It’s National Walk To School Day: Is your kid walking?
It used to happen all the time – kids actually walked to school. Most of our parents have exciting stories about trudging through snow or rain for miles to get to school on time. (My dad keeps trying to convince me he walked through snow but he grew up in Savannah. I’m not buying it.)
Well, today is the official U.S. Walk To School Day. The whole month of October is celebrated internationally as Walk to School Month, and the idea is to promote the health and environmental benefits of walking and bicycling.
As much as I support the idea of walking to school, at present my kids don’t have a sidewalk all the way from our house to the school. We have a sidewalk for half of the mile walk. Or if you go the long way, we have sidewalks for a three-mile walk but I think that seems a bit far for a kid to carry a book bag. (And what I mean by that is that would be a bit far for mom to carry two book bags. I’ll happily walk three miles sans books bags.)
My neighbor and I debated driving to the neighborhood closest to the where the sidewalk begins and then walking the rest of the way with the kids. My kids weren’t interested at all so I wasn’t going to force it on them. Maybe next year the county will have a sidewalk for the other half-mile, and it will be easier to convince them to walk.
Gwinnett County has improved dramatically for walkers since I grew up here. In the 1980s there were NO sidewalks! Now, I can actually walk to a lot of places from our house – the park, the library, restaurants, businesses – just not the school.
Did your kids walk to school today? Is there a safe route with a sidewalk all the way to school? Do they normally walk to school? What would be a reasonable distance to ask a kid to walk or bicycle?
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94 comments Add your comment
motherjanegoose
October 7th, 2009
7:22 am
My 17 year old daughter did not walk 3 miles to school in the dark and rain….would that even be safe?
I walked to school ( on sidewalks) during 7th and 8th grade but that was in the 1970’s….yes, we did live in the suburbs of Chicago and it was about a mile.
deidre_NC
October 7th, 2009
7:36 am
i went to brairlake elementary and walked almost everyday…everyone did…i guess when it rained mom would take us but i remember walking more…it was probably a mile or maybe more..when we were kids a mile or 2 didnt matter…it w3as what we did..walk anywhere we went…to the pool.to the shopping center…to friends houses…highschool was lakeside and we rode the bus..altho we did walk a couple of times..it was far and by the time i was a teen its wasnt as much fun to walk :)…then to henderson and it was really far so no walking to there ever…my kids mostly rode buses…we usually lived too far to walk…my youngest daughter would sometimes run from school when she was playing ball or whatever to keep in shape…around 3 miles…
deidre_NC
October 7th, 2009
7:37 am
good morning mjg and theresa….have a great day!
Dr. Horrible
October 7th, 2009
7:46 am
Um no, it’s raining.
Outlived my usefulness
October 7th, 2009
7:47 am
I used to walk to school in three feet of snow uphill both ways when I was a kid.
Vork
October 7th, 2009
7:52 am
@motherjanegoose
Do you ever work? You talk up a good game but something tells me you are not all that you say that you are.
Perhaps you enjoy posting mile-long comments that bore us all to tears to try to make yourself look big, when all you really do is come off as annoying.
Geez, Vork...
October 7th, 2009
8:04 am
…you must be new to this blog – many posters have tried to get motherjane’s goat, to no avail. And yes, she does work, as she has told us many times, and I am sure she will again in response to your untimely diatribe against her.
And speaking of untimely – could the topic of the day (National Walk to School Day) be more untimely due to the rain, at least in the Atlanta area!
And yes, I walked to school (or rode my bike) for the three years that I lived in an area where I could (Anniston, AL and Tallahassee, FL, back in the 60’s) but I certainly would not recommend it in today’s world!
motherjanegoose
October 7th, 2009
8:15 am
@ Vork…have a nice day yourself. Yes, those ( on this blog) who know me personally can tell you that I work. My paying clients must not find me annoying …good thing. Is that short enough?
Kathy
October 7th, 2009
8:22 am
No walking for us…..to far and too rainy!
deidre_NC…..I went to Briarlake for a year back in the 80s
I also went to Dresden and back then everyone walked or carpooled. I remember walking with my brother from our apartment next St. Pius High, down Shallowford Rd all the way to Dresden Drive where the school was. I can’t believe now that my mom let us do that. Now I wouldn’t walk down Shallowford as an adult!
Becky
October 7th, 2009
8:29 am
No, the little ones didn’t walk to shcool today becuase of the rain..Even if it weren’t raingin though, they most likely wouldn’t be walking, becuase the parents are both to lazy to walk the mile or so to school and back..When I was in school, I walked every day..We never lived far enough away to ride the bus..It wasn’t ever a big deal..
The funny thing about me walking with friends is that I’m from a family of 10 and only three of us don’t smoke..One day while walking home in middle school, my Mother came to pick me up..She told me that I couldn’t walk home with “those” kids anymore because a couple of them were smoking..
sleeslee
October 7th, 2009
8:38 am
Yes, a group from my neighborhood participated in Walk to School Day today… even though it was raining! We have sidewalks the entire way and a crossing guard, but on most days, everyone rides the bus. It’s fun for the kids to be able to walk on this one day out of the year (just wish we could have had better weather for it)!
