an hour a day, in all weathers, since they could get out of the buggy as we have 2 dogs who must be walked every day, come hail or shine.

I have on occasions felt a bit guilty dragging them out in horrible weather to do the walk, but I do think it is good for them to get out and get fresh air and exercise. dd1 loved it, but dd2 does moan sometimes! Ds is still young enough to jump in and out of the buggy (which dd2(4) secretly covets!) We walk through a lovely wooded park, where we see lots of wildlife/ nature and have time for some good chats, the likes of which I wouldn't be able to concentrate on if driving!

My problem with walking dd1 to school and back would be that dd2 would have to do the journey both ways THEN go out with the dogs for an hour- I think she might rebel! Luckily dd1 gets the school bus!

PfftTheMagicDragon · 21/04/2010 14:39

They all complain at the start. Give it a few weeks and she will be fine, though even now DS sometimes moans about it.

They are tired after school, but the exercise is good for them 15/20 minutes is nothing. Take a banana and a drink.

biddysmama · 21/04/2010 14:42

ds's school is 30 mins away , downhill then uphill and hes had no choice but to walk since he started since i dont drive..

posieparker · 21/04/2010 14:43

Good Gracious, is your DH hoping for a little chubby daughter? My dd has not used a pushchair since she was two and a bit....she walks everywhere and when in china(where we spend most of the summer) she walks for at least an hour everyday in the blistering heat.

posieparker · 21/04/2010 14:45

I love the rainbow game, will be using that myself soon!

GeneHuntsMistress · 21/04/2010 14:49

hillbilly YANBU

my DD was doing the 1.3 miles (30 mins walk) to preschool at 3. we do get the bus one way most days, but she can and does do the walk often.

one of the games we play when she is supposedly too tired to walk, is to run to the next tree and i count her how long the race takes. she loves this, so i know she is not tired she is actually bored when she says i'm tired.

i had planned to get a scooter in the beginning but i am so glad now that i didnt, she is used to the walk and will be fine come sept when it's 5 times a week, even if we get bus one way each day.

dont even get me started on how it's around 18 times more expensive for us to get the bus up there than to take the car but i wanted her to be of the mindset to think of walking or public transport first, before assuming we would go everywhere in the car. i hope that makes sense.

i must say our walks are the best part of motherhood for me, the chats we have and the little bits of education and fun along the way so much nicer than her sitting behind me listening to me swear at other road users

taffetacat · 21/04/2010 14:50

DD walks 30 minutes to school - she's 3. She's done it for the last year as DS (6) has been going. We make the walk more interesting by talking about things on the way - looking out for different birds and plants, doing maths sums (DS) , trying to identify house numbers (DD), making up sill songs and rhymes etc.

And sometimes we take a scooter.

We don't walk if its raining lots though.

Original poster

hillbilly · 21/04/2010 14:50

Posieparker - it's weird because he is so pro-exercise! When she started reception in January she used to get extremely tired, however she is coping much better now. She is a slender child but IMO she eats enough to sustain her and can easily manage the walk.

OP posts:

Original poster

hillbilly · 21/04/2010 14:51

I also think I need to leave earlier so we are not in a rush.

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carrotsarenottheonlyvegetable · 21/04/2010 15:24

Does it take just 15/18 minutes to walk around the supermarket? The shopping centre? The town?

No? Can she do that for an hour at a time?

Well then.

Good for you.

kitkatsforbreakfast · 21/04/2010 15:27

I find our mile walk morning and afternoon the best bits of the day. I can really talk with the dc and we have our best conversations during this time as nobody can rush off to cook tea/watch tv/do homework etc. I think the morning walk wakes them up and gets them going for the day and the afternoon one is useful at burning off steam after being in a classroom for a few hours.

Dd has just started walking it too. She is just 3. But as she isn't at school yet she does the walk 4 times a day. She manages just fine

It is good for me too.

I'm sure nodody would have dreamt of having this conversation 50 years ago. Then it was quite normal for children to walk miles to school. I bet they were healthier too.

GrimmaTheNome · 21/04/2010 15:48

YABU ... to drive her if its raining.
I had to walk further than that every day to my junior school whatever the weather, we didn't have a car.

We didn't have to do 'exercise' in those days - we just lived more in the way a biped should.

brightyoungthing · 21/04/2010 16:14

YANBU .......DD's school is 25-30 mins walk away for an adult and she does it in about 30-35 mins. And it's all up-hill! She's done this since nursery and it's a great start to the day. Sometimes she moans in the winter but I just tell her that's what legs are for! (She's 7 btw)

verytellytubby · 21/04/2010 17:44

My DT's are 5 this summer and I make them walk/scooter to school. It takes 25 minutes (it's a 15 minute walk if I did it by myself). My DC are very car dependent and lazy so really trying to walk more.

IMoveTheStars · 21/04/2010 17:47

YANBU- DS is 2.5 and can walk the 20 mins to town, usually can walk it back as well (though sometimes needs the buggy)

Today he walked for well over 2 hours.. sure 5 is old enough to manage a short walk to school

CarGirl · 21/04/2010 17:51

Put her back on the micro scooter (unless she weighs more than 20kg!)

Original poster

hillbilly · 21/04/2010 18:39

I wish it were an option cargirl but her old one broke hence the new 2 wheeler and she can't take her little brother's because he uses it.

Walking it is and I shall just make it more interesting - I also can't believe I'm having this conversation. It seems so obvious to me but dh is a little over protective at times!

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