1000 Flowers for the Planet - #108 Walk the Children to School

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #108 Walk the Children to School

There are a huge number of SUVs on the roads at school drop off and pick up times – mothers driving petrol guzzling machines to take their precious cargos to school. (Other cars, too, of course.) Often the younger ones are driven merely a street or two away from their home. Stop for a minute and think how much better it would be to walk the children to school, or even let them walk themselves to school. The health benefits would be tremendous for both parent and child/ren, keeping the heart rate up and burning some calories. Walking gets the mind working and encourages those positive endorphins that make a person feel good. That would be a much better way to arrive at school – ready for a day of learning. Mum would get fitter too, and have a few minutes of silent, headspace time to chill out on the way home before getting stuck into her own work. The concept works for dads too!

Then there are the benefits to the planet – less petrol/gas consumption (less oil used), less emissions into the environment so less air pollution, less noise pollution, and fewer cars on the road means reduced traffic congestion. All of these things also increase the money in your pocket as you save on fuel and wear and tear on your vehicle.

Really – do you drive only two or three streets between home and school? Get up earlier or get better organised in the morning. Walking your child to and from school also gives you the opportunity to ‘talk’ to your child/ren on the way, listening to what’s on their minds: their struggles, their worries, their joys (provided you can leave your phone at home!). Want some quality time with your child/ren? Walk them to school.