Would you do something knowing it would annoy some, if not all, of your children?

[imnotmamagbutshelovesme]

I want to walk to school. It isn't too cold or wet or snowy to be out, the exercise will do us all good and sometimes I just get fed up of being in the car.

Pretty much the first thing my son asks when he comes out of school is if I have driven the whole way. He moans a bit if I have driven part the way there but it is still only a 10 minute walk if they don't mess about back to the car.

It is about three quarters of a mile to walk the whole way home and it can be done in a lot less than the half hour it seems to take as they put more effort into moaning about walking than they do in the actual walking.

do what you want to do

you are the grown-up

I make a point of annoying my children, I rather enjoy it

The more they moaned at me, the more I would be likely to insist on it every day [bad mummy emoticon]

nooo madam, OP should persevere

if I/we never did anything that my kids moaned about then they would be in charge, and thats not on is it?

my kids are champion moaners (type of cereal walking to school, swimming lessons, gymnastics, butter on bread, healthy stuff in lunchbox and so on ad infinitum....)

I listen to complaints, and if they are not reasonable, they do as they are told

My trip to school is about the same length. I leave the car in the drive every day, no matter what the weather.

They no longer moan. They know there's no point.

You really shouldn't be using the car for that short journey.

I'm the same. I INSIST on walking. DS1 hates it because "Daddy always lets us go in the car" - "all the more reason for me to make you walk then darling...."

My 4yo DS does more than that each way, we don't have a car and the bus doesn't run in that direction. So we walk, rain, hail, shine, snow.

He doesn't whine cause there isn't any choice. Tell your kids to suck it up and keep walking.

Do what you want to do. You are the adult and it is a sensible decision for all of you.

Or give DS the option of paying for the petrol and your taxi services out of his pocket money

We walked. Wrapped up DS2 and put a big fleecey blanket around him as it was colder than I was expecting and I had just plucked him cosy and warm from sleep. I was lovely and warm by the time I got to school. Took me 20 minutes. Took us about 40 minutes to get home and apart from DS1 staging a protest when we got to the bit where I parked and he saw there was no car, it was fine.

I still think it is too far for a 3 year old to walk both ways though.

Quite a long way for a 3yo to walk one way. Or maybe mine were just lazy

"I still think it is too far for a 3 year old to walk both ways though."

Depends on how much time you have. DS and I have been on foot now since he was 16 months, we walk EVERYWHERE but I will admit it used to drive me MENTAL that it would take up to an hour to go a kilometre!

They can handle what they have to handle, surely will whine but as long as they are getting enough to eat then their bodies will adjust.

I always give mine a choice - they can do what I ask or they can do what I ask and compain about it ....

Until they are fully paid up members over the age of 21, they are on a losing wicket with me...

i would expect a 3 yo to wallk there n back. just not quickly

I don't think its too far there and back either. My lot don't get much choice though as I dont drive.

Looks like mine were lazy then

He has walked one way and some of the way back but imo it is too far to do both ways atm.

Stamina will build up in no time! My 4 year old can walk for miles now, but then we have no car and so walking is just something you have to do!

I suppose part of it is I don't want to be stuck having to carry him as I have nerve damage from general lifting of him.

We didn't use the car.
Just took the pushchair. They would walk for a while but get in if they were tired.
Just easier for me, I suppose. No arguing about being picked up, if they got tired.
So, everyone was happy.

do you still have a buggy for him? Put him in that.

I used to put my youngest in a buggy until he was 4, for long distances with him walking part of the way holding on

I miss that buggy! I have to carry everything now

We walked the whole way and he was in the buggy the whole time. He doesn't go in it very much at all now, but we don't go far really.

< thinks, perhaps I should put my 8 yr old back in the buggy >