Kathy
October 7th, 2009
8:39 am
@Vork…..I’ve actually seen motherjanegoose working……she is a wonderful educator.
motherjanegoose
October 7th, 2009
8:46 am
HOORAH and thanks Kathy.
YUKI
October 7th, 2009
9:01 am
When I was in school I remember wishing I could walk to school, but we lived too far. Now, I don’t think my son would be able to do this either when he starts because again, we live too far. These days, though I don’t think it would be a great idea unless you lived really close or you were willing to walk all the way with them. There are too many pervs out there to have the kind of freedom we had growing up.
Andrea
October 7th, 2009
9:11 am
No we didn’t participate today – the kids are out for fall intercession. But, when school resumes, they won’t be walking. We live too far away (over 6 miles one way). I would let them walk if we lived closer and if I could go with them or work with a group of parents to share the responsibility so they would not be walking alone. I know I must sound like a nervous Nelly but there are just too many people that prey on kids. Plus, with the case of the young lady that was reunited with her parents after so many years (I think her name is Jacy or Jesse) it just brings the fear to the forefront because she was abducted on her way to school.
FCM
October 7th, 2009
9:12 am
We did not do it.
However rain or no there were pleanty of people out messing up the commute by walking. Extra 15 min to my ride in.
Stan
October 7th, 2009
9:23 am
As a kid going to Atherton elem in Dekalb, I walked several days to/from school or rode my bike. Sidewalks about half of the ~1-1.5 miles. When I went to Towers, it was too far. Moved to Roswell (wow at the culture shock from that move) and walked/rode the bike most day 1-3 miles from home to middle/high school.
Yeah, I remember my Dad telling me how he walked 15 miles to school in 3 ft of snow up hill both ways. If I ever have kids I’ll tell them the same :)
madmommy
October 7th, 2009
9:23 am
We were just talking about this the other day and I always walked to and from school and was only given a ride if it was pouring rain and freezing cold. I think kids today don’t know much about what it was like when we were kids, riding our bikes and just hanging outside with our friends. Heaven forbid these kids today get off the computer long enough to text a friend. We were never driven anywhere, I remember riding my bike to soccer practice after school and walking home from cheerleading practice. Now, I will say that it’s not the same today as it was then. I don’t think I would allow my child to play outside without someone watching and listing to what is going on.
When she does start school, I hope we live close enough that she can walk, but I think mommy and daddy will have to take turns walking with her just so we know she’s safe.
JJ
October 7th, 2009
9:24 am
We walked back and forth to school or rode our bikes. We walked in snow, blizzards, wind storms, etc. And it was uphill all the way home……
We didn’t have a bus because we were less than 2 miles from the school. On really cold days, my dad, or another parent in the neighborhood, would drive us to school, but we usually walked home in the afternoons.
My parents both worked, and my dad travelled a lot, so we had to learn how to fend for ourselves and get back and forth to school. We had to get ourselves up in the mornings, get breakfast, and get to school on time.
RH@comcast.net
October 7th, 2009
9:25 am
Several poster have commented about laziness, it has nothing to do with that, it has to do with proximity to the school and safety.
If schools and neighborhoods were built like they were when I was growing up, I would let my children walk.
Unfortunately, now, there are very few “neighborhood” schools. Community schools is a better fit in most cases.
Safety, being the most crucial factor, is the main reason most kids don’t walk. Their are more cars on the road and most of those drivers are too busy speeding, using electronic devices, and unfortunately grooimg their way to work!
suzy
October 7th, 2009
9:37 am
I walked to school all the time while growing up and my mom was a stay at home mom so she could have driven me but at that time it was just the thing to do…everyone walked… when it snowed we wore boots… when it rained we wore raincoats. For a year in southern FL, I rode my bike a mile to and from school everyday. Today that is not safe, even as an adult I’m leary of riding my bike on certain roads. Also today the children would complain..heck they do not even want to play outside at recess because “it’s too hot”!
KAW
October 7th, 2009
9:37 am
Yes, we supported National Walk to School Day — in the rain with no sidewalks. Our school, Cheatham Hill Elementary, made sure police officers were aware of the program. The officers were stationed at different locations to ensure the safety of all the walkers. Not only is this a great program to promote exercise and to help the environment, we also hope it will show the County that we need sidewalks connecting our community.
Jesse's Girl
October 7th, 2009
9:38 am
How bout’ NO! Only if we lived very close, would that happen. One of my kids would act-a-fool and get hit:)
Becky
October 7th, 2009
9:45 am
@RH, I mentioned the parents being lazy and I stand by that..When they are with me, we do a lot of walking..We don’t have a computer at our house,so that isn’t an issue..Actually, the girl enjoys walking in the rain..Her and I have done it before when there isn’t any lightening(sp)..
