The Unexpected Benefits of Walking to the School Bus: Unleashing Creativity and Community Connections
Change is difficult. Most people like the certainty that a routine can provide in structuring the day. Sometimes these routine activities that were once productive and beneficial, become mundane or even counterproductive. While many of us sense that a change is in the best interest, making the shift can feel daunting or overwhelming - even for the most subtle changes! Disagree? Commit to using the non-dominant hand to brush the teeth. Or taking a new route to the grocery store. Try is for a week and see how it goes. For many people, the mere thought of changing something that has become habitual makes the skin crawl.
The local school district recently enacted a small change that has been criticized by some of the neighborhood parents - moving the bus stop. Prior to this school year, the bus stopped at each students house to pick up and drop off. This was hugely inefficient. So the school board voted to have the students walk (gasp!) to a specific location in their neighborhoods to meet up with the bus. Some students only had to walk out their front door to get to the appropriate location, while others had to walk a few blocks (gasp!) to meet up with the bus.
At first, when the days were warm and sunny, this was not a problem. most parents were so overjoyed to get their kids back into school that they didn’t mind the change to the routine. Then the rains came. Now parents began to grumble about what an inconvenience it was to have the kids get on weather-appropriate gear, carry umbrellas, pack gym shoes to change into at school, etc. And what was going to happen when the temperatures dropped and the sunlight faded into winter? And were kids expected to walk in the snow and stand in the frigid winds waiting for the bus?
This definitely sounds like the set up for the “When I was your age we used to walk to school in the snow, uphill, both ways!” cliché, and maybe it is. The reality is that a lot of children have turned into soft suburban kids. Moms loading them into Honda Odyssey’s, backing up to the end of the driveway, keeping the car at a perfect 72 degrees, and waiting diligently until the bus arrived…at their house!
Having kids get up and take a walk outside to start the day has numerous benefits. First, being outdoors is a big win to start the day. Most Americans spend 97 percent of their time indoors!That is a staggering statistic. The 10 minutes spent walking and being is the fresh air can have a significant positive impact on a child’s mental well-being.
Next, being exposed to Mother Nature, and the sometimes harsh elements that she can dole out, makes kids hearty. It build resilience and and the ability to persevere through challenging situations. The perseverance is a key component in developing grit - passion and perseverance for long-term goals.
Finally, meeting up with other children fosters a community connection and spontaneous interaction. This leads to unstructured play and creativity that growing children need to develop into successful, well-adjusted adults. Sitting in a car with dad, staring at a phone, oblivious to the outside world, is a terrible way to begin the day. Playing tag or stomping puddles - even if getting pants wet before school makes dad crazy - could possibly be the most productive part of the child’s day!
Embrace challenge. Stop trying to find the path of least resistance. While it is done with a loving heart in an attempt to build a great life for children, it is often times counterproductive to achieving the goal of raising a happy and healthy child.
Yes, change can be unnerving. The next time a change is forced upon the current routine, do not see it as a negative disruption. Rather, identify what is good about it and how that change can add to improvements in what might be a stagnant routine.
Now bundle up those kiddos and take a walk to the bus!
