To think these parents are being overprotective and mistrusting

[Dancergirl]

Parking is a major issue at my dds' school and is a real bugbear of mine. One of the problems is that it is a very narrow road and you get people parking on corners, on the kerb etc causing a lot of congestion.

One of the ideas we have had (I'm a parent governor) is a walking bus from the top of the road. I think this is a great idea and parents could be on a rota to walk with the children. It would mean crossing the road outside the school but is a short walk, about 3/4 minutes.

When I have discussed this with parents I am amazed at the number of parents who insist on going with their child to the classroom door and wouldn't want anyone else doing it. Hence they wouldn't be interested in a walking bus unless they walk every day with the children.

Am I missing something here? I think it would be great to drop them and be able to drive off knowing they were being walked to school. We're all parents, it's a small friendly school, I don't see the problem. One mum said she would only do it if she knew the other parent very well. And another said she felt it was her 'job' to walk them down

Your thoughts?

I think it sounds like a great idea and I'm sure local residents would appreciate it as well.

Not sure what people's problem is, tbh. But then, my kids have been going to school on an actual bus from Day 1, so I never go to the classroom on a regular basis.

Depends on the age of the children. I am afraid I wouldn't necessarily trust another adult I had never met with my child unless I already had a degree of trust that my children knew how to behave safely next to a road.

YAdefinitelyNBU.

some parents ARE over-protective or cling on to the feeling of being completely needed when the level of need decreased a long time ago.

Actually, I think almost all of us are like that in some way or other. Me? I am 100% sure I am too, but I can't see what exactly (although I suspect the school could tell me!).

What you can do about it?? I don't know.

What age are the children? My daughter is in reception and I would not let a stranger (or someone I only knew vaguely) walk her to school. If she was 7 I might feel differently about it...

Hard for me to comment because DS isn't at primary yet, so not sure how I feel about this.

YANBU.

But good luck getting a rota together - been there done that. It wil1 be just you and a very few other conscientious mums within a term.

What age group have you tried this with? Why not tackle KS2 first maybe?

IMO people stick with the community standard on this. a lot of people worry they will be seen as neglectful parents if they don't do X, Y or Z. I was all set to let my ds start going to school on his own, but have been deflated by the fact that, er, he doesn't want to (well, not when it came to the crunch anyway). I would happily let him run along screaming walk with a friend, and am sure he would love that, but none of his friends are going on their own yet, and I can't ask another parent to do this job for me (NB I am pretty slack about other adults looking after ds, but this is because there is no parent locally who is more careless than me )

I must also say that the school dropoff/pickup is a part of my social life too! This may be an influence.

You only need a small group to start this off though - once people see that other parents are doing it, they will be happier to join in. Try the older ones. Best of luck.

"When I have discussed this with parents I am amazed at the number of parents who insist on going with their child to the classroom door and wouldn't want anyone else doing it. Hence they wouldn't be interested in a walking bus unless they walk every day with the children"

It's simple then, Dancergirl. Let them all park their cars somewhere other than where they will be obstructing the road/causing a danger to others and let them all walk, if they really want to be so silly and PFB.

They'll soon tire of it. I guarantee you that within a fortnight the majority of them will have dropped out and you'll be asking for help with the walking bus in your next newsletter within a term.

It would take even less time than that to reduce the adult numbers if you started the walking bus in winter!

It depends on the ages of the children. How old are they?

Surely if a childs parent needed to talk to the teacher they would just go in seperately on that day. My DS2 has gone to school without me handing him over since he was 6, DD since she was 5. It really isn't difficult

Yuno would you allow your DCs to go on school trips? Because parents as well as TAs and teachers accompany DCs then.

YANBu. They are. But then a lot of parents are. How to get over this "my children are only safe when they are with me, ideally in my nice safe car which I will park as close to the school gates as humanly possible" attitude is very difficult! Good luck!

DD goes on the school bus and has done since she was 5. I am surrounded by parents whose DC are entitled to the school bus but choose not to use it !

Altinkum
I was responding to the 'it wouldn't work because what if the parent needs to hand in monies or discuss something with the teacher' point

I am saying it isn't difficult to send a child in with a note to the teacher or to call the teacher if there is a matter that needs to be discussed or simply walk the child in that day.
Which is isn't - I am trying to imagine that there may be specific and unusual circumstances directly relating to that individual child. But my DS2 has SN and I still manage to communicate happily with his teachers without taking him in myself.

and actually I am just going to laugh for a moment at the notion that getting my children to school has not been difficult...

Depends entirely on the age.
My DS is just about to start reception and theres no way I'd let him go with a load of other children and a few parents across a road and a 3 or 4 min walk to school without me.
Not until he is older and reliable not to run off/go too near the road etc anyway
My main worry would be him dashing off (he is fast) and not being noticed so no-one would know he was supposed to be at school (including me) until much later if he didnt turn up iyswim

All these people who cannot bear to let go of their DCs any further that a few inches from the classroom door are the parents who mob the poor teacher every morning, aren't they. Thankfully (Y4) it's calming down a little, but in reception it was hellish.

Bramshott - that's exactly it in a nutshell! And re the parking near the school - yes, yes and yes! It drives me mad. I tend to go past the school near the bottom of the road where it is quieter and less congested and walk up from there. It's a nice green leafy walk and I see little need to park on top of the school. Funnily enough, myself and my 2 children seem to have 2 things coming out of my hips - they are called LEGS and they seem to work perfectly well. Other mums and children seem to have them as well.

How often do you need to talk to the teacher about something...? It's not every day FGS!

I think it's very sad how we've all become so suspicious and mistrusting of people. I don't want my children to grow up like that. MOST people/parents are decent, sensible and caring.

Ages of children - so far the children of the parents I've asked are mainly year 2 and 3 and a couple of year 1s. So they would be years 2,3 and 4 from September. Hardly babies.

Then, like me, you have specific circumstances.

I assumed the OP is asking about the broad brush of children in a class - a percentage of whom walking would relieve that melee.
And for most people the need to talk occasionally to the teacher would not preclude the idea.

But OP has still not confirmed childrens ages...

Altinkum your case is a little different imo. But I doubt every parent with DCs at the school needs to talk to the teacher everyday. No need to write off the idea because it won't suit some parents - it will suit plenty of others v.well indeed.

Walking buses operate all over the country with no problems. They are a great idea.

I wouldn't hesitate to let my five-year-old use one if we had one ( what a good idea, I wonder if our school could start one)

and surely parents don't have to speak to thr teacher every day ... Do they?

Bloody hell Dancergirl - Really? Year s 2 and 3?

DD wants to walk on her own in Year 3. But I suspect the school will refuse and I am concerned about the fucking millions of cars around the school so will have to say no.
She could do it otherwise , only a couple of side roads to cross and the main road has paedestrian crossing.
But the nutters mounting curbs and accelerating into and out of available car parking spots make it too dangerous

curbs?

kerbs