Stan, my Mom used to tell the same story, except she also told of having to feed the animals and gather the eggs before they walked to school..Sometimes with holes in their shoes..
ajay2009
October 7th, 2009
9:47 am
I’d love for my child to be able to walk to school, unfortunately our neighborhood school leaves a lot to be desired. I wish I had done more research before we bought our house. My daughter attends private school about 9 miles away, so she has to get dropped off and picked up.
Not sure what planet...
October 7th, 2009
9:47 am
RH@comcast lives on, but most schools, in most counties, are built in “neighborhoods”. So, what the heck is a “community” school if it is in a neighborhood? We had this topic semi-discussed last week when Theresa blogged about the Gwinnett school re-zonings.
Jesse's Girl
October 7th, 2009
9:53 am
…really wishes that some of you would stop letting your name flow into your comment….it really confuses me sometimes:)
New Stepmom
October 7th, 2009
9:58 am
I did not walk to school but twice a week when I was in 1st and 2nd grade, I walked into town (small town AL) for art lessons with 2 other kids. We walked about 3 blocks and had to pass by the music minister’s window at our church and waive. My granddaddy would always be having coffee with the men a the drug store where we stopped to get a snack. I loved sitting with him for 15 minutes before class started. Mom says she knew if we did not make it to one of those two points, she would know quickly and never worried too much about our walks.
I hope this bun in the oven gets some experiences like that. I still remember how much fun that was. Cherry coke and a twix from Murphy’s drugs and apple gum from Rexall next door.
Candler Park
October 7th, 2009
9:58 am
I think *RH@comcast.net* has it right. Today there are very few neighborhood schools. They’ve all been combined into larger area schools.
This is especially true in the suburbs. The city is less so, probably because the schools are older, been around since the 20s.
But when I lived in the burbs I did notice that, lack of sidewalks or not, schools were just too far away to either walk or bike.
We moved to the city 4 years ago, right before my child started school. We live in Candler Park and our child goes to Mary Lin. It’s less than a mile from our house. We walk to school almost every day. A LOT of kids do. Or they bike. But, it’s a neighborhood school. It’s situated INSIDE the residential area…not seperated from it like a lot of suburban schools. It seems like a lot of suburban schools the school board buys up an old field somewhere to build a new school on. This is likely driven by cost, so it’s somewhat understandable. But you almost never see a suburban school nestled within the residential areas, where there are houses surrounding the school, etc.
Anyway, we did not participate in National Walk to School because of the weather. It was pouring when we left the house. But, we walk most days so I don’t feel too bad.
While I’m here I’d like to extend an invitation to all families to come out to the Candler Park neighborhood this weekend. We are having our annual two-day Candler Park Fall Fest. It’s held in the park our neighborhood is named after (Candler Park). The neighborhood organization puts it on. It’s very family friendly, with a large kids area. There’s lots of live music, Sweetwater beer, and artists booths. It’s a great family festival. Your kids will have a blast and if you’re at all thinking of moving intown it can give you an idea of how nice it is to live here.
http://www.candlerparkfallfest.org/
RH@comcast.net
October 7th, 2009
10:02 am
To Becky, I am NOT lazy nor any of the parents I know LAZY. I stand by that!
To the other poster that wishes to bash me, I live in Cobb County and NO, I would not let my kids walk to school because of the idiot drivers and my proximity to school. What does the Gwinnett redistricting have to do with this, they could rearrange the lines all they wish, they are still community schools, NOT neighborhood schools.
David S
October 7th, 2009
10:04 am
The lucky kids walk to school everyday – from their bedrooms to the kitchen table where a loving and caring parent homeschools them. Occasionally they get in a car and go to interesting cultural places to extend their education or travel to see friends or other educated folks who will share their knowledge with them as part of their education.
Then there are those whose parents force them onto a big yellow bus and send them off to government indoctrination centers.
Rather than forcing your kids to walk to their all-day prison, why don’t you give them a ride and then come home and sit down and figure out how you can make homeschooling work for your kids. They deserve the best.
Stan
October 7th, 2009
10:04 am
Becky,
My Dad grew up poor on a few hundred acre farm on the other side of Athens. So we all knew he had to do his chores before and after school. I beleived his story, well not the snow part, for many years and now look back on it and chuckle :)
Jesse's Girl
October 7th, 2009
10:07 am
Well…as long as you’re not passing judgement David…thats all that counts.
Stan
October 7th, 2009
10:08 am
Wow again with the attacks and folks being overly defensive. RH, I don’t think anyone attacked you, lighten up. David S, I agree that home schooling is better than most public schools, but that is juust a little off topic…say about 8 miles off topic.
Lighten up everyone and have fun!
JJ
October 7th, 2009
10:16 am
Well not all of us can homeschool our kids. We have to work. We don’t have a spouse to provide for the entire family so the kids can stay home with a loving and caring parent.
