Dyou do school run in car or on foot

**mumofone** · 08-03-2015, 07:22 PM

And why? I want to go by foot for this as school is about an 8 min walk Max from my house but do you walk or would you in any weather? What's the "done" thing?

**Maza** · 08-03-2015, 07:30 PM

An eight minute walk? Definitely walk!

Exercise, cheaper, fresh air, environmentally friendly, probably faster by the time you've strapped everyone in and found somewhere to park...

There is no 'done thing'. Everyone's circumstances are different. I get the bus to and from my daughter's school (with toddler mindee) as it is about a forty minute walk and I don't drive.

**Pixie dust** · 08-03-2015, 07:31 PM

We mostly walk to school, it's takes us between 10-15 minutes to walk. I live in a village but a lot of people do drive to the school and parking is horrendous. I find it a lot easier to walk then getting everyone in and out of the car plus I think it's good exercise for them to walk. The only time I do go in the car is if it's raining really heavily as I don't think it's nice for the schoolies to get soaked and then have to stay in the wets clothes all day or they end up wearing their PE kit in school for the day.

**natlou82** · 08-03-2015, 07:36 PM

Walk! It's probably a similar distance, I don't drive so I have no choice. I have a strict walking routine in place and it works really well. I get very annoyed by people who live within walking distance and drive and park as close to school as possible. It's very dangerous for the little ones. I can understand driving in bad weather, luckily I don't have many morning drop offs but keep spare clothes of my after schoolies get wet.

**mumofone** · 08-03-2015, 07:37 PM

That's what I'm wondering, weather wise when would it be considered unacceptable to make the kids walk? Toddlers and little ones too?

**shortstuff** · 08-03-2015, 07:37 PM

I walk as much as possible. Its anywhere between 10 and 25 minutes depending which lo's are walking.

**Maza** · 08-03-2015, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by mumofone

That's what I'm wondering, weather wise when would it be considered unacceptable to make the kids walk? Toddlers and little ones too?

We don't live in Siberia! In two years I have only had one day when I called a taxi to take us to school as the weather was appalling - strong gales, heavy, heavy rain - even then it was only because DD wasn't 100%. Even though we get the bus we still have about an eight minute walk to the bus stop and then another eight minutes walk when we get off the bus. Wrap them up in waterproof clothing, not cotton wool. x

**bunyip** · 08-03-2015, 07:53 PM

I use foot (both feet, as it happens) in all weather.

There's no such thing as 'bad weather'; only 'unsuitable clothing'.

It's my attempt to make sure that humankind reverses its trend to go car-dependent and maybe retain the flexible appendages hanging from its hips, rather than evolve a set of wheels over the next few generations. For some strange reason, parents are generally obsessed with health issues where food is concerned, yet quite happy to drive their little darlings all over the place and themselves to the gym (is that irony, or just plain ol' middle-class hypocrisy?) , thus making the children awfully unhealthy and subjecting the rest of us who prefer to move around the surface of the planet in the way goD intended, to car-fume pollution (I don't care if it's unleaded, you need to be told you're still bu88ering up the environment unless you're Jeremy Clarkson in disguise and too bigoted to listen

)

It opens up all sorts of possibilities for us, such as walking home across the fields and public footpaths, and seeing the world at the correct speed (and the odd cow, sheep, alpaca, rhea - yes, really) rather than as a 30mph+ blur of roadsigns.

Their are 3 disadvantages:-

The people who don't do the school run on foot seem determined to kill those of us who do. This can be as simple as casual attempts to crush us whilst crossing the road to school or as complex as crossing a kerb, 4 foot of grass verge and a pavement to smite us with their bourge-mobiles (I'll say this for drivers: you can't fault them for determination. )
Beware of the parents who think it's great that you walk to school. If they sound too keen, it's usually because they never walk anywhere and want to subcontract the whole 'exercise ' bit to their CM. You may well find yourself lumbered with a recalcitrant little chap/chappess who thinks it's a bl00dy long way from the family parking bay to the door of the supermarket, and you are totally evil for making them walk a million, billion, trillion miles to school.
Children are incapable of maintaining a constant speed. They only know dead slow and running. They will either drag along slowly then charge off when within sight of their destination, usually if the charge involves crossing a main road or car park with no regard for their life expectancy; or they will go s.......l............o.............w............l. .............y for a while, then run, fall over and use up all your best Peppa Pig plasters and pacey accident forms. You have 2 choices. Walk behind so you can see what the little blighters are up to, which allows them to slow down to a complete halt. Or, set the pace by walking in front, in which case you can't see who's pinching whom, etc.

In spite of all that, I do recommend walking................... and a cattle prod.

**bunyip** · 08-03-2015, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by mumofone

That's what I'm wondering, weather wise when would it be considered unacceptable to make the kids walk? Toddlers and little ones too?

If they're not actually water-soluble then an 8-minute walk in the rain is unlikely to be "unacceptable". Btw, the other thing I forgot to warn you about driver-parents is that they have little concept of what constitutes "warm, waterproof clothing." They tend to assume suitability for winter weather depends on the coat having a set of grinning 'Frozen' characters on it, even if the material is thin and absorbent.

**alex__17** · 08-03-2015, 08:00 PM

We are about a 10 minute walk from school and always walk, parking terrible and loading 3 kids in and out car each end would take longer plus don't have space for the school kids.
We've done the walk in all weathers, parents send their children in appropriate clothing and never crossed my mind they'd sit at school wet from rain as they always have wellies and proper coats as parents know we always walk.
I think it's good for them to walk and get the fresh air, kids are so used to being driven everywhere some of them did nothing but moan the first few times they walked with me but all happily walk it now

**FloraDora** · 08-03-2015, 08:06 PM

I am impressed with the city childminders- buses to get to school! Apartment life being the norm. Parks are not round the corner.....

