Time vs. Money re: walking the kids to school

[bogart]

My husband or I (we alternate) has walked our kid to and from school every day from K-2 (our district allows them to start walking solo at 3rd) grade.  We're 1/3 mile from school, and it does build community/connections.  Especially in the afternoons when you're stuck hanging around waiting for the kids to be released...

For us, it's quicker to walk than to drive.  We also live in a reasonably mild climate and it's a pleasant enough walk and we have just the one kid.  So.

And I'd taking walking my kid to school over baking my own bread every time, I have no interest in baking my own bread. 

But I'll throw the dog in the car and drive him to where I can let him be off leash rather than walk him on leash. 

Walk quality matters to me.  It sounds like it (or workout quality, maybe) matters to you.  And, yes, putting a kid in the car and driving them somewhere can be much, much easier than walking with them somewhere (obviously, more kids only makes this more true), as with the car, you control the pace and direction (within what's legal) and aren't stopping to admire butterflies, or ...

Not that there's anything wrong with admiring butterflies!  I'm a big fan of admiring butterflies (particularly with my kid).  But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the value of just getting somewhere.

(And to be honest, I do not confuse the fact that I adore my kid and love spending time with him, with the thought that that means I want to spend every moment with him, or as many moments as feasible, even just the wonderful moments.  I don't (anymore than I want to spend every waking moment with my husband, or anyone else for that matter).  Some parents seem to, and more power to them, but I value some adult time, and yes, alone time, something that can be preciously scarce with even just one kid, let alone 3). 

All of which is a circuitous way of saying ... figure out what works for you, and do that (and it can include a range of possibilities, not just one single approach).  I do think the idea of summer practice (our school has great playgrounds, and we do walk up there just for fun and have since DS was tiny) is a good one, and also that it may be harder to get the kids to walk if they know the car is an option, so you may want to factor those things into your planning. 

Congrats on finding a home where walking's an option.

[galliver]

My mom did virtually this intermittently over years with various kids and various schools, starting when I was 8 and sisters were 3 and 0...I think my dad was home with them (asleep) in the AM and she only brought them on afternoon pickup. It was coincidentally always about a mile to all the schools except high schools (there were 4, and only one was comfortably walkable). I walked with a year-younger friend in 4th and 5th grade, then alone from 6th onward. My mom or I would still meet my sisters halfway home from their middle school, though, because there weren't any kids on our street (we moved) so she was concerned about safety (and loneliness). One caveat: in the early years we were a one-car family and my mom wasn't comfortable driving. Second caveat: we lived in California for about half of it (good weather was predominant, though in winter we had occasional torrential rain and freezing mornings).

I remember the time fondly and I bet my sisters got a lot out of it, too. I was surprised it took so long for the pickup line to be mentioned because even in the 90s (when I was in elementary, and kids were allowed to walk alone) it got ridiculous and added a lot of time to driving to/from school. But we would either get out of there quickly on our two feet each, or have the freedom to stay and play on the playground (the school had a good one), or stop by the park that was halfway home, often meeting family friends who lived farther away (it was the best park, though, it had a creek). I don't remember whining...though I might be biased! But I think we talked and played too much. Based on my parents' comments and some of my own observations from hiking in later years: kids don't whine from actually being tired after walking half a mile. They're bored.

To cut down on time, mom would sometimes take the scooter, or rollerblade, but not often. I could see walking your bike with the kids and biking the leg without kids. Might depend on logistics of the youngest: can he/she keep up walking? Is it safe to put them in a bike-mounted seat and wheel it (I don't know)? Not sure what the options are there but it seems like something could be devised? I also liked the running idea, if you have a jogging stroller :)

Incidentally, most years we could totally get a ride from dad if it was raining. Nobody wanted us to be sitting with cold wet feet/clothes all day in class. Walking home in rain is a more reasonable hardship. :)

Basically: it's doable and it does train your kids to be walkers! Try it. But if you really find all 10 trips difficult, scale back and see what works for you. But please don't be concerned that 1mi+1mi (or, 20min+20min)/day is too much for elementary kids, or that that time is wasted. Bring a snack and a water bottle and let them catch all the butterflies they want on the way home.

PS: Random thought: are you familiar w/ MMM's allowance for his son? He gets $.xx per mile walked and biked (diff amounts I think). Would that motivate your kids to have a better attitude about it?

