People who walk to school

[purpleme12]

Those who walk to school with their children, how far away is the school from your house? How far away would you consider a school? And do they walk willingly?

She does have a scooter.

It is along a main road to be honest. For most of the way. I'm not really worried about safety she's good with roads (although scooting might need a bit more practice before I'm as sure as walking) but obviously not a pretty walk or anything.

I am all for walking and cycling. But I wouldn't walk 1.6 miles along a busy road. That's just miserable. For both of you.
The air pollution may affect you too, well especially your child.

You could never really take another child home with you after school either.

I wouldn't choose that school unless any alternatives were truly dire.

Friend used to march her large brood back & forth every day, 1.5 miles each way. Babies, double buggy, preschoolers, reception age, the lot. Good wellies & waterproofs! Only about 1/5 of the journey along an unpleasant bit of road, though.

It's a couple of km (through a forest though so scenic route rather than along busy roads), takes her 30-40 (sometimes over an hour...) minutes depending on how much she dawdles (I don't actually walk with her any more - when we did walk together it was definitely on the quicker side), her walk home always seems to take longer but she walks part of it with her friend so that's probably why (and when he comes home with her it takes them well over an hour, he is so slow!)

She complained sometimes at the beginning of term but now she's used to it and enjoys it - she had the option of getting a lift with OH this morning but chose to walk instead.

We usually bus it now that dd3 is out of the buggy (she's 3 next week) or it would take about an hour. When she was in the buggy it would take about 45-50 mins
I can do it on my own in 30-35 mins

@brilliotic said "The air pollution may affect you too, well especially your child." Air pollution is worse inside a car than on the pavement, plus if you can walk even a few metres away from the side of the road, it minimises how much air pollution you are exposed to.

Just over a mile, takes us 20 minutes. 5 year old reception twins.

So, it depends on what the alternatives are.
If that is your nearest school and you don't drive, then it just is what it is. She will be tired at first but it just becomes normal and everyday - you've got months to build up to her being used to tootling along at a fair pace for fisrt 1/2 a mile, then gradually increasing until she can do a couple of mile without batting an eyelid.
My dc used to be able to walk that easily at that age, because I always used to walk everywhere with them from when they could walk (obvs before that, they were in the pram or pushchair). It need only be an issue if you make it so.

MrsJamin, I know that, I remind myself every time I'm stuck (on my bike) behind a car in a jam, breathing in their fumes. I also hold on to the knowledge that cyclists have a better life expectancy than non-cyclists despite the dangers involved in cycling, due to the health benefits of cycling.

But it is a false comparison. In the car it will be maybe 5 minutes exposed to that higher level of pollution, whereas if walking 1.6 miles at a child's pace by a busy road, it could mean 2x40 minutes every day. If the choice were five minutes of car exhausts for me on foot vs five minutes with me stuck inside the car, I'd of course choose walking, from a pollution perspective.

I had read that already one row of houses away from the busy road the air is significantly better, but I find it hard to believe that walking on the far side of the pavement will make much difference.

It does, as long as it's not a 60cm wide pavement like some of the parts I have to walk along. Air pollution really sits right where the cars are, generally. Even 1m further away makes a difference.
If you're concerned about air pollution levels, then the sensible thing is not to contribute to them.
OP is there a bus that could take you part of the way just to help on days it's difficult to get motivated to walk that far? Also how much better is this further away school than the closer ones?

About 200m. 3 mins walk max, including a pedestrian crossing.

We live in the centre of a village. Everything we need is either a few mins walk, or half an hour’s drive.

About 0.3 miles, around 10 minutes with the children or less if I'm on my own.

I just checked how far it is and it's 1.3 miles for me and DS(6). We do get the bus in the morning in the winter (it's uphill pretty much all the way) but we always walk back and I always walk to pick up. We love it, it's a good chance for him to unwind and have a chat at the end of the school day.

Ours is quite far (almost 2 miles) and takes about 40 mins. However, DD is 9 so manages it fine.