That and there is NO WAY I would want to home school my child. I need to be out an interact with others, and so does my child. She needs to be exposed to the general public, not shielded in the living room.
RH@comcast.net
October 7th, 2009
10:19 am
Stan: I guess you would call this friendly fire? I would call it an attack…
Not sure what planet… RH@comcast lives on, but most schools, in most counties, are built in “neighborhoods”. So, what the heck is a “community” school if it is in a neighborhood? We had this topic semi-discussed last week when Theresa blogged about the Gwinnett school re-zonings.
Candler Park
October 7th, 2009
10:25 am
Theresa…I had a post that never showed…can you see if it’s stuck in the queue?
BessieBear
October 7th, 2009
10:39 am
Our school is 5 miles away, so no, my kids do not walk. What irks me is seeing the kids who live maybe 4 blocks from the elementary school in our neighborhood, and they are taken there by school bus. Yes, there are sidewalks, and yes, this is a safe neighborhood. And we wonder why so many kids are obese! Does anyone know the official rule on how far away kids have to live to get bus service? If Gwinnett county needs to cut some expenses, I think they should look at cutting bus service to those who live so close.
Also – I drive past this school everyday and see the cars (not really even carpools, since I don’t see many kids in these cars) and they are allowed to line up in the street, blocking traffic at pick-up time. That make for a dangerous situation for the other cars who have to go around them for about 15 minutes each day. That should not be allowed.
This is about laziness, but also about parents not letting kids be more independent. You don’t need to walk a 3rd grader to school, they can handle walking, or riding a half mile or even a mile all by themselves. Parents are overly concerned about kidnapping when the numbers don’t really support that fear.
Did anyone see the AJC article about free-range kids?
Becky
October 7th, 2009
10:46 am
@RH, I wasn’t attacking you, so chill freaking out..If you had of read my first post, you would know that I called my two grandchildrens parents lazy, NOT you or anyone else on here..YOU are the one that mentioned people talking about laziness as an excuse to not walk to school..I love how people only read what they want to “read”, then they start yamering about people being ugly to them..
Stan, I’m sure that a lot of us on here could tell the tall tales that we were told from our parents..Some, I’m sure were 100% truth, some I think might have been altered..Not sure of a lot of the ages on here, but like your Dad, my Mom grew up poor and they also had to learn to do what was needed..
The Grove
October 7th, 2009
10:52 am
Yes, my son loves the fact that he can walk to the new high school that just opened this year about 1-1 1/2 from our house. The trouble is…..our neighbors and the city park that is adjacent to our neighborhood aren’t as excited. Apparently it is a HUGE problem to cut through someones yard and the city park to get to school!! Yes, that’s right…to get to school. The “code inforcement officer” has even stopped the kids and told them they can’t cut through the park without a school ID. ????? What difference does that make…and why is the city park completely fenced in now that the new school opened? Why would we want to elimnate a “safe” route for the kids to walk to schoool??? These kids WANT to go to school….let’s not deter them! I encourage and support kids walking to school as long as there is a safe route to get there and of course, weather permitting.
Becky
October 7th, 2009
10:53 am
@BessieBear, I’m not sure about bus riding here..I have a sister that lives in KY. in a town so small that they only have 2 red lights..She lives directly across from the school playground and when her granddaughter (10) spends the night with her, she has to ride the bus to school..I mean, less than a football field and they make a bus stop to pick her up..Now that seems to be a little much for me..
Sick of this voice
October 7th, 2009
10:53 am
I am usually a Theresa bassher, but here goes: You support the concept, but to walk .5 miles with no sidewalk OR walk 3 miles with 2 elementary kids’ bookbags (all heavy with their calculys books and latest dioramas)is too much?!?!?!? OK, whatever.
AJC, can we please hear from some diverse working wives/moms who do not work part-time from home and who represent professions besides authors or journalists? Perhaps from some who are less privileged, earn near the national median income, and work primarily for the financial benefits instead of having a career as a form of self-expression? Can we hear from women who work in retail, healthcare, IT, the hard sciences?
I think we need some new voices in the parenting and work/life balance debates. Or i could just be bitter! :)
Sick of this voice
October 7th, 2009
10:55 am
Umm, forgive the typos above! I meant that I am normally NOT a basher. And the kids may have calculus books too!
I would not consider...
October 7th, 2009
10:56 am
…necessarily, “growing up on a few hundred acre farm” as being “poor”. Maybe they did not have a lot of money and had to raise food, chickens, and cows to eat, but being land rich but money poor is not “poor”. Did you inherit the farm?
At RH – chill lady – schools in Cobb County are built in neighborhoods, too – have you ever been to Wheeler or Walton HS – or any other school in Cobb County? Just because the lines get re-drawn every few years does not mean that the schools are not first put into “neighborhoods”. Quit with the semantics playing!
