Driving- How can parents survive without it?

[graceM]

I only ask as I find it hard to understand why so many parents in this day and age do not drive! Surely as a parent of sometimes many children, driving would be essential? I mean I have three children at three different schools/nursery and it would be impossible for me to get them there without the use of a car.

Now I know not everyone has three/four/five children but still, even with one or two children life would be so much simpler if one or both parents can drive? I get so fed up of seeing mums of a morning dragging their kids to the bus stop to do the school run especially in this cold weather and have found myself wondering why they just done learn to drive! Surely it's not fair for kids to be dragged around on public transport day in day out when it's freezing? So what are your thoughts, is driving essential to you and your daily life?

We only have one car too. Funny how people argue about cars when they actually own one?!

I always used to get the bus into town etc (despite two driving parents) and I will encourage my DC to do the same.

Does make me laugh that kids with driving parents must be disadvantaged in some way.

Your post comes across as rather smug and judgemental OP. Millions of people around the world do not drive and they still manage to bring up children. DH drives and I don't yet (I do intend to learn at some stage but the cost and having a young baby make it impossible right now).
We take the kids to lots of places at the weekend and during the week, we get out and about with the buggy: we've got the playgrounds, several play groups and DS1's nursery within a 10-minute walk from home as well as local friends for play dates so I don't feel they are missing out.
Plus, riding the bus is exciting for children as well as being far more environmentally-friendly than driving everywhere and teaching kids to walk is better for their future health than getting used to jumping in the car all the time.

I don't drive and live in a rural village with a bus every hour if you're lucky. Since having baby I've walked miles. In fact I've never done so much walking as I do now. We walk 40 mins up massive hill - which is hard work! - and in fields and country lanes. Yes in many ways having a car would be more convenient and yet in others it wouldn't be. Like someone else said you plan your life around not having a car. My partner does have one so we're not entirely without but I take my little ones on most of our outings in week. We've walked miles and miles this week.

I really agree with above poster saying that buses should be cheaper though. A 15 minute journey is £2.70!! I think that's disgusting!

Oh and there's nothing in our village apart from a really rubbish playground so it means that Yes we have to make a lot more effort to go anywhere. But I'd rather do that than stay in the house all day

Plus there's no way we could afford me to learn to drive or to have another car

Addison Lee and walking.

I've managed for over four years with children without a car (we have one but DH uses it for work) although I have sometimes borrowed my mum's car (for example when he did gymnastics four miles away). Surely it depends on where you live? A car is more of a hindrance than a help in London, for example, but may be essential in a remote rural area. We would all benefit from fewer cars on the roads - and children would be safer when walking or cycling. Also there's arguably no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.

We live in a suburban area with schools, shops, playgroup, post office, hairdresser, library, park etc within 10 minutes' walk. We are very close to bus routes so it is easy to get into town and to a couple of other places I often take the children (garden centre soft play, nature reserve, farm). I could cycle more but admit I am put off by the hill getting up to my house. If I wanted to, I could get to some other places by bus if I went into town and changed. DS's only activity at the moment is swimming which we can walk to. Having said all that although I hadn't planned to get a second car, my dad wants to change his car and I'm going to have his old one, so I do agree they are useful - just not essential. Not everyone can or wants to drive!