Winter Walking

Alrighty. Here is my situation. And I am sorry that it is an essay :p

Currently, the youngest in my care is my own 2 year old. After that, it is a 3.5 year old. After we drop off our bus students, we walk over our public school students. There is a pathway that connects the bus stop to the public school, and it is about a 10 minute walk with the kiddies. It worked out perfectly, in the morning, I drop off bus kids first, then walk to the school. In the afternoon, we have less time so I pick up the public school kids and then jet over to the bus stop.

However, during the winter, my first winter in this small town, it seems that the city refuses to plow the pathway. Which left me with 2 options. Cut across the soccer field or take the LONG way and follow the sidewalks. Thus far, I have been cutting around the icy, snowy soccer field because it guarantees that I will make it back for the bus. Even though it meant that my 6 month pregnant self have to carry my 2 year old when he gets tired, or it is to slippery.

Which was fine until now. I have a 13 month old starting the beginning of February. Which means that there will still be lots of snow. My question is, what do I do?? I think that I should get a backpack carrier and put the 13 month in there and continue to take the short cut. My husband does not agree and says that it is too risky. He says take the double stroller and speed walk it back (the long way) to the bus for pick up. I am just afraid that I will miss the bus. However, the childrens mother said that on days that I may be running late and the boys are suppose to come to my house after school, they have her permission to get off of the bus at the stop and walk the 5 houses down and wait at my door for the 5 minutes. I do not feel comfortable with having the brothers walking without me (8 and 5).

Ugh! Why cant the city just clear the walk way?!

I don't see a problem with the backpack carrier. Safer than speed walking. Even the good sidewalks can have ice patches, and rushing is not a good idea. The boys walking to your house is a good backup in case you don't get to the bus on time, unless that area is not very safe. If you're only a couple minutes late, you can probably see them getting off the bus anyway, and if you're close enough, they just wait for you there. The main risk to them going to your place alone is if something happens to you, or one of the other children, on your way to the bus stop, they could end up being at your place alone for a while. I'd worry about making some kind of backup plan for that, maybe a neighbor you could call last minute.

I'm not sure as a mom I would want my caregiver hoofing it across an icy field carrying my daughter because she would get crushed if you fell.

How close to your home/bus stop would you see the boys if they got off ahead of you. Enough they would wait for you to catch up or that you could see them coming to your house as you came up the street the other way.

Would it be possible to get a wagon with wider wheels and drag it through the pathway. I know it would be slower going but still faster than walking around. Also when your own baby comes you would need more than the double stroller anyways.

I am fine with the pathway. It is more or less my 2 year old that has trouble staying up at times. If the carrier is the way that I decide to go, then I would run it by the mother.

If the walk is going to take as long as I feel that it will with the busyness of all of the children leaving school, I think that I will see them just as they approach my house. Again, this all depends on if the kids get out of school on time, the weather ect.

It would be impossible to pull a way on what is suppose to be a path. On Friday, the snow was to my knee at some spots. Why would I need more then a double when my baby comes?

Would it be possible to hire a grade 8 student to walk the school kids to your home after school and wait there for you with them? Then you could meet the bus? Or the other way around? Or how about a sled for the snowy days?School runs can be so stressful!!!

I don't know, I have an 8 year old dcg that walks alone to the bus stop every morning by herself. I also have a 5 year old that will be starting next month and the only way I would take her is if the mom agreed to let her walk alone with the other girl. It is too hard to get all those kids out to the bus stop twice a day, especially with the cold and snow. I think once the kids get used to the routine of what to do, an 8 year old is old enough to handle it. If the mom gives permission for them to wait for you, then I would see it as a relief that I didn't have to worry about killing myself getting to the bus stop on time.

I am trying to imagine you dragging along a 2 year old with a 1 year old strapped on your back and being pregnant all at the same time - I think you need to do what is easiest for your body, you don't want to over do it. Are you going to be able to handle that when you are 7, 8, 9 months pregnant?

I thought you were going to have your 2 year old and a new 13 month old and then eventually your own. Then again it will be Spring by then so the path will be at least melted into a puddle.

Is there any chance there is a bus stop that the bus the boys are on goes closer to the school and you could arrange to use a different stop as in go to the school to get the younger ones and then go to the other bus stop to meet the older kids and then all walk home to your house.

