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

[twentypence]

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.

lol my fav quote when its raining and someone complains about walking ( not usually the children!) my dc actually like the rain and get excited if we go out in it
"its ok, we are not made of sugar we will not melt"

now in September dd2 start school so I will just go for drop off and pick up so will walk more then

by the time I get home it it time to go back otherwise (dd2 at playgroup for 2 hours)

But it is possible to walk some of the journeys, even if not all, surely?
I am in the same situation in that I pick up ds2 at lunchtime and ds1 at 3.15. Often I wil do the middle pick up in the car. It takes us about 30 mins to walk since we moved house (previously 5 mins away), and I do find it a bit of a pain, though its got better as I get used to it. However I really believe it is much better for them to walk so I am prepared to overcome my natural sloth for their sakes!
The main thing that bugs me about other people driving is that they will insist on driving right up to the school rather than park a couple of blocks away, thus creating a real hazard for those on foot.

mrsruffalo you could be describing my 2 lol its takes longer to get anywhere in the rain as its such fun.
have been known to get home wetter than they are from puddle jumpimg competitions! don't know where they get it from...

My dd hates the rain. I remember I used to love walking in the rain as a lo, but my dd really hates it. And wind is even worse. She screams when the wind's in her face. As a toddler I even had to get the raincover out for her buggy or she'd spend the entire walk screaming.

well I work 3 days so on the 2 days off when I do the school run, I have a grand total of 2 hours to myself on Mon and Fri morning

and call me selfish, but I would rather DRIVE home in 5 mins and read a book, then walk and eat into my precious ME TIME

Oliveoil

I completely agree. I have always thought that mothers with children in school and also those ridiculous 21/2 hr slot nurseries have a ridiculous situation of being back and forth a ridiculous amount of times. This is particularly true if they are a 30min walk away

In your situation I'd drive a lot of the runs too, else I'd never get anything else done and on wet days, what little time I did have would be spent drying out to just go out and get wet again.

hurrah, someone understands!

my two hate wind and rain too, they would cry for the whole journey, I would shout and it would be HIDEOUS

What surprises me on those rainy days are the number of parents who stare as if you are insane or shout- he's in the puddle, he's going to get wet!!! as if you hadn't realised.Always makes me laugh

Olive/ Belgian-I think the problem with using cars for short journeys is that the children get out of the habit of walking and then refuse to walk anywhere so it becomes a vicious circle.
I would do a walk home from school al least a couple of times a week in the circumstances you've both mentioned

no, they love walking

WHEN IT ISN'T RAINING

They just have to get used to it that's all olive oil

well dd1 is 5 and is still not used to it, some children do not like rain/wind

nor do I 4 times a day

only read last few posts. It takes 20 minutes ish to go to DS's nursery. If its raining i WILL go in the car. Why would I want to drag him through the wind and rain? He's just 4 fgs! I don't NEED him to "get used to it"

OO >

I hated the wind when I was a child and I'm not too keen on walking in bad weather now

And from the age of 11 I walked 2 miles to and from school every day come snow, rain or shine . It was quicker to walk than get the bus/train as the journey was very awkward and involved a couple of changes of bus and a 10 min walk

Maybe doing the walk so much whatever the weather put me off for life!!

mine are not lazy whatsoever, they run around all the time so I am not worried about that

dd1 is just a fussy little madam whose sensitivity buttons are turned up too high, whether it be for heat/cold/wet etc etc

I don't understand this selfish car mentality
And I don't believe that any of you only drive when it's raining - you much too anti-walking from what I'm reading

Does she find the car too hot then Olive?

well I have been driving for a grand total of 12 months

before that I walked with a double buggy (both under a cover, still moaning) and then with a buggy and a board (umbrellas and moaning)

it makes life easier for me to drive when it rains, not everyone is some rain loving freak

Lol Olive
Go for a walk you lazy toad car loving freak

get off your high horse you weather loving weirdo

Loive you are very funny- now if you weren't a female version of jeremy clarkson I might even like you

LOL at you two

arf

I am a walker, just very possessive of my me time to waste it trundling the streets after the school run

lol at mrsruffalo and oliveoil you are having the same arguement as me and my bestmate have regularly about this and many other things