Walking to School

[Earlybird]

Thought it would be interesting (for me anyway! ) to ask who walks their children to school every morning? If you do walk, how old are your children, and how long does it take? What do you do when the weather is terrible?

Thinking ahead to the school run in September, when dd will enter reception, and our mornings will need to be structured differently. Even if dd can manage the distance (and she is a good walker), it would entail getting out of the house with 30 minutes to spare...and for dawdling dd, I'm not sure how realistic that is!

OK - at the moment it's a 5-10minute walk to nursery.

Come september and reception class..........hmmm lets see - from front door to school gate roughly.........10 seconds

I won't be walking come ds1 starting reception in Sept. It just wouldn't be possible timing wise as I have to get him to school by 8.45 and then ds2 to nursery by 9.15ish and they are miles apart and my house is somewhere in the middle.

I'm planning to try and park a little way from the school though and walk the remainder - partly because I want the kids to get a bit of exercise and fresh air in the morning and partly because I think it's probably a nightmare trying to park right by the school.

Dreading it though with 3 kids of 4 and under!!!

I walk to school with ds1 (nearly 5) and ds2 (2.4yrs) every day. It takes about 10 minutes or so each way. We have no car and so do this whatever the weather.

We walk everyday, unless I need the car to go on somewhere immediately afterwards. It's 10-15 minutes to DS1's school, and another 15-20 to DS2's nursery, so I usually put DS2 in the buggy for the morning drop-off still, though he is too old and heavy! Roll on September when they can both walk for every journey!

Just to try and make it clearer - I think it would take about 25 mins to walk to school from my house, but then from school to nursery it would take over an hour (and I'll only have 15 mins to make that journey to get ds2 to nursery on time) and then perhaps 40 mins or so back to my house.

Just not possible to walk it for me. Wish it was.

I walk everyday, it takes approx 10 minutes.

Our school is setting up a 'walking bus' due to start in a couple of weeks, where they have designated parents (bus drivers) who stop along the route to school and up pick kids, really good idea and very helpful for parents who have smaller children who struggle to get out on time in the morning. Or for parents who work and drop kids off in the car, the kids get the exercise they may not normally get.

Don't know if this idea is nationwide, but it would be great if other areas had it too.

I used to walk a 30 minute uphill journey, now ive moved and I get the bus which is lovely!

we go, with 5 and 3 year old walking, 1 year old in buggy. It's half a mile or so. it takes 15 minutes with them both, 10 minutes with just the 5 year old. and 7 minutes on my own.

their walking got better quickly with practising this distance every day.

when weather is bad they wear wellies and umbrellas and love it

Fennel - mine would love it in the rain too. That's why I'm planning to park away from school so we still get a walk. I think I'll put ds3 (12 months by Sept) in the backpack!

dd (now 7) has walked with me and ds (now 3) every morning since she started. It takes 20 minutes, and unfortunately has a big hill either way! We dont actually have an option as no car available to us. I am sure on wet and horrid days it would be tempting. I do like the walk though, I enjoy the chats we have about our days.

we live a good 40 minute walk, (for me) probably an hour with kids, from school, so we drive to my mums house & walk from there. it takes us about 10 minutes. we do that rain or shine.

My childrens school is right over other side of town and would take about 45-50 minutes to walk (longer depending on mood) and there is no way I could do that everyday, however we do usually try to park away from school and walk the rest of the way, which takes about 10 minutes. sometimes when I pick them up I take their scooters and let them come back to the car on them. I like them to get this exercise and I wished we lived nearer to the school so we could walk everyday.

earlybird we always walk, even tho it involves some complicated logistics with dropping dd at nursery a car ride in the other direction.
We have a walking bus 2 days a week which dh helps run as well.
it?s about a 10-min walk for a grown up, dh can do it in 7 mins in a hurry; I usually leave about 20 to 9 and get there with plenty of time to spare. DS1 (nearly 6) is a good walker and it?s nice because it gives us a chance to chat about the day to come/do spellings/look at plants and birds we see/spot friends in the street etc.
When I have the other children it?s ds2 in pushchair and dd, nearly 4, walking. Fri pm we have a mad dash back from a gym class and generally have about 10 mins to do it but always manage it OK. Got dd to run to school last fri pm on ?magic air? I was throwing on the ground!!
I do think (said this many times before) that children can walk further than we give them credit for. Maybe yr dawdler will speed up once she realises it?s exciting school she?s going to!
BTW if it's rainign we just walk in wellies and waterproofs, no probs really.