Usually there isn't a problem changing the bus stop where the kids get off as long as it is on the same bus.

I think letting the boys walk to your house is fine. If the mother and you both agree that they are mature enough to do so, I think it's a good idea. They have to learn how to do this eventually and it's a good baby step.

I was going to suggest what Daisy123 did, instead of a wagon, get a sleigh. It would be easier than carrying the youngest (especially with you being pregnant) and you could even put your 2 yr old in it if/when he gets tired when crossing the soccer field. You could even put the rope around you (under your belly) so you aren't really pulling it with your arms if they get tired. And I'm sure the two youngest would love the ride. You can even put blankets down to help keep them warm on colder days.

Oh my Gosh woman! I am 31 weeks pregnant and barely take all my toddlers for walks anymore at this point. There is so much black ice hidden, even on the milder sunny days. I know for me personally, my husband would be flipping out if he knew I was walking as much as you do and would absolutely not be okay with me putting a baby in a backpack carrier with huge potential for falling.
I think you should: talk to the school agers parents, mention how the weather is just too risky for you right now to do these pickups, also look into another student doing drop offs and pick ups.
This could be a LONG winter that may last until March. Really think about your safety. It would be much worse to fall and have immediate contractions/early labour than to stop doing school pick ups and drop offs IMO.

Should probably clarify previous post.
My husband does not "allow" me to do anything LOL I allow myself!
What I meant by that is that the safety of our unborn child falls on us BOTH so if I slipped and fell taking an icy route possibly with another baby strapped to my back it is a huge safety issue for the unborn baby. He is the one who would have to rush home from work to take me to the hospital if I fell.
I still think you should not be out walking in this weather PERIOD in your condition and talk to the parents and work out another arrangement. If you have to invest in some serious gripped boots, walk slowly and use a wagon or jogging type stroller with big wheels. Be careful with your pulling. My OB said to watch "pulling" movements but "pushing" a stroller etc was fine.
Please be careful! It is simply not worth the risk of falling and having to go on bedrest and close your daycare period or worst case baby arriving earlier.

Are you sure the 5 year old will be allowed to get off the bus with no adult to meet him/her? My 5 year old takes the bus and the bus driver is not allowed to let him off unless an adult is at the bus stop to pick him up. I am not sure if the rules are different where you are, but you might want to make sure. Sounds like a tough slog you are doing. Would a sled work better to get the kids across the field? I bought an ice fishing sled from Canadian Tire this year and it is wonderful. It fits 4 small kids and has high enough sides that nobody falls out. It also wasn't expensive. The only problem would be if the roads or sidewalks are bare before you get to the field.

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Originally Posted by playfelt

I thought you were going to have your 2 year old and a new 13 month old and then eventually your own. Then again it will be Spring by then so the path will be at least melted into a puddle.

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Yes, but my 2 year old already walks the full distance by himself, snow or not. I would need the double for the 13 month and my newborn. And yes, thankfully, once the baby is here, the snow is GONE!

A sled only works if there is enough snow. The pathway and school yard will still be ice and snow long after the sidewalk to the pathway is cleared meaning the sled won't work for the first part of the journey.

What it really means is that given the situation you have with the pick ups and drops, you are not set up to take in the 13 month old without letting the older school agers go. That way you would just have the one walk around the long way to and from the other school. When we fill spaces we need to think of all aspects as to how a new child fits in.

Thanks everyone for your responses! I am going to have to sit down and give it some serious thought. Sassygirl, I am 25 weeks, so it is not to bad at the moment, and I am hoping by the time that I a really big, the weather will decide to co-orate. I was afraid of the whole 'pulling' thing, as I have heard that it is not good during pregnancy as well. But my husband is like yours...lol

Sunndydays, the 5 year old would be getting off of the bus with his 8 year old brother. I believe that is why the mother deemed it okay. However, he is sometimes a little bit spaced out, so I am not 100% sold on the idea. But I do agree that the older the should be able to walk his brother down 5 houses.

I completely understand. I agreed on taking the 13 month old in November, before the first snow fall. I was under the impression that the city would be plowing the pathway as it is used A LOT by the small school children and families. At that time, I did not realize that the my main pathway would be inaccessible. Otherwise, I would of rethought and prepared accordingly to a new baby starting.