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 7th, 2009
10:58 am
Hey candler park – I’ll look for it –
JJ
October 7th, 2009
11:02 am
Sick of this – most of us on this blog are diverse/professional wives/moms, and there are a few dads, and the majority of us work outside the home. We have a few stay at home moms, and a few who work part time. What’s your point?
Yes, Sick of this voice...
October 7th, 2009
11:02 am
…you are “bitter” – on this site you DO hear from all of the “women who work in retail, healthcare, IT, the hard sciences?” And most of these are “voices in the parenting and work/life balance debates” – so stick that in your bitterness and get over yourself!
Stan
October 7th, 2009
11:10 am
RH, Sorry I did not see that post when I made mine.
Sick of this voice
October 7th, 2009
11:22 am
I understand the responders are diverse. I meant that it would be interesting to have a Therasa replaced with someone with a different perspective.
As a black working wife and mom, with many highly educated and less educated working friends and relatives who are also wives and moms, I rarely read anything that seems to reflect the any of the varied day-to-day lives of the women I know. In reading chick-lit stuff, current feminist treatises, mommy war propaganda and various parenting blogs and forums, I get the feeling it is the same few women (definately th who author all these works.
It seems that most of the authors of high profile work/life profile pieces well-educated, financially-comfortable writers/authors/journalists/academics/(and occasionally)attorneys.
HB
October 7th, 2009
11:23 am
I think walking to school is a great idea but difficult for many in pedestrian-unfriendly, sprawling Atlanta. I think this idea could use a bit of tweaking to involve more students. In the DC suburban area, there has been a push simply to walk part-way to school. Basically, that has meant offering fewer bus stops and almost none inside large subdivisions where streets are pretty quiet and have low speed limits, so it’s generally safe for children to walk to the front gate even without sidewalks. How close together are bus stops in the Atlanta area? Could they be spread out encouraging kids to walk a little further if walking all the way to school isn’t viable?
Sick of this voice
October 7th, 2009
11:31 am
I understand the responders are diverse. I meant that it would be interesting to have Theresa replaced with someone with a different perspective.
As a working wife and mom, with many highly educated and less educated working friends and relatives who are also wives and moms, I rarely read anything in popular media that seems to reflect the any of the varied day-to-day lives of the women I know. In reading chick-lit stuff, current feminist treatises, mommy war propaganda and various parenting blogs and forums, I get the feeling it is the same few women (or types of women) who author or headline all these works.
It seems that most of the authors of high profile work/life profile pieces are well-educated, financially-comfortable writers/authors/journalists/academics/(and occasionally)attorneys who have part-time schedules and are able to work from home and afford part-time childcare. Yet this reality is uncommon for working parents.
Why should most women care about the issues, struggles, or conclusions of a person in such a rarefied situation? Sure, some of the issues are universal, but I would guess that the majority of working parents gave no thought to National Walk to School Day because (even if they were aware of it) celebrating it is not an option for many reasons.
And while I freely acknowledge my inner salty, bitter dog, this point it is truly motivated by a desire to see more diversity in terms of blog authors in these types of discussions.
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 7th, 2009
11:47 am
Hey sick of this voice — please send me topics that you want to discuss that you feel like you and your friends are dealing with. I am very interested in areas that I am not exposed to and other perspectives. I don’t work outside the home so I don’t have that perspective but I am happy to write about it. Please, please feel free to send me concerns, topics, dilemmas, things you would like to discuss. I am happy to use them!!! you can email me at ajcmomania@gmail.com!!!
New Stepmom
October 7th, 2009
11:52 am
@ Sick of this voice…I think you are missing the spirit of the blog. Yes, Theresa is the moderator and oftem posts her own ideas, but she also posts the ideas of us regulars when we submit them. I am a new step mom and pregnant with my first bio child. I work full time and am struggling with whether or not I will come back following the birth of my child. I am married to someone who was divorced prior to marrying me. I was single for 10 years out of school before marrying. I am caucasion. The only thing that I visibly have in common with Theresa is she is caucasion and has kids. The other regular posters and I probably do not have a lot in common either on paper and that is what makes this such a great forum-new perspective. I can get my same perspective from my friends and family, but here I get perspective on all sides of an issue or event. I read this blog religiously and it has helped me a lot with parenting my step daughter even though many on this blog only have bio kids.
The diversity comes from the posters and there is a lot of diversity. If you have topics you would like covered, send them to Theresa…she will likely cover them!
Candler Park
October 7th, 2009
12:02 pm
Theresa, I tried to post the same thing again (twice) and they both vanished into the blogosphere. If you find them…just delete them because I think it’s my browser. There’s nothing vulgar or anything in there. I’m not sure why they didn’t post…
Vork
October 7th, 2009
12:02 pm
@Sick of this voice
You have totally just become my heroine…THANK YOU for putting into beautiful words what I myself have been trying to say for a few weeks now.
The opinions and topics on this blog represent a very closed minded look on life. And the typical commenter on this blog, maryjanegoose,is a PERFECT example…..they just feed that closed minded thought process.
