Living Close to Elementary school...regrets Having to Walk Kids

I think it would generally be great to walk the kids to school. You can have some together time & some fresh air first thing in the morning will feel really good. I walked to school as a kid (a longer walk, maybe 3/4 mile) and I'm sorry my kids won't have that opportunity. Go for it!

I love being a walker. Sometimes it's really really cold (as it would be where you are) but the kids don't seem to mind, and I find it a really nice way to start and end the day.

I would think that's a HUGE plus. Just visit the parking lot of most elementary schools and you'll understand it's a blessing not to have to deal with the lot. Ours is like Darwinism in action -- survival of the fittest. Until they installed another speed bump, parents would go screaming through the lot at high speed. Forget trying to back out of a parking spot after school. Our walk right now is a little too long for our four-year-old to tag along, so I have to do the lot every day. I would be thrilled to be able to just walk instead!

LOL! I just answered your other question about buying a house. I don't live close to my kids' schools, but I wish I did. That would mean 8 total blocks of walking every day (4 in the am, 4 in the pm) - it's a great way to sneak in some exercise! Plus, being that close, it'll be easy to volunteer at school, you won't have to fight for parking with all the other parents at all the school functions, you'll never have to sit in a pick-up or drop-off line (which is SUCH a waste of time, I could walk 5 blocks in the time it takes to wait in them!). My answer would be different if you were going to be 10 blocks away, but 2 blocks? I'd LOVE that!

I love it!!! Our walk is about the same as yours. It's way better and quicker than driving! We've been doing our walk EVERYDAY since my son was 5 in K and my daughter was 3. Now my son is 8 in 3rd grade and daughter is 6 and in 1st grade - so we're on our 4th year! Now that it's cold out, I don't even have to get out of my pj's in the morning - I just put on snowpants and coat over them!!! The only problem that I see you might have is your youngest being out in the cold, but if you oldest is not starting school till next year, then he/she should be fine by then. If the sidewalks are too snowy to use a stroller or a wagon, then pull a sled! Super fun! Easter bunny brought my kids umbrellas a few years back to use when it's rainy - like I said we walk EVERYDAY, unless there is lightning.
Also, I feel much more connected with their school. I see the teachers everyday. Not just their personnel teachers either - I see art teacher, music teachers, helper teachers, play ground teachers - I literally know almost everyone that works there. The other day, my son forgot his homework and it was no big deal to run it over to him. When the kids have "extras" at school, like plays etc, it is super convenient to live so close. Even if we do drive for these extra activities, it's so nice that it's so close and we're home in 2mins!!

So yes, you're crazy for 2nd guessing this :) Not to mention the fact that you can take the kids over to play at the playground all summer long! And sometimes schools have special summer stuff going on like Library Wednesdays etc.........Living close is a great way to keep involved!

Oh, I'd do it in a heartbeat! 2 blocks is great, and a great way to ensure pretty much daily exercise (of course not on insanely cold days like today is!) What a time saver it would be to be able to multitask. I find myself packing up my 18 month old and the stroller into our minivan and driving to my son's school (2 miles away) and then going for a little walk before my son's dismissal. It is nice, but would be even nicer if I didn't have to deal with the car at all.

Plus, once your oldest child is old enough, s/he will be able to walk the others to school on their own.

Buy the house!!! I so missed being able to walk my kiddos to/from school when we moved. We could walk in Holland MI but not here in Ashtabula OH (though with recent non-passage of levy, older kids will be walking next year....).

Yes, you have to up and presentable, but to me that's a good thing.....and you get a bit of exercise, fresh air, and a chance to talk with your kids without anything electronic interfering.

If you really think it will bother you, arrange to trade off with another parent on your block. Not a bad idea to have such a system in place, in case one of your littler ones gets sick and shouldn't be out; you can return the favor when neighbor's child is sick.

Go for it! and PM me in 8 years and see if you don't miss it! ;-)

K. Z.

we are one block from the grade school. i love that we are walkers. however my younger daughter attends nursery 3 mornings a wk so we walk occasionally. Sometimes we bike.

Sounds like a good thing. Nice house, nice school, and exercise. The only real "crazy" part is MN weather. I wouldn't be walking my kids in this weather that we have now, thats for sure.

I don't understand your issue? Is it too far, too much of a hassle to walk the older one's and drag the other two along? I actually live on a cul de sac that is right across the street from the school. I drive the kids and drop them off in the front with the other parents. So if "walking" is a problem, drive them.

