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Old 04-21-2013, 04:56 PM
 
Location: Back in MADISON Wi thank God!
1,047 posts, read 3,980,789 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nana053 View Post
Where we live there is no safe walking route to my granddaughter's school or to my grandson's school. No sidewalks for most of the route for my grandson. Aside from the fact that it is a 3 mile trip and he is autistic. My granddaughter's trip is 5 miles and there are again few sidewalks and a very busy road she would need to cross if she was walking.

Aside from that much of the year, the heat and humidity make walking these distances difficult.

I am a walker and have walked long distances, but not in this town given the lack of sidewalks and the heat. (I do sometimes go walk 7 miles to the store, btw, but I choose my time carefully to avoid the heat).

Someone mentioned bus service - there is a school bus, but currently the kids are in two different schools and the school start times are different as well.

There are NO city buses here at all.
these are certainly circumstances where a child is too far and cannot walk to school.
I was primarily refering to a neighborhood, specifically built next to the school, with sidewalks and walking path to the school, houses 2,3,4 blocks away, and the kids are driven every day. Is this not odd?
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Old 04-21-2013, 04:58 PM
 
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Gees...Grouch much. What's it to you what parents do with their own children, long as it is safe and they are caring.
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Old 04-21-2013, 05:03 PM
 
Location: here
24,873 posts, read 36,067,075 times
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How funny that this thread was resurrected. I thought of it a few weeks ago when we were at Disney World. I did notice more "big" kids being pushed in strollers than I have ever noticed anywhere else. I also saw more adults riding mobility scooters. I wonder if there is a connection.
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Old 04-21-2013, 05:10 PM
 
Location: Geneva, IL
12,980 posts, read 14,521,119 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.K. View Post
I'm surprised you guys don't have bus service.
Quote:
Originally Posted by L.K. View Post
I was primarily refering to a neighborhood, specifically built next to the school, with sidewalks and walking path to the school, houses 2,3,4 blocks away, and the kids are driven every day. Is this not odd?
So because that is the situation where you live, you assume it must be the same for everyone? Wow.

1) Our elementary bus leaves our neighborhood at 6.55am, arrives at school at 6.40am school starts at 7.55am.

2) The elementary kid does safety patrol 2 x a week before school, and needs to be there at 7.30am.

3) Elementary kid also does internal mail delivery before school 2 x a week at 7.30am.

4) We live 2 miles from the elementary school.

5) No sidewalks.

6) Very oppressive heat and humidity for quite a few months.

7) Middle schooler has either sport or band practice before school every morning.

8) We live 4 miles from the middle school.

9) Most days the middle schooler comes home on the bus, but school gets out at 4.10, he gets off the bus at 5pm, if he needs time for homework or sport, he comes home by car.

Questions?
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Old 04-21-2013, 05:56 PM
 
17,183 posts, read 22,799,903 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.K. View Post
these are certainly circumstances where a child is too far and cannot walk to school.
I was primarily refering to a neighborhood, specifically built next to the school, with sidewalks and walking path to the school, houses 2,3,4 blocks away, and the kids are driven every day. Is this not odd?
I might find it odd, but depending upon the age of the child and the time the parents need to leave for work, it might just be a personal choice due to timing. If the parent needs to leave to get to work on time and the child is 5 or 6 and has no one else to walk with, that could be an extenuating circumstance.
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:01 PM
 
11,642 posts, read 23,834,301 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.K. View Post
Thanks, I never thought of that!
Have you ever thought of an umbrella?
I think I'm just going to continue to pick my child up when his brother can't give him a ride.
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:03 PM
 
11,642 posts, read 23,834,301 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.K. View Post
I'm surprised you guys don't have bus service.
My kids go to private school. I could pay for bus service but I don't.
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:06 PM
 
Location: here
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.K. View Post
not every day there can't!
I find it difficult to believe that you can't think of a single reason kids might not walk to school. I guess that would require thinking. I can think of several and it wasn't even difficult.
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:10 PM
 
11,642 posts, read 23,834,301 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.K. View Post
Really, I have nothing against technology. And you're right, every generation tries to make things better for their kids. It's just gone too far in some areas.

As far as the walking to school, I walk WITH my kids. I'm sure you're right though, people are afraid to let their kids out of their sight( that's another whole topic) We walk in the rain, with umbrellas, we walk in the snow with boots, we walk when it's 20 degrees, we walk when it's 90 degrees. Leading by example is good. For you see, as great as progress is, as comfy as we like to make it for our kids, a healthy LIFESTYLE is worth teaching.
I do walk wherever I can walk, or bike. I like to be healthy.
Consider the fact that maybe, just maybe, if kids got daily, routine physical activity, if that was the norm, there wouldn't be a need for gym class? Why is physical activity the schools responsibility?

Common sense.....
Walking to school is not the Holy Grail of healthiness. A person can be driven to school and still engage in routine physical activity.
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:40 PM
 
1,677 posts, read 2,480,213 times
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At the beginning of the school year, I was told that my dd, 5 years old at the time, would have to walk from school to her after school care program because the center was within a mile of the school.

Two problems with that. She was FIVE. And even though it was a short distance, it required her to cross a busy intersection, then walk down a busy street, which only has a sidewalk part of the way down. Maybe it wouldn't be a big deal for a bigger kid, but no way in hell was I letting my kindergartener walk alone...not to mention it's not the safest part of town. I argued at the bus company until they agreed to provide a bus for her. And yes, I also drive her to school every morning, but mainly because I work at her school every morning. When I didn't work there, I walked her one block to her bus stop, and waited with her until it arrived.

Does that make her a spoiled, entitled, fat, lazy brat? I don't think so at all. She is very physically fit and active, very independent, and not at all spoiled. Like maciesmom said, you can't really judge a parent based on one very small parenting decision. That kid who's five and riding in a stroller may be the same kid on any other day be out running and playing like any other kid, or may be the most polite, well mannered child you could ever imagine. Something so minor does not make or break a kid, or make someone a bad parent. But then, there just seems to be people who look for any little reason to turn up their nose at someone else's parenting.
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