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Ethical living

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Original poster

I live a mile away from ds's school...

138 replies

twentypence · 18/03/2008 20:42

And we usually cycle to school on our cool tandem, but today ds said he wanted to walk. So we did.

When we got to school our neighbour was unloading her child from the car and asked us how long it took us to walk.

How do you live just a mile from a school, go every day for over 2 years and have never walked it?

I find that as hard to fathom as people that don't use their recycling bins.

OP posts:

horsemadgal · 18/03/2008 22:55

20 minutes is quite a lot for little ones.
And 40 minutes walk a lot for lots of people I know.
Ours is currently about 2 miles away and we go by car.
When DS starts 'big school' it will just be a 10 minute walk away and we will be walking the days I don't work. Not sure on the days I do work as would be using car for work anyway.

foofi · 18/03/2008 23:02

twentypence - I think the fact that your neighbour was asking about how long it takes implies that she might be considering it, so you'd be better to be supportive than judgemental.

BroccoliSpears · 18/03/2008 23:18

I know a woman who had to buy two car seats for her dd - one for her car and one for her husband's "in case she ever needed him to pick her up from nursery".

Nursery is about 500 yards down the road.

And she complained like hell about the expense of it all. And she said that she wouldn't trust dh to take her dd further than nursery because it wasn't quite as high spec seat as the one in her car.

Original poster

twentypence · 19/03/2008 00:01

I wasn't judgemental I was surprised that she didn't know how long it took.

Judgemental would have been "well it took ds 20 minutes because he is fit from walking and cycling. It would probably be best for you to allow half an hour."

I felt smug yesterday when I cycled to and from work on top of the school run

OP posts:

JodieG1 · 19/03/2008 00:06

Broccoli that makes no sense on her part as most accidents happen on short journeys, should have the same seat for both cars or just swap them over and, god forbid, walk.

RosaIsRed · 19/03/2008 00:12

We only live half a mile from our school. Most people walk, even those that live a mile or more away. I have to say I think it is absolutely ridiculous to claim that a normal healthy school-age child couldn't do a 20-min walk without being tired out for the day.

Clary · 19/03/2008 01:05

yes 20p that is bizarre.

I am always amazed by how full people's black bins are, even if they have fewer people in their house than we do and a bigger bin.

But people have over-inflated ideas of how long it takes to walk anywhere.

I work about 10 mins walk from town and lots of people would only ever drive in at lunchtime, despite the hassle and expense of parking. Very odd.

Squonk that's almost unbelievable
(I believe you tho)

Yes agree in what parallel universe is a 20 min walk a lot for a child????

We once passed someone loading her kids into the car - we were about half way along our 10 min walk to school. We passed her again unloading em by the school gate. Hmm that was worth it then.

TBH even if she then had to go to work, couldn't she manage the 5 min (or more like 3 min) nip home again on foot?

Original poster

twentypence · 19/03/2008 01:21

I do take ds by car on the day I go to work, but I have timed my work around not wanting to make the journey twice (am self employed)so the car isn't actually going any further. I need 2 suitcases full of stuff for my job or I would cycle to that (am considering a bike trailer). And I will give a lift to the daughter of the only other woman that walks (is not allowed to drive for medical reasons)

Dh is worried that part of the walk is dangerous because of the cars but I've pointed out that not walking means it will be worse not better.

OP posts:

melpomene · 19/03/2008 09:52

We live half a mile from the school. If it's just me walking, it takes 10 mins or less. But it's much slower with the dds, especially on the way home. One day last week it took about 45 minutes! DD2 insists on walking and investigating everything, dd1 sometimes stops and whinges about being tiiiiired, etc etc. I don't think dd1 would cope very well with a mile's walk at the end of the day, but then she is only in reception.

dylsmum1998 · 19/03/2008 10:03

yes walking with lo's is slow, but it is perfectly doable- my dd is 22 months and has been able to walk one way to the school, which is a mile away for several months.
to say a child who is a lot older than that can not do it is rubbish. they are perfectly able to if allowed. it is part of this attitude as somone else said that is cauising probs such as childhood obesity, and the extra fumes are contributing to other probs such as asthma. ( yes me and both my children are asthmatic as well)

iheartdusty · 19/03/2008 10:09

we live about 1.3 miles away

On days I am not working I walk or cycle (trailbike) with DD, but she moans all the way if walking. Takes about 20 mins to cycle (uphill all the way), 30 mins to walk - one way - and 20 mins to walk home alone. I can't get DS on the bike as well.

