I love the school holidays. I'm not at school nor do I have children, but I love the fact my drive to work is quick, easy and uncluttered by yummy mummies (and daddies) taking their little darlings to school. Heaven forbid that they should have to catch the bus or even use their legs.But hang on a moment, that's what I used to do. When I went to school in the village, I walked. When I progressed to high school in the town 12 miles away, I caught the bus with everyone else. People who lived in the town walked to school or caught the town service bus. I remember being shocked when I found out that people caught a bus to different parts of town, rather than walking.
Perhaps if children walked now, there wouldn't be the growing obesity problem among our young people that the the do-goers are forever bleating on about. Perhaps if they walked, I would zip through the outskirts of the city in the four minutes it took me today, rather than the 15-20 it can take on a normal day. Perhaps, if they walked, all those yummy mummies' BMWs and 4x4s would stop contributing to climate change. Has anyone else noticed how cold it's been this week when the kids are off school?
16 comments:
I love half term, makes my mornings journey 10mins shorter at least
I didn't know they had US style roads up North? (The traffic lights gave it away)
Far too observant Brom - have you tried finding a British city road on Google images?
But then, we are very cosmopolitan in the frozen North...
Totally agree about walking to school. Made us what we are today etc etc. Seriously - it would be good for everyone.
Some villages round here have 'walking buses' - essentially an old-fashioned crocodile of children escorted by adults. They all wear hi-vis jackets and I think there is a little trailer for the rucksacks and lunch boxes. It may even be sponsored by a local car dealership. Terrific idea.
My other half enjoys the school hols in the same way as you. I do need to take you to task though, as your guilty of a little stereotyping in my book. Not everyone drives a 4x4 BMW and not everyone can put their kids on a bus i.e my five year old would have to catch a bus then walk 1.5 miles. Don't know many parents that would allow kids at this age to make such a journey unaccompanied. I agree in a perfect world but it ain't is it?
I hate the school holidays, queit cafes are full of teenagers picking their spots and giggling and when you go swimming you have to battle with giant inflatable octopuses etc. bah humbug!!!
What about that recent bonkers furore from the social when a sensible mum had her child walking to school? I always walked to scholl, and so did every other child - safety in numbers and all that.
Quite right, M&M, children are far too mollycoddled
mountainear - I agree, but one only has to look at some of the sarcastic comments on the Times website about that young lady who is missing at the moment to realise why parents feel so unable to allow it.
The parents are being dismissed as being irresponsible [Shades of the Maddie fever all over again]
They aren't exactly encouraging the independence which children should have. I would certainly hate to be a child now, with all the awful restrictions - and knowing that life is so much tougher, and that aspirations like having a good job, a nice house and a car are so much harder.
I must admit that I sometimes drive Mac to nursery but only (in my defence) when I'm late. Or more importantly, he's late. We battle through rain and the cold to get to and from nursery and I always feel guilty when Top Bankers Wife offers me a seat in her Jeep to "warm up".
Arghh! perhaps if I'd been driven to SCHOOL my spelling would be better (keyboard slip, honest guv).
Judging by your photo with this post you have moved to the USA! Hope you'll be very happy there. If I'm not mistaken it looks like Boardman Avenue in Youngstown, Ohio. Nobody walks there either!
Better???
Now where the hell is that? Is that your car?
Darlinton Road in my town has horrible plastic bollards stuck in the grass all along it opposite the schools because otherwise the parents would churn up the verge. They stop, pull out, act as if they were the only person on the road. children seem to make people very thoughtless it seems
Just love that yummy mummy article
I'm sure the generation that walked to school will in the long run be much healthier than those that didn't. People need to use their legs and keep using them. I love walking. I'd walk everywhere if I could.
Nice post.
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