The first few days, fine.
During that time, you will become acquainted
with one or more parents of your child's classmates.
You will arrange to have your child join that parent(s) and child(ren)
as they pass your home on the way to school.
If the house is awesome and the school district is amazing,
what in the world is stopping you?
If you were farther away, would you be DRIVING your child every day?
Count your blessings.

im with you, im not a morning person, and my daughter starting going to school when my newest addition was an infant. NO WAY would i want to walk at 7 in the morning. Id much rather sip my coffee and wave at her as she gets on the bus(usually while breastfeeding)

But who knows, it could be a good thing if you enjoy getting up and springing to life, thats just not for me.

One of the great things about snow clothes is that you can wear your jammies underneath them and no one is the wiser.

Also... your older kids will be able to walk your younger ones in not so long from now... AND you get to sleep in more than if you had to put them on a bus an hour before schools starts instead of out the door 5 minutes before school starts.

I live close to all of the schools and actually saw this as a benefit when we bought the house. Walking to school everyday is a great way to get the day started! Even if I don't feel up to it at first, by the time I get home, I feel great and ready to start my day! It is super fun to pick up my daughter by sled! I would go for it... esp. if you like the house and the district!!

It is nice sometimes and a pain in the butt others. My boys are 6 and 2 (almost 3). So this is our second year of walking.....luckily this winter I have a car available to me. We live about .5 mile from the school so it is a little further. It is really nice sometimes, but in weather like we are having now....ESPECIALLY when you have a toddler to drag with you. That is the biggest problem. In the snow, strollers are extremely difficult and it is hard for little ones to walk when they are so bundled up. So you either fight with the stroller (and people who don't shovel their walks) or leave lots of extra time so they can walk and then end up carrying them half the way. It isn't as bad now that my older boy is in all day school....Kindergarten walking to and from school for only a half day was really pretty annoying.

It's not all bad though. On the days when the weather is nice it's wonderful. And most days I end up being glad that we walk....just the near zero, windy, giant snow days that really are hard. Won't be nearly as problematic either once your older two are in school and you just have the one to worry about. Bundling up and all that are a pain, but living in MN you are probably used to that part.

There are pros and cons to everything. I think two blocks really isn't that bad and would be great compared to the distance we go. The buses can have troublemakers on them or drivers you aren't so fond of, the car line is crazy (but to me preferable on bad weather days)....so nothing is perfect. I wouldn't probably consider it as a big plus or big minus either way.

I totally understand, my sister lives right across the street from her daughter's school and I grew up living across the street from my elem school... I would suggest that you try to find a group of walking mommies and do it together or see if you can share days like two mommies take to school and two mommies bring them back home depending on ages/stages ... she has a buddy and it is a real help the mornings she just cant do it (runs her own business from the house and it gets crazy) she has a back up and she is just the same back up for her partner when she can be! And they met at the school while waiting for their kids.

It sounds like a plus to me! Great exercise! Maybe I'd see if I can find another mom nearby to trade days with if possible. And I'd get a Good double stroller so we can hurry if we need to and not depend on a preschooler who wants to dawdle and examine every bug and snowflake on the way, When you are walking without your oldest you can really get a great brisk walk in your schedule.

It's a five minute walk to my son's school...we drive :) He hates to walk in the mornings and I hate having to fight with him every morning to get him ready in time to walk. So, we just drive. But we walk in the afternoons when I pick him up. Plus, it's enough that I have to bundle one kid up when it's freezing outside, I don't want to have to completely bundle up my toddler.

I would love it here in California....I don't know about MN!! The other ladies are right about waiting in the drop off/pick up lines though.

We live a block and a half from my sons K-5 and the Middle school (6-8) is also walking distance. My middle child attends preschool at the middleschool (ECFE preschool).

I LOVE the thought that through middle school my kids will be that close to home. Right now my son actually takes the bus to K, the don't want that young of kids walking alone to school, but next year he'll be walking.

Where in St. Paul are you? I'm sure there are other families you can coordinate with to walk kids so you don't have to walk every day. Neighbors help each other in St. Paul (that's my experience anyway). I'm sure once you meet the neighbors you'll find someone with a school aged kid you can coordinate walking with.

Some of the St. Paul schools also have crossing guards, which helps the older kids walk on their own to school.

J.

would you rather your friendly neighbor pedophile walk your child to school?
i am certain he wouldnt mind.you are a mother now, your duty is to protect your children from these human monsters and the best way to discourge it, is to walk your kids to school everyday
K. h.