DS then goes to nursery at the same place but 2 hours later.

so if we walked each way it would take a total of 3.5 hours every day.

it will be easier when DD can cycle alone and DS can come on the trailbike, and they are both coming and going at the same time.

iheartdusty · 19/03/2008 10:12

no sorry 2.5 hours total each day. Still a large chunk of time.

Lazycow · 19/03/2008 10:13

Has no-one actually consider that some of us who work from cannot do a mile walk to school and back without being late for work.

Ds isn't at school yet but when he does, I have the choice of using a cm to do his drop off or using a break fast club or dropping him myself at 9am. If I do the drop off it means I have exactly 15 mins to get to work. As I work locally I can do this but NOT if I have to walk back home and collect my car.

My choice is going to be to do the drop off myself as if I use a CM I will need to drop ds at 8.30am at the latest which is much earlier than I need to leave if we go together. I don't want to use breakfast club as he will already be at after school club at least 3 times a week.

So that leaves me with driving him to school. This is not because we are lazy but because I want to take him to school and driving is the only practical way I can do this on a regular basis without being late for work every day.

Lazycow · 19/03/2008 10:14

btw - I have no prob being called lazy on other things where this is true (see the name. Just that on this issue it is not lazuiness that will make me drive it is necessity.

Oliveoil · 19/03/2008 10:15

I walk in the summer and drive in the winter as I don't relish wind and rain in my face for 30+ mins

also I have to go to drop dd1 and dd2
come home
go to pick up dd2
come home
to to pick up dd1 (with dd2)
come home

in the summer, fine, lovely jubbly, in the winter, feck right off where is my car

bozza · 19/03/2008 10:20

We walk to school. And on the (rare) occasions when i go straight to work afterwards I walk back home to get the car. It is only 5 mins walk at 3yo speed so less for me on my own and the parking is such that I can walk back then drive back past school when everyone is still outside.

GooseyLoosey · 19/03/2008 10:23

My ds goes to school with the walking bus every day. I walk with it several times a week.

Sometimes I pick ds up in the car from after school club as it is on my way and I am driving home from work. He always asks why I have the car and tells me I am lazy and should walk into work like he walks into school (although in my defence, the round trip walking would be over 200 miles!)

hotcrossMonkeybun · 19/03/2008 10:28

So what are the solutions to get more kids/parents to walk?

Walking buses are brilliant and all schools should have them where they can...

But maybe parents need to get their act together a bit more and think about car-shares to get to work? Maybe employers need to be encouraged to have more flexibility about start times for just this purpose?

I'm always amazed at how individualistic and privatised we are: why don't people share stuff more? It doesn't take a lot of energy or organisation...

iheartdusty · 19/03/2008 10:29

lazycow, is it at all feasible for you to cycle to work if you work locally? you could put DS in a trailer or on a trailbike if he can't cycle himself?

as long as I don't go too fast I usually stay looking fairly tidy apart from a wind blown quiff in my hair!

just a thought

Lazycow · 19/03/2008 10:36

Iheartdusty

Well I suppose I could cycle if I had ever learnt to but as a city child born and bred we went by bus and even in my childhood there was a lot of traffic so my mothera and father neither of whom could ride bikes never taught us!!

I recently (aged 40 years old) had lessons on a bike and can now just about stay upright and cycle in a very wobbly way!!. There is no way that I am going to brave the traffic though and certainly not with ds on the back!!

dylsmum1998 · 19/03/2008 10:39

there are times when driving to school is necessary, as i have mentioned in another post we do on occasion drive but if i do drive i pick up my friends children on route and fill the car. sometimes me and said friend take and collect each others children as well to save the need for one of us to drive, e.g. when we have an earrly appointment or need to get to 9 am lectures ( we are both students)
as hot cross monkey says people need to share more, not only is the excercise good for children, the socialising is good for them to, they complain less if you have friends walking with you too

iheartdusty · 19/03/2008 10:39

fair enough

bozza · 19/03/2008 10:41

The problem I have with car sharing is that I have to leave for work and home at very specific times in order to fit in with my childcare and my children's after school activities. There basically are just not enough hours in the day when I am working. On the days I am not working we walk to school without fail.

Oliveoil · 19/03/2008 10:44

well I am not going to justify myself to anyone tbh

I drive when I need to and walk when I don't

cazzybabs · 19/03/2008 10:51

I make my child walk 2 miles to school because I HATE driving and also its bloody expensive and I also I am really worried about the world I will leave behind for my grandchildren. I do sometimes get the bus and when dd3 is bigger I will cycle again.

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