Small town life - you can walk to school - life is so much easier, houses are affordable ( well at least in the Midlands and North) ..... Most houses have drives so cars and parking are not issues...

But then you do live in the one of the best cities in the world! You have all the best art galleries and big parks and exhibitions.....

On the dream retirement project - living in Brindly place, Birmingham is on the list , with close proximity to the Symphony hall, the rep, restaurants etc... But then the cost would mean we would live on beans on toast and be listening to radio 3 on reflection!

**alex__17** · 08-03-2015, 08:06 PM

Bunyip that did make me laugh how they either go so slow they almost stop and cause a buggy pile up on the pavement or are running off into the distance! Mine have to hold a buggy strap if there's any running off before I tell them they can run (in our road in a game of stop go which they love and means I'm in control of how far they go), it also keeps the slow reluctant walkers going at a reasonable pace rather than trailing miles behind or being run over by my buggy if they're in front.
Guarantee though even the best walkers decide while crossing the main road is the best time to mess about/chase or shove others/walk backwards or sideways/fall over or drop something...!

**loocyloo** · 08-03-2015, 08:19 PM

I live about half a mile away and I walk the school run ... takes about 10 - 20 mins ( and sometimes longer! ) ... I find it much easier when I need to have some in a buggy and actually ... when it's raining I think we're drier than trying to get in and out of the car!

My exception to walking is when I need to pick up from late clubs!

**Pixie dust** · 08-03-2015, 08:43 PM

We've done the walk in all weathers, parents send their children in appropriate clothing and never crossed my mind they'd sit at school wet from rain as they always have wellies and proper coats as parents know we always walk.

Sadly even though parents know I walk to and from school the older children regularly turn up in inappropriate clothing. I hate going in the car and have only used it on the rare occasion as a last resort. Much prefer to go puddle jumping with the little ones.

**tulip0803** · 08-03-2015, 08:44 PM

I would love to walk to school. Where I used to live we walked to school 10 mins then back past the house and 10 mins in other direction for nursery, then home. Back to nursery at lunch and back to school at 3pm. Loved walking in all weathers, children loved walking we saw squirrels, jays, other birds, dogs, cats, ambulances, air ambulance, different coloured cars, numbers on houses was sooo interesting. All in the centre of a town.

I now live a mile from the school on the main road with no footpath

. Too dangerous to walk to school supposed to be 40mph but they take no notice particularly the lorries! We have been on a waiting list for a footpath for 10 years. There is a care home and an OAP care home across the road and staff and residents cannot walk to the village. There aren't really any breaks in the housing on the road either so it isn't like we are surrounded by fields. Would love to walk although it is all up hill on the way home!

**Maza** · 08-03-2015, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by FloraDora

I am impressed with the city childminders- buses to get to school! Apartment life being the norm. Parks are not round the corner.....

Small town life - you can walk to school - life is so much easier, houses are affordable ( well at least in the Midlands and North) ..... Most houses have drives so cars and parking are not issues...

But then you do live in the one of the best cities in the world! You have all the best art galleries and big parks and exhibitions.....

On the dream retirement project - living in Brindly place, Birmingham is on the list , with close proximity to the Symphony hall, the rep, restaurants etc... But then the cost would mean we would live on beans on toast and be listening to radio 3 on reflection!

Yes, we do live in one of the best cities in the world, but alas, the apartment living and buses to school are taking it's toll and we are preparing to move out of London. Very, very sad about it but we do need more space. We will probably miss The Natural History Museum the most as we go there about every six weeks or so. We are lucky in that we do have a park and huge common a few minutes walk away.

OP, sorry, have gone off on a tangent. I would advise the parents that you will be walking to school in wet weather and so they might want to put a spare pair of socks/tights in bookbag so that the child can change at school if they get too wet. That's what I do. Bunyip's right - the ones who arrive at yours in a car will 'usually' be the ones who are least prepared for all weather conditions. x

**amanda1309** · 08-03-2015, 10:24 PM

I take the car on a morning as I pick up some schoolies and it's the opposite way to school, and we walk home after school. The round trip at pick up takes me 50-60 mins depending on who I've got and how slowly/quickly we walk.
They all now enjoy the walk and gave stopped moaning all the way home. (We only started walking in January)

**lollipop kid** · 08-03-2015, 10:36 PM

We walk (school is about 8 minute walk as well).

I don't actually have a car any more as I hardly ever used it. (The children and I walk everywhere.)

I find it gives us quality time to just look around us, chat, sing and just enjoy the time. I only cover the one school so it works for me.

L

**Ripeberry** · 09-03-2015, 08:10 AM

The closest school (for my own child) is a 40 min walk but only five minutes by car. I drive because the road is too dangerous to walk along (40mph) limit but some drive at over 60mph! Numerous crashes down that road. The school itself is across a main road with quarry lorries and general traffic going to a busy motorway junction. No crossing points whatsoever and the pavement runs out!
Safer to drive!

**kellib** · 09-03-2015, 10:46 AM

We do a mixture of both, usually in the mornings we'll take the car because we have 2 schools to go to. In the afternoons we'll walk home if it's a nice day or if I have too many kids to fit in the car!

I'll admit we've used the car a lot more in the winter as I just don't see the point in everyone freezing when we do have use of the car, kids have been well warned though that when it gets warmer we'll be walking a lot more!