Vork
October 7th, 2009
12:05 pm
@new stepmom
Calling them “bio kids” makes it sound like you grew them in a lab….just saying.
RH@comcast.net
October 7th, 2009
12:08 pm
If we have “neighborhood” schools, then why are there so many school buses on the roads? Why are you people that are so spiteful not fighting to get these buses, that are so unnecessary and a waste of money, off the roads then? We have scores of buses that invade our communities 180 days a year – WHY?
I am going outdoors to enjoy the beautiful day that is unfolding as it appears a newcomers opinion is unwelcomed and scorned.
Good day.
Vork
October 7th, 2009
12:11 pm
@Sick of this voice
“mommy war propaganda” – ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT…..Love it.
Becky
October 7th, 2009
12:13 pm
@Vork, if the topics and responses on this blog don’t interest you, why do you keep coming back? Did you try sending Theresa a topic that you wanted to discuss?
JJ
October 7th, 2009
12:17 pm
Well I have been a regular in this blog for YEARS. I love that if you put something out there, you get a ton of responses.
We have all helped each other, supported each other, etc over the years. And yes sometimes we get pissy with each other, but the main objective I have is bouncing ideas off other parents, and seeing how they handle certain situations.
Vork
October 7th, 2009
12:19 pm
@Becky
Who says I haven’t submitted an idea only to have it IT NOT SHOW UP….becuse GOD FORBID it is an open minded topic about how REAL life works.
I guess if I had submitted a topic about living in fantasy land, as you people seem to, Jon and Kate….AGAIN??? it would get printed.
Sick of this voice
October 7th, 2009
12:20 pm
Theresa, thank you for the offer and I will most certainly take you up on it! I am sure you can understand how me doing so hardly mitigates the actual issue.
New Stepmom, I don’t think I am missing the spirit of the blog. I participate and enjoy my experience of this blog thus far. It is clear that its responders are diverse.
My point is about the larger body of work (be it online or in print) about the challenges of working women who have children. I read various articles, forums, and blogs and yet often times the narratives are the same.
Of course, this is just my lil mealy-mouthed perspective and I have by no means done an exhaustive review of all available options.
catlady
October 7th, 2009
12:26 pm
I was allowed to walk home occasionally, in 3rd and 4th grade, a distance of about 3 miles, no sidewalks, 2 lane roads, beside an undeveloped river growing up in Tampa in the late 50s.
My younger daughter, while we were in Athens, frequently walked or skated with me home after school, about a mile and a half. I would take the city bus to her school and we would go home together, catching up on our days. It was delightful. There was a sidewalk there which made it much safer.
Do any of you recall the Monty Python skit about the Scottish industrialists trying to outdo each other about how rough they had it as kids? “And you tell your children this, and they won’t believe it…”
catlady
October 7th, 2009
12:28 pm
One day when I was walking home in Tampa, a car stopped next to me and told me to get in. It was the pastor’s wife, who was also a neighbor. I told her what my mother said, that I couldn’t ride with her (or, actually, my mom said not to get in the car with ANYONE) Boy, was she mad! When I got home her car was at my house, and she was trying to find out why I couldn’t ride with her!
Photius
October 7th, 2009
12:46 pm
@ Sick of This Voice – I concur! Theresa is a good person who writes a nice blog, but her experiences are totally suburban where she grew up and lives. Cheers~
JJ
October 7th, 2009
12:59 pm
Theresa is OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 7th, 2009
1:25 pm
Candler park — I went in and physically approved the only one in there — the spam function kicks in when you leave links — it thinks you’re trying to sell things on the blog — so I have to physically hit the approve button on a lot of those —
Photius – I did live in Manhattan for 2 years — right off of Columbus Circle — We didn’t have any cars and lived in a high-rise apartment so that was a different experience. Also traveled a lot for work then. We also lived in a very rural community in PA for two years — farms everywhere freezing our butts off so that was different too.
I also lived in Italy for several months so I have left Gwinnett County.
I can’t have everyone else’s experiences but my mind is open and I am more than happy to give a forum to other people’s dilemmas or thoughts —
JJ
October 7th, 2009
1:26 pm
Why don’t we call them “Local Schools”, instead of arguing over community and neighborhood.
Community school gives the impression of a Community College.
I hate getting behind the school bus on the main road to my neighborhood. It stops at every freaking driveway, every 20 feet……..VERY ANNOYING.
Why can’t the kids gather at a corner? Why much each individual MIDDLE SCHOOL kid get dropped off at their driveway? In our neighborhood, there is one designated school bus stop.
Yes, and I agree about no buses if the kids are next door to the school, or within 1/2 mile…..
Did anyone read about the Mom up in Michigan who was watching her neighbors kids at the bus stop every morning? The State came in a said she couldn’t do it, that she was not a licensed day care, and that she needed to stop. Apparently a neighbor complained…….
