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Original poster

Is an hours drive each way from ages 2-7 a bad idea?

69 replies

Amyk01 · 10/09/2018 14:28

We are in an extremely fortunate position to be able to send our daughter to private school. We have an amazing one locally but intake is from age 7 onwards. The local state and private schools which cater from ages 2-7 have left me feeling a bit underwhelmed, however there is an exceptional private school I have fallen in love with but it is just over an hours drive away. Moving house is not an option for various reasons, and I am willing to suck up the daily 2 hour drive for 5 years to feel at peace with the quality of education, care and support my daughter is receiving. However, I of course worry about the impact the travelling will have on my daughter and wonder if I am crazy for even considering this?

OP posts:
jelliebelly · 12/09/2018 09:21

Maybe try to find out where the other children all go before they turn 7 - is there a "feeder" school nearby?

SoyDora · 12/09/2018 10:15

Clavinova if my 3 and 4 year olds slept for an hour in the day at any time, they would be up until 9-10pm. Without a nap they sleep 7-7 with no tired meltdowns in the afternoon, if they do ever fall asleep in the car it leads to chaos and meltdowns. All children are different.

WeaselsRising · 12/09/2018 10:33

We did it, but from 7 yo, not 4. It seems ok in the planning but in rush hour all timings go out of the window. DH and DS saw hundreds of crashes in their 4 years going to and from school. DS was often late because of it and they spent a lot of time in the Little Chef!

It was only doable because DH worked nights and slept in the car during the day (when he wasn't) being woken up by the police).

The car did so many miles it was needing a service once a half term and the petrol costs almost bankrupted us.

Having said all that, given the same scenario again we'd do exactly the same. Friends and playdates were never an issue.

IndigoLamp · 12/09/2018 11:29

Lostandfound81 I don’t understand your analogy.

BaggyAndABitLooseAtTheSeams · 12/09/2018 12:31

It was only doable because DH worked nights and slept in the car during the day (when he wasn't) being woken up by the police)

This sounds dangerous - was he driving when he should have been asleep?

BaggyAndABitLooseAtTheSeams · 12/09/2018 12:35

@Indigo I think Lost is saying it is a completely different proposition. Sending your child to school vs taking on teaching yourself

Lostandfound81 · 12/09/2018 12:43

Exactly baggy

It’s a leap of epic proportions!

BertrandRussell · 12/09/2018 12:52

Weaselsrising- that just sounds hellish. And I presume friends and playdates weren’t an issue because you were all too tired for them.......

IndigoLamp · 12/09/2018 12:53

It’s a different option. But it is an option, not an impossibility. Walking to Australia is impossible. So your analogy is stupid.

Lostandfound81 · 12/09/2018 13:03

For some reason your response made me laugh @Indigolamp.

Another analogy for you.

Like an engaging with a 7 year old.

IndigoLamp · 12/09/2018 13:07

Lostandfound81
Oh dear! You made a grammatical error in your snipe at me!

Lostandfound81 · 12/09/2018 13:10

Oh dear indeed! Grin

WeaselsRising · 12/09/2018 13:23

Baggy no he wasn't driving when he should have been asleep. He used to park in a large layby off the road. Once the police thought he was dead and woke him up. Another time he woke up to armed police who accused him of being a burglar! Once we changed the car for a people carrier that he could sleep in the back without being seen they left him alone.

NellyBarney · 12/09/2018 13:34

My 3 year old has a journey of about 50min to his pre-prep. It's about 35min away but I first need to drop off dd at her school, so there is a detour. He is absolutely fine with it though, has done a 50min roundtrip to her school and back home since he has been born. Most younger siblings have to and as we are rural 45min roundtrips are the norm. I therefore wouldn't be worried too much about your little one. He might even enjoy it with an iPad or an audio book and a snack. But would You be happy to do a 2 hour round trip twice a day and can you fit it in with work? I personally love the quiet time in the car and it's the closest I get to 'me time' (I have my take away coffee and get to listen to radio 4), and its the only time I get to have proper chats with my dd. Why don't you do a couple of dry runs and see how you all feel afterwards?

sallythesheep73 · 12/09/2018 14:49

I feel qualified to comment on this as we have moved DS1 from state school 200m from our house to private school 1 hour bus ride away.
DS2 is now 8 and moved just before he turned 8. We also have DD1 who is 5 but I consider her too young for such a journey.
There is a school minibus and about 12 children on the bus, so far he enjoys the journey.
We moved DS1 because the local school wasn't sufficiently challenging for him and the private school has many more extracurricular activities.
BUT!! 2 hours on a bus each day is long and by half term he is cream crackered.
And I wouldn't have done it any younger. We are hoping to hold out with DD1 until she is atleast 6 of not 7...
AND we are considering moving house to be nearer to the private school.
EXAMPLE: DS1 came home very excited yesterday - he has been selected for the school swimming squad. GREAT NEWS! Training is twice a week before school starting at 7.30am. NOT SUCH GREAT NEWS. We will have to get up at 6am AT THE LATEST to get there...

sallythesheep73 · 12/09/2018 14:53

MeteorGarden makes a good point here - make sure you can afford the secondary school too before you get started...

Rebecca36 · 12/09/2018 15:18

An hour's drive each way every day would be extremely tiring for the children, it's bad enough if you have to do it for work.

sallythesheep73 · 12/09/2018 15:38

One is very happy when the school holidays come :-)

Clavinova · 12/09/2018 16:03

They do get much longer holidays of course - 2 weeks for the October half term, at least 3 weeks for Christmas and Easter (we used to get 4 weeks at Easter) and the summer break often starts by the 6th/7th July.

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