Long commuting to kindy/school?

[Matryoshka]

Does anyone have a long commuting time to kindy/school? If so how do you manage it with a younger sibling?

The two schools we're looking at getting DS1 in to for kindy next year are 30 mins drive there AND back. So total of 2 hours driving per day.

It just