Becky
October 7th, 2009
1:36 pm
@Vork..I don’t think any of us here live in a fantasy world..OK, maybe David S. does, but most of us (as JJ said)have jobs, spouses, kids and hobbies..I work hard at my job and this blog helps me to blow off some steam of dealing with the hassles of my job..I learn about a lot of things from the pepole on here..Also as JJ said, yes there are times when one or the other has ticked someone off, but we all get over it..If Theresa has a topic that either doesn’t interest me or that I have no knowledge of, I just kinda skim thru to see what others say..
I have never submitted a topic, so I guess you just need to keep trying..
Zaboo
October 7th, 2009
1:38 pm
Balls
lakerat
October 7th, 2009
1:53 pm
I love balls.
JJ
October 7th, 2009
2:02 pm
Who doesn’t love balls?
motherjanegoose
October 7th, 2009
2:05 pm
Balls don’t like me for some reason. They shrivel and hide when I’m around.
Cammi317
October 7th, 2009
2:21 pm
Ummm….how about no. That would have entailed me walking her the 3 miles there and then having to turn around and walk back home and then drive to work. Since her school doors do not open until 8:00 and I have to be to work at 8:30, it’s never happening. I drive her to school almost every day and she take the bus home when she does not have band practice. I am not going to have my 11 y/o wandering up and down Allgood, Rockbridge Road, Rowland Drive or South Hairston. Walking through the subdivision when she gets off of the bus is one thing, but up and down the public streets is a whole other ball game. Growing up, my mother always drove me to and picked me up until high school. After that I rode the bus, caught a ride, or sometimes walked depending on the weather.
JJ
October 7th, 2009
2:22 pm
FYI Whoever is trolling and using our names, Theresa can track you down and block you from doing this. You do know that don’t you?
Candler Park
October 7th, 2009
2:35 pm
Theresa, thanks and sorry for the inconvenience! I just wanted to let everyone know about the family friendly event happening in my neighborhood this weekend.
FCM
October 7th, 2009
2:57 pm
hey, I am a Wheeler Grad and I did not walk to school. I grew up over by Indian Hills to far from Wheeler, East Valley or East Cobb Middle to walk.
Where we go the major neighborhood (which was out in force!) dead ends into the school. I don’t live in that neighborhood, I live off a major street in the other big neighborhood that feeds our school.
David S — since I am single income, single parent how am I going to homeschool? Not everyone comes from Ozzie and Harriett’s life.
As to different voices on the blog. Its a blog. Its public domain. MJG (not picking on you hon, just an example) likes to say its T’s because her name is at the top. Ok but once the idea is out there its the boards we govern ourselves and it takes on a whole other life.
She can write about going to the library and we may decide to discuss a book. Heck, she will tell you sometimes we say ok you blogged about something we have no desire to talk about, so what do you think of the Georgia – Tennesse game this weekend and wow…suddenly we have a different topic in the middle of the board!
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 7th, 2009
3:02 pm
candler park — I totally don’t mind digging stuff out of spam and am also find with community sharing relevant links with each other – no problems at all.
JJ
October 7th, 2009
3:08 pm
Deidre_NC, I just read that you went to Briarlake elem. My mom lives very close to that school, and when my daughter and nieces were younger, she would take them over the playground. They just re-vamped their playground. It looks great now!!!
Candler Park
October 7th, 2009
3:15 pm
Theresa – thanks I appreciate it.
Anyone following this blog and want to know what the heck I am talking about you can find the post @ 9:58am. When Theresa released it from spam it got posted up at the time I originally submitted it.
Please check out the link and come to the Fall Fest this weekend! Rain or shine!
Tiffany
October 7th, 2009
3:33 pm
We did not get to walk to school today beacause of the rain…but would have if the weather had been better. We are close to the school, and do have sidewalks, but the kids do have to cross a busy street. There are crossing guards, but still it is scary to cross there because of heavy traffic. I walk with my child to and from school on occasion, but she has yet to walk by herself. When I was a kid- we walked a lot- and back then it was way more fun than being driven. Safety is the main issue these days. You just can’t be TOO careful. To David S- that’s great if you can do home schooling…but a lot of us would prefer to send our kids to school so they can get a good education, meet friends, have extra curricular activities, and basically have a life all their own outside of the family home.
So..........
October 7th, 2009
4:53 pm
With all the worries and fears about the kids safety, do today’s parents ever plan on snipping those apron strings and letting them grow & develop? If they never do something, they’ll never learn. They’ll grow up dependant on their parents and will be unable to fully function in the world – and before people start jumping down my throat, I’m not talking about young young kids here, but those old enough to know better and heed the warnings their parents have given them over the years.
