Lately we've had some pretty cold weather--this morning it was about 15 degrees when we got up. That isn't so very cold compared to the temperatures in Edmonton, Canada where my son is serving a mission; I think it got down to -15 last week. But there were plenty of complaints from the teenagers who needed to ride their bikes to school this morning.
What's the saying--there is no bad weather just bad clothing? Tonight we're going to the store to get them better equipped for riding their bikes to school clothing-wise, assuming they can keep track of the mittens, scarves, etc. And we're going to have a discussion about why we encourage transportation independence at our house.
Here are the reasons to tell your children why they should ride their bike or walk to school:
1. It helps you learn how to do hard things. One of the things I love about my husband is that he is not afraid to do something hard. He rides his bike to work, 6 miles away, in all but the very coldest and wettest weather. I remember him riding his bike to graduate school in Wisconsin a few miles away in a blizzard. He is a tough guy. Children need to learn how to do hard things. When you go on a mission or off to college, weather conditions are not going to be 70 degrees with a light breeze year-round.
2. It saves money. We were able to survive for most of the first 10 years of our marriage with one car because Scott rode his bike to work and school. It's hard to put a price tag on the savings but I'm guessing it was several thousand dollars. It helped that we lived close to his school and work for most of that time.
3. It helps you be independent and set your own schedule. You don't have to rely on other people for rides. You are in charge of your life. What an empowering concept to learn when you're young!
4. It helps the environment. We have a problem with bad air in our community, especially in the winter when inversions set in. If more people rode bikes or walked, that would help a lot.
5. It helps you learn responsibility. How much responsibility do you learn if your parents take you to school every day in a car that they put gas in and do the maintenance? If you walk or bike to school, you have to make sure you have the appropriate clothing for the weather and that your bike and your body are in good enough shape to make the trip.
6. It helps you get exercise. Riding in the car takes about zero calories and is an incredibly passive activity. One of the reasons I walk to school every day with my youngest is so that I get out of the house. It's so much easier to exercise if I'm already out. If my children ride a bike or walk to school, they are guaranteed a little bit of exercise every day. Exercise feels good!
7. It saves time (for the parents). Driving kids to school is a time-consuming activity. It's one of the major reasons why we go to our neighborhood schools. I have other commitments I need to take care of besides driving my kids to school and so does my husband.
8. It can be fun! My husband rides his bike to work because he enjoys it. He really does.
Here's the bottom line: Learning how to get yourself to school is an important part of the learning process and children miss out when they are driven to school.
That being said, my husband and I decided that when the temperature is 10 degrees or below, we will give our children a ride to school or let the teenagers drive if my husband doesn't need the car. But I really like this list and I'm going to post it in a prominent place in our house to remind my children.
What's the saying--there is no bad weather just bad clothing? Tonight we're going to the store to get them better equipped for riding their bikes to school clothing-wise, assuming they can keep track of the mittens, scarves, etc. And we're going to have a discussion about why we encourage transportation independence at our house.
Here are the reasons to tell your children why they should ride their bike or walk to school:
1. It helps you learn how to do hard things. One of the things I love about my husband is that he is not afraid to do something hard. He rides his bike to work, 6 miles away, in all but the very coldest and wettest weather. I remember him riding his bike to graduate school in Wisconsin a few miles away in a blizzard. He is a tough guy. Children need to learn how to do hard things. When you go on a mission or off to college, weather conditions are not going to be 70 degrees with a light breeze year-round.
2. It saves money. We were able to survive for most of the first 10 years of our marriage with one car because Scott rode his bike to work and school. It's hard to put a price tag on the savings but I'm guessing it was several thousand dollars. It helped that we lived close to his school and work for most of that time.
3. It helps you be independent and set your own schedule. You don't have to rely on other people for rides. You are in charge of your life. What an empowering concept to learn when you're young!
4. It helps the environment. We have a problem with bad air in our community, especially in the winter when inversions set in. If more people rode bikes or walked, that would help a lot.
5. It helps you learn responsibility. How much responsibility do you learn if your parents take you to school every day in a car that they put gas in and do the maintenance? If you walk or bike to school, you have to make sure you have the appropriate clothing for the weather and that your bike and your body are in good enough shape to make the trip.
6. It helps you get exercise. Riding in the car takes about zero calories and is an incredibly passive activity. One of the reasons I walk to school every day with my youngest is so that I get out of the house. It's so much easier to exercise if I'm already out. If my children ride a bike or walk to school, they are guaranteed a little bit of exercise every day. Exercise feels good!
7. It saves time (for the parents). Driving kids to school is a time-consuming activity. It's one of the major reasons why we go to our neighborhood schools. I have other commitments I need to take care of besides driving my kids to school and so does my husband.
8. It can be fun! My husband rides his bike to work because he enjoys it. He really does.
Here's the bottom line: Learning how to get yourself to school is an important part of the learning process and children miss out when they are driven to school.
That being said, my husband and I decided that when the temperature is 10 degrees or below, we will give our children a ride to school or let the teenagers drive if my husband doesn't need the car. But I really like this list and I'm going to post it in a prominent place in our house to remind my children.
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