What were you planning to use for the 13 month old even if the path was plowed. Would that still work.

I thought from your original post that you were carrying the 2 year old on the trip back to the bus to make it in time - hence the issue was how to carry two kids. But taking a stroller for the baby even if you have to turn it around and drag it much like you would one of those hand shopping carts works in the snow - you end up tipping the stroller and pulling it just on the two back wheels. If you put the brake on then they don't move and become like skids in the snow.

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Originally Posted by playfelt

What were you planning to use for the 13 month old even if the path was plowed. Would that still work.

I thought from your original post that you were carrying the 2 year old on the trip back to the bus to make it in time - hence the issue was how to carry two kids. But taking a stroller for the baby even if you have to turn it around and drag it much like you would one of those hand shopping carts works in the snow - you end up tipping the stroller and pulling it just on the two back wheels. If you put the brake on then they don't move and become like skids in the snow.

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If the pathway was plowed, I was planning on using the stroller for the 13 month old.

Maybe I worded it wrong, in the original post. But my 2 year old walks to and from the school making it on time for the bus. I carry him on occasion when the snow is to deep and his little legs get tired. But generally he does it himself.

I do not think that tipping the stroller and struggling to pull it while pregnant through the snow is a grande idea. I tried it on our first real snow fall, over a month ago, when the snow was not nearly as deep, and it was a huge struggle. It is a long way through the deep snow.

If everything had gone to plan, I would be pushing the 13 month old and sometimes my 2 year old (on really bad days) through the pathway. But that is no longer an option.

One other thing you could try is calling the City and asking them to plow the pathway. Last year I called them to ask them to plow our street because I couldn't get my stroller through to get my son to the bus...they came the next morning and plowed. I am not sure if the will do this for the pathway, but it is worth a try...especially if you stress how many people use it.

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Originally Posted by sunnydays

One other thing you could try is calling the City and asking them to plow the pathway. Last year I called them to ask them to plow our street because I couldn't get my stroller through to get my son to the bus...they came the next morning and plowed. I am not sure if the will do this for the pathway, but it is worth a try...especially if you stress how many people use it.

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Oh, I did!!! When I first realized that they were not going to plow, I sent them a message stressing how much young children depend on this pathway to get to school as well as how many younger siblings need to walk with their parents to get the children to school.

The response? There is not enough funds and they do not have the proper equipment. And that the city does not maintain pathways though the winter season I was under the impression that they would use the same plow that they plow our sidewalks with...I suppose not. I am hoping because this is a new development area that next year, they will realize the importance of this pathway.

Do you have a vehicle to use ? For the next couple of months that seems like the most logical solution.

can you salt the pathway yourself???

Or maybe you and hubby shovel just a bi of it?

I know its a pain in the butt but it may help your situation. its a a lot less effort than what you are ding now.

oh and call and explain your situation to the city. see if they will help you

If the pathway is not maintained does it still factor into the walking distance to school or is there any chance the group you have would qualify for bussing during the winter because the path is unusable.

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Originally Posted by Crayola kiddies

Do you have a vehicle to use ? For the next couple of months that seems like the most logical solution.

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Vehicle is a no go. We are currently a one vehicle family and hubby uses it for commuting.

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Originally Posted by Cadillac

can you salt the pathway yourself???

Or maybe you and hubby shovel just a bi of it?

I know its a pain in the butt but it may help your situation. its a a lot less effort than what you are ding now.

oh and call and explain your situation to the city. see if they will help you

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The pathway is much to long for myself or my husband to shovel it. It is just over 2 lengths of the soccer field. And salt is not the problem. It is the fact that they do not plow it.

City will not help. I have already contacted them :(

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Originally Posted by playfelt

If the pathway is not maintained does it still factor into the walking distance to school or is there any chance the group you have would qualify for bussing during the winter because the path is unusable.

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Oh yes! That is my problem. Because the pathway is not shovel, I need to take a route that is about 2.5x longer. When I took the pathway in the fall, there was no worries about making it back for the bus. I was there with time to spare.

As for bussing. Currently, there is a waiting list until September 2014 to get on the bus.