Our walk to nursery now takes about 10 minutes. The walk to the new school in September will take 20-30 minutes each way. DD easily walks that distance now, but our longer walks now are "optional" rather than routine. So, I'm thinking about the reality of making that walk every day but think it's mainly about simply settling in to a different routine that soon enough will feel "normal".

Taking the bus would entail a 10 minute walk in the opposite direction...and by the time we've done that, waited for the bus, done the ride...well, we could have walked the distance, so definitely not a time saver.

We live in an area with lots of "yummy mummies" in their "Chelsea tractors". The idea of walking any distance in their designer shoes (or god forbid, taking public transport!) doesn't cross their minds. We may rapidly become the novelty family that actually walks to school!

We (ds 6, dd 4) tube + walk: 15 mins walk to station, ride two stops, 15 mins walk to school. 45 mins door-to-door is almost always OK.

We do it rain or shine - very very occasional cab, but that's because of oversleeping, not weather. Bad weather: rain jackets, gumboots (or snowboots!), puddles and smiley rosy cheeks.

I think the essential is that the children are used to, and happy, walking - mine have lovely strong legs as legacy of a brilliant nanny who had them walk everywhere from two-ish.

hah just read the thread, snap to fennel!
Of course some people are just too far to walk but I agree it?s a good idea to park a short walk away for gdg?s reasons.

Know what you mean about the novelty family - school we use is very, well, 4x4-y. However more likely you'll find yourself part of a nice little band of walkers who all start to look out for each other.

I walk with dd (6) every morning - well 9 out of 10. It's a bit over a mile one way for her and I take ds3 in his buggy (17m). My older 2 get a school bus; they are further away. in tha afternoons walking usualyy wouldn't work for logistical reasons so she is usually collected by car. I love the walk; it gets ds3 out into the fresh air and keeps me moderately fit as it's uphill most of the way back. Sometimes the walk back is longer if I go shopping or to the library withds3.

I definitely think we'll walk. As a faithful member of the Mumsnet Pedometer Club it's almost obligatory isn't it?

One aspect of the "yummy mummy brigade" that makes me and is that many of them never seem to walk anywhere. But, somehow most of them are probably 2 stone lighter than me! In my own version of dd's whiniest voice "it's not fair"!

I walk every day. It takes 15 - 20 mins to get there but we go at a pace because we're always late. I have DD1 (9), DD2 (6) and DS (2). DS is in pushchair there but we walk back (can take 45 mins depending on snails, flowers, postmen, diggers, etc). I love it because we can talk through all sorts of things as we walk along. I get so hassled if I have to take the car and the children always bicker.

We walk - dd1 is 7 and it takes us 10 minutes. Used to drive, but that was before I went on maternity leave and had to go whizzing off to work. Tbh I don't have to leave any earlier, as by the time I had managed to get parked etc. it used to take as long in the car. Really enjoy walking.

We walk - ds's school is 10 minutes - more like 15 if dd (2) is walking too (which I try and encourage). If I'm dropping dd at nursery it's an hour round trip to do both, there and back.

I drive the 15 minute walk but in my defence Ds and DD1 have CP and can't walk that far, or if they could it would take about a hour.

I walk to school most days. I leave at 8.40 for an 8.55 start.

It would be easy for me to drive, although the walk is so short, because I go on to work immediately after dropping the kids off. However, I wanted to get the girls into the habit of walking, so unless I am in a massive hurry (e.g. have to get to work earlier than normal for some reason) I walk them to school then walk home and pick up the car to go to work.

My childminder doesn't drive, so even if I take them by car they need to be prepared for wet/cold weather (coats, hats, hoods, etc.). However, I must admit that if it's really dreadful I do throw them in the car - mainly because I need to arrive at work looking vaguely presentable and not like a drowned rat!