[monstermonster]

Okay, please understand that this is what I did for a living for 5 years (encourage walking + biking to school) and I completely understand all your concerns as I've seen thousands of parents share the same concern, but here is my take with the cited facts:

In 1969, 48 percent of children 5 to 14 years of age usually walked or bicycled to school (The National Center for Safe Routes to School, 2011). In 2009, 13 percent of children 5 to 14 years of age usually walked or bicycled to school (National Center, 2011).

The exercise for yourself shouldn't be the only thing you should consider - also consider the active time for your children. Lack of out-of-school physical activity from being driven everywhere and helicopter parenting (i.e. not letting 10 year olds walk themselves home from school, despite the fact that crime is lower than it has ever been) is one of the top contributors to childhood obesity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS] recommends that children do 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day and that the bulk of this physical activity comes through aerobic exercise, such as walking and bicycling. You'd be fulfilling the bulk of this by walking with your kids to school each day.

Most children today have less independence than their parents did, and this lack of independence can negatively impact their social behavior development (Huttenmoser, 1995). Driving a child from home to school limits the child's opportunities to interact with the neighborhood and other children.

Find a solution that works for you - a few days a week, only when the weather is good, a walking school bus with other parents (we have a number of these in my town.) Please give your children the opportunity to walk to school at least once a week, if not more often. You won't regret it.

[BlueHouse]

What a gift to give your children -- not just your time, but you're also setting them up to be active participants in life, rather than merely driving through.  This will be an ingrained habit that can last them their lifetimes.  Try to encourage them to slow down and enjoy the journey, rather than focusing on the destination! 

[RetiredAt63]

I'm older - I walked 0.9 km 4 times a day (home for lunch too) from age 6 - 12.  It was in a residential neighbourhood with one major high-traffic street.  That street had a crossing guard.  I knew how to cross a street by myself.  However I also was part of a group of kids - met another kid at the top of my street, met another the next block over, and so on, so we were a group after a few blocks.  Never any issues.  Just as Zamboni described.  I think part of it was that elementary schools were placed so that they were all in walking distance for the pupils, although the definition of walking distance seems to have been more generous then.  I also walked to high school, because we were just a bit too close to be eligible for busing. Not a bad walk in terms of distance, but over a busy overpass and up a hill in the morning, so definitely a workout.

When MM1970 wrote that "I read some research on when kids are able to safely walk to school.  When it comes to crossing the street safely, and waiting for traffic - the answer is 10 years old.  SOME kids are able to do it as early as 7 or 8, but MOST kids are able to do it by age 10." I was shocked.  Being able to cross the street is such a basic skill.  What if a kid wants to go over to a friend's house, and that means crossing a street?  Does a parent have to take them?  I felt bad because the first time I took a city bus without an adult I was 12, and the friend I was with had been taking buses on her own for a few years by then.

Biking - bikes are great in good weather, but the walking skills have to be there first.  If a kid can't handle an intersection when walking, they will be more at risk on a bike.

[Merrie]

Is there an older kid in the neighborhood who walks and could escort your kids sometimes? Or another parent who wants to walk and you could switch off walking with each other's kids?

[MsPeacock]

When MM1970 wrote that "I read some research on when kids are able to safely walk to school.  When it comes to crossing the street safely, and waiting for traffic - the answer is 10 years old.  SOME kids are able to do it as early as 7 or 8, but MOST kids are able to do it by age 10." I was shocked.  Being able to cross the street is such a basic skill.  What if a kid wants to go over to a friend's house, and that means crossing a street?  Does a parent have to take them?  I felt bad because the first time I took a city bus without an adult I was 12, and the friend I was with had been taking buses on her own for a few years by then.

Biking - bikes are great in good weather, but the walking skills have to be there first.  If a kid can't handle an intersection when walking, they will be more at risk on a bike.

I think it depends on the street. I don't worry about our neighborhood streets. However, the huge intersections on the major roads - I don't even like to cross them on foot. When I do it w/ my kids I definitely notice that the 8 year old doesn't really have a sense of where cars might come from unexpectedly, and doesn't have a sense of hustle because the light is short. The 12 year old is slightly better, but still have trouble predicting unexpected cars (cars turning from many different places, bad drivers, parking lots, and 4 lanes in both directions w/ a median).

At 12 I was also taking the bus and biking all over my relatively small town. Now i live in a big nearly-urban area and there is a lot more to negotiate (e.g. changing buses, larger geographical area, etc.).