'Walk to school Week'- why, why, why?

[ampere]

What IS the point of this money wasting exercise?

Surely mums (as mums it practically always is!) who drive their DCs to school, by and large either do it because:

-they work and unless they have a very understanding employer who will accommodate them being late for a week, may lose their job over this; or

-mums whom wild horses wouldn't induce to walk, let alone a poxy sticker scheme!

Once again it's attempting societal engineering via schooling rather than attack the 'core' of the problem- if, indeed it IS a problem- being the fact none of us have any time any more and many of us have mortgages or rent to pay! Furthermore, really, why expect DCs to trog to school in all weathers when we, as adults, take the car everywhere?

I wish schools would spend the money on sticking to the point and schooling our DCs not rewarding behaviour 'walkers' already do and guilt tripping those who can't!

'Not blaming school - but I do think that the more activity that can be built into the school day, the better for everyone.'

You mean like jogging on the spot whilst we recite our times tables in French, then juggling a range of healthy snacks before eating them to the strains of Mozart?
I'm game to try.

Walking or cycling is good from a point of view of vitamin D absorbtion as well. Always using a car means inactive children with bendy bones

Yes - osteporosis can be avoided.

DD can't walk to school. She always used to but since we moved her to a new school last year its now 3 miles along bendy roads with no pavements.

I can't drive most of the way there and then park and walk the last bit as the last bit is probably the worst bit safety wise. Still no pavement and a blind humpback bridge 20 yards before the school.

I suppose I could drive past the school into the village and then walk back but surely driving further would defeat the object of less pollution and traffic near schools.

DD gets plenty of exercise in the evenings and at weekends.

'Goblinchild, I agree that it is up to parents - but in winter it is hard given that they are in school so much of the daylight hours - particularly if they are then kept in on wet playtimes/lunches.'

You don't have lights in your house?
Exercise also includes things like yoga, tai chi, gymnastic stretches and flexing, or if you have a wii fit you are well away.

ButterflyParty our DCs' school does include stamina events, cross-country running for example (just finished). One of the most fun school trips I've helped on was a hike up a local hill, from school, down to a park and back to school again. That took around 5 hours (although with a fair bit of faffing around) and was quite a steep climb. Fantastic for stamina!
Northernlurker I agree with you. I was quite shocked too at the school as they are usually very supportive of any physical exercise, in school or out of it. I'm going to ask again about bike racks...(school now has new principal!) On a related note though several of us have been trying to get bike racks at my work for about 5 years...we now have a rickety garden shed, which is better than nothing, but still no bike rack! (end of rant)

Riven, my work folder has a picture of the Cat In The Hat on it.
The one where he's balanced on a ball, juggling random items just before he falls off.
Teaching is very much like that now.

Goblinchild - no wii fit, not sure that yoga/stretching does the job with a 8 y/o who's climbing up the walls . Mostly we take the dog for a walk in the dark. I'm really not blaming the school or expecting them to fit in more stuff in the day, but I do wish that they would let the kids play out in the rain if they want to at lunchtimes & breaks. After all, they play out at home when it is raining.

I totally agree with Bonsoir's post.

We live only a 7 mins walk from school, and I'd let ds walk to school on his own if the road he needs to cross was less dangerous. And it's dangerous to cross also because of the number of cars double parked to drop children off.

'Out of interest, if you walk with the kids to a museum can that count towards p.e.'

Only if you jogged them and it took at least 20 mins. Needs to raise the heart rate.
Otherwise I'd call it environmental awareness. I could also make them litter pick, do a traffic census and identify street furniture and signs. And teach them how to walk, use crossings, identify hazards, give way to pedestrians and other street etiquette that they don't get from other sources.

SGM don't even get me started on Brain Gym!

Computers will do that to you!

ButterflyParty your DD sounds pretty normal to me!