I also think it’s hysterical that you’re promoting National Walk To School Day, especially in an area like the ‘burbs of Atlanta where it’s easier to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow than it is to find a sidewalk that actually leads somewhere!!
fk
October 7th, 2009
5:54 pm
I walked to elementary school, jr. high and high school. The elementary school was a block and a half up the street. There were “school monitors” on every corner. My mom would watch us walk to the school. Once on school property, there was no turning back. The jr. was just at a mile and despite the sidewalks, we walked in the street. High school was a mile in the other direction. And, to get to the h.s., we crossed railroad tracks, a six lane highway and walked thru a big parking lot where the stores were not open at 7:30 a.m. I don’t recall anyone ever getting hit by a car…or a train, accidentally, at least. But, we did get flashed one morning.
motherjanegoose
October 7th, 2009
6:49 pm
@ VORK….WHO IS MARYJANEGOOSE? I NEED TO KNOW!!!
catlady
October 7th, 2009
7:47 pm
BTW Teresa. please, please, please don’t use the Gosslins another single time as a topic for any reason! (Unless they spontaneously combust in front of a national audience, of course). Any other topic (well, the Octomom is also off-limits) but not Jon, Kate, or their children or relatives!
Valstake
October 7th, 2009
7:51 pm
In Jamestown, NY in the late 50s/early 60s if you lived within the city limits you walked to school… no school buses except for those kids who lived on farms. Rain, snow, etc. you walked. I’m still breathing and am healthy. Florida school too far away to walk, but often rode my bike to elementary school. Snakes in the road were simply ridden around, or we’d wait until they moved on. In Connecticut, I rode the school bus; no way to walk/bike. Yeah, I attended lots of schools in different states. One school year, 3 schools, 3 states. Walked, rode the bus, depending which state I was in.
ZachsMom
October 7th, 2009
8:24 pm
I went to Idlewood in Dekalb County in the late 70’s and we all walked to rode our bikes to school. Now the ninth grade academy where Zach goes is 8 mile from our house and you have to get on the highway. Way out here in Habersham, they have not heard of sidewalks yet because it it still to rural. Having grown up in Dekalb and Gwinnett, it is kinda neat to have only ONE HIGH SCHOOL in the whole county.
MrLiberty
October 7th, 2009
8:31 pm
JJ – If you think that homeschooling is about keeping your kid locked up in the kitchen, then you really need to get out more. Sorry your world view is so limited and you don’t understand education. It probably is better for your kids that you don’t educate them. Probably wouldn’t be doing them any service. How unfortunate for them.
deidre_NC
October 7th, 2009
9:55 pm
who woulda thunk such a benign topic would get so many mean responses..geeze….as far as home schooling..no need to be such a pompas a** about that DAVID…we all dont mind a bit that you homeschool…so whats it to you that some of us dont and didnt? MJG and JG yall crack me up…THERESA!! how do you keep your temper here…i swear i get so mad sometimes at the mean a** people here…grrrrr…….
becky and jj- i went to briarlake in the 60’s..well..actually started 5th grade there in 1963…then went to lakeside then to henderson when that was built…i grew up on chesterfield drive and thats where i walked to briarlake from..we walked or rode our bikes everywhere…that was in the days where we woke up..did chores and left for the day…as long as we were home by suppertime we were safe…my mom never knew exactly where we were…nor did my friends parents..and they didnt worry…we worry too much these days…here where i live now- to walk is to walk long stretches where there is absolutely no one or no houses around for miles…so its not done a lot…my daughter and her friend would walk between my house and her friends house…about 7 miles one way…but only together…i do like to know that someone would be around if anything happened…and my mom knew that..there were lots of neighbors and there was always someone fairly close by in case any kid needed help.
when my kids went to school in georgia the bus rule was if you lived 1 mile or more from the school you could ride the bus…my sons kindegarten was just barely over a mile..so he couldnt…sometimes we would walk away from the school to get past that mile and he would ride…other times i would walk with him..if my work schedule permitted…5 years of age is too young to be walking a mile alone imo…has that mile rule changed?
Chuck
October 8th, 2009
6:48 am
I was on the SPLOST committee for Gwinnett County this recent round. The county IS trying to add more sidewalks so kids can walk to school … but if the kid lives across the street from the school the county must provide transportation!!! This was an answer to my question why, when my kids were in elementry school, I saw the bus picking up kids across the street from the school!!
OTOH … parents don’t feel comfortable packing their kids up to walk with all the abduction stories!! It’s difficult mix of issues.
Chuck
October 8th, 2009
6:51 am
to MrLiberty … our son is homeschooled now … in high school and gets to travel and meet people all over the country. He is doing ok, will graduate a year early and is skinny as a rail … once he was able to get out to the parks and ride his bike!! Sitting at school and eating the school menu kept some weigth on him …
Vork
October 8th, 2009
7:21 am
@motherjanegoose
You know damn well who I am talking about so stop being a bitch…I know it’s hard but try anyway.
JJ
October 8th, 2009
7:59 am
MrLiberty, My Gwinnett County Public School educated child is now in college, making A’s & B’s. Not too shabby huh?
That and she has learned how to be an independant woman, who is NOT afraid to go out into the world and survive and take care of herself.
Tristan
November 12th, 2009
8:08 pm
It’s a little dangerous to have children walking now a days don’t you think?