Walking the school run in all weather?

[clio0602]

Hi I am going to have some days from now on when I will only have 1 school to drop/pick up from. The schools are 15-20 min walk at my pace so prob about half hr with lo's unless I convince them to get into buggy.

Do any of you walk this throughout the yr rain or shine? Any suggestions as to necessary items buggy brolly? Waterproofs? which ones? Do the parents mind the children walking in the rain/ snow?

I think less use of the car and more exercise is a good idea atm may change my mind after the first attempt tho lol x

[RachelE]

I moved here 2 and half years ago and didnt use my car hardly at all for the first 2 years. - because it hardly rained!

This last week, I've used it more than ever!

It depepnds whether you have a walking child or not and how prepared they are.

I only used to have my ds now 9, walking - so the others were under the rain cover.

But, now I feel a bit sorry for a 3 year old who needs to walk fast and try and hold their hood up.

- as long as you dont walk when its not raining, then thats ok! ;)

Rachel.

[mrs robbie williams]

We live just up the road from the school so it takes about ten minutes - its not worth getting the car out and driving as there is never anywhere to park - we would probably ending walking further than if we walked in the first place iyswim - plus i think its good for the children, the fresh air wakes them up before a long day at school xx

[brightstar]

I always walk if its dry, much to some of the childrens disgust. :laughing: :laughing: If its raining I take the car, I wear glasses so can't see out if its tipping down :blush:

[kats]

I walk everywhere and usually get soaking wet, my little ones are under a rain cover when they are not trying to pull it off!! and my older ones have to walk, they do get wet sometimes but i always tell them a bit of rain wont hurt them, they all have spare clothes here and often have to change into them after school. Some of the children who come to me were shocked at first because i dont drive and they had to walk but they are all used to it now. I love my buggy brolly, dont know how i managed without it :)

[louised]

I always walk no matter what the weather the main reason being that I can't fit them all in my car as I only have 2 seatbelts in the back and I will never change my car just so I can fit mindees in. It's a pain sometimes when the weather is bad but for some of my mindees it's the only excercise they get as their parents take them everywhere by car:eek:

[venus89]

I always walk, for exactly the same reasons as Helen. I suggest a good pair of wellies, raincoat and a raincover for the puschair..... The children all seem to love it :D

[The Juggler]

Me too, I have to walk - no choice really. Even if I had a big enough car the two schools are on different sites and to make the times I'd have to park and walk to one or other anyhow so we'd still get wet:laughing: :laughing:

We've been soaked many a time. I wish they'd make those all in one suits for adults:laughing: :laughing:

[snufflepuff]

I hate walking in the rain!
If it's just spitting a bit i'll still walk, but anymore than that and I drive. It takes an hour to walk to the school and back so that's quite a long time to be in the rain. The toddlers hate the raincover too, my son sits in the front and sticks as much of his head out the little window as he possibly can, and the mindee in the back tugs and it and squeals because she cannot get it off! Plus my schoolie often comes without a coat.
Our car has been at the garage this week and I have been getting drenched on the school run! It makes me so miserable, everyone needs a full change of clothes when we get back and my hair turns in to a big frizzy mess, lol!
If the weather is ok I hardly ever use the car- only when someone decides to fill their nappy just as we are about to set off!

[cabby]

i dont drive so we walk every day in all weathers, school is only about 15mins away so not to bad.x

[singlewiththree]

I have 2 days a week where there are too many of us to use the car, its about a 20 minutes walk and try and keep to 2 under 5's so that I can put them in the buggy under the raincover. I wear waterproof trousers and a regatta waterproof coat. I send my children in rain coats and am considering buying spares to put over mindees as they usually wear woollen coats that aren't waterproof!!

[babs]

i can drive but cant fit us all in car i have 2 under 1s in buggy and 2 3 yr olds that go to preschool so we walk which isnt very far, so i get wet 3 times a day in this weather.....:( :( buggy brolly where from i need 1 :D

[caz3007]

I dont drive, so walk about 15 minutes come rain, shine or snow and ice :panic:

I have treated myself to a proper raincoat and my son often wears his wellies. I only have a max of 2 LO's at the moment, so they go in the buggy with the rain cover. Some of my afterschoolies are independant arrival and I have spare clothes for them in case of getting soaked

[loocyloo]

oh yes! ( its about a 15/20min walk each way )

the number of parents who drop off in the rain and tell me i'll need to drive 'cos its raining and i always say no, we're walking!

all children have wellies/waterproofs and i aim for waterproof trousers! the LO all have them and so do i!

most children keep spare socks at least at my house ! :D

and yes, i have walked children home in the pouring rain without a coat because they haven't brought them, or tell me they haven't (afterschoolies who think its cool NOT to have a coat! :rolleyes: ) however, i know they usually have one in their bag as its one of the things i insist upon!

i get even wetter using the car, AND the babes get wet, and the buggy gets wet before you can get the raincover on, and the car is wet from everyone getting in wet ....

[maryp0ppins]

I walk come rain, shine, hail or snow....

I live 10 minute walk from the playgroup & 3 minute walk from the primary school so it's not to bad.:D

[Ali56]

We always walk whatever the weather-couldn't fit all the kids in the car if I wanted to!:)
I ask all parents to provide a spare set of clothes and full waterproofs for their children. most of them do.
Anyway we love playing out in the rain, its such fun and we all love the hot choc when we come inside to warm up!!:D :D

[Bananabrain]

I have to walk because I don't drive. I've lost count of the amount of times I've been wet this week!
The majority of the local childminders walk as well though, car or no car. I was talking to some this week and they said that it's actually more hassle using the car. Parking/piling babies in and out etc. the same as others have said really.

[Gizmo]

We always walk to school and today it started pouring just as the bell rang and we all got soaked but had great fun jumping in the puddles its no wonder people in my street think I'm a bit mad :laughing: :laughing:

[Louise B]

We always walk, even on the days when I could fit them all in the car. It's about 10 minutes brisk walk, which takes a while with a little 4 year old, but we get there, albeit drenched! lol. Today I walked to the end of my road and my back was soaked, so my shower proof coat clearly didn't like the torrential rain, I need a waterproof coat!!

The kids don't mind too much, they get prizes for walking at our school.:) xxxx

[mushpea]

I always walk on the school run as they only 10mins from mine and 5 mins apart,, when going between the 2 schools we do walk fast but they are all used to it and actutaly run and race each other,, I wont hurt them to walk in the rain and teaches them about the weatther and what they need to wear in all weathers,,, i had one come without a coat in the rain last week, child was old enough to know they needed a coat and after getting wet on one school run they didnt forget their coat for the rest of that week or this!!

[Pipsqueak]

i walk but then I live 5 minutes from the school:rolleyes:

[clio0602]

Right then...decision made.... I WILL be walking to school as long as the rain is not torrential....I will need to buy myself some waterproof trousers this wkend oh yes and some wellies. Then I can join in with the puddle jumping :D

Just hope my LO who is 3 doesn't come in his canvas pumps he had on Wed then insisted on jumping in every puddle from the car to the classroom and was soaked up to his waist then refusing to get changed :rolleyes:

[merry]

We walk whatever the weather, too many to fit in the car and it's only half a mile to school. I have spare coats and wellies for the pre-schoolers and the older ones soon learn to remember their coats and umbrellas. When older children first start here they're often amazed and horrified that we walk to school, and will ask what happens if it rains. The other children will cheerfully tell them that they'll get wet :laughing:

:)

[watgem]

we have no choice and have to walk , I have wellies and a buggy brolly which is fab but need a totally waterproof coat, I have encouraged parents to provide suitable clothing, as opposed to fashion items, one family have tried to find some the other family likes their children to wear the latest trends, so I do offer children the use of my waterproofs if they wish. Its not to bad on the home journey cos we can have hot chocolate when we get it and warm towels to dry off, the going to school bit is the hardest if the kids get wet, fortunately the local school has spare clothes. the EYFS states that children should have opportunities to be outside in all weathers so I think my mindees are getting that:)

[patevans]

We walk everywhere in all weathers I do drive but by the time we have waited for everyone to come out we are soaked through anyway, 2 days this week I had my flip flops on in the pouring rain...I refuse to wear winter shoes yet :laughing:

[Blackhorse]

I am too far away from the school to walk and then to get in time to the nursery we would have to be running....fast!!....:(

I am thinking now though of trying to do some of the school pick ups on foot if the weather is not too bad. I will have to see how it goes because of the distance. My dd is 2 1/2 and a good walker and hasnt been in a push chair in a year. other mindee with additional needs is nearly 5...to big to be pushed but can't manage really long distances on a regular basis either.

When I first started out cm'ing and I didnt have a car. I had parents turn down a place when they found out their kids (5+8) would have to walk to a school that is 20 minutes away...and there was no talk yet about bad weather.

I think it is ok to walk as much as possible but I would hate to have to do it in torrential downpours and gailforce winds.....

[singingcactus]

We had a 40 minute walk at the last place and I always walked regardless of the weather. If I have an under 1 then we put the rain cover on, children older than that in the buggy wrap up warm with a fleece blanket over them, and older kids wear wellies and coats. I took spare clothes for the kids to change into once we arrived if they had gotten wet. I did keep a supply of cheap wet weather gear and thrift shop clothes for wearing in the rain so any precious suede boots/coats didn't get water damaged.
As soon as we got back home (another 40 mintues walk) we got changed up and dried off, then we had a nice warm snack.
No worries.

[loocyloo]

We walk everywhere in all weathers I do drive but by the time we have waited for everyone to come out we are soaked through anyway, 2 days this week I had my flip flops on in the pouring rain...I refuse to wear winter shoes yet :laughing:

i wear my crocs in the rain! (and sun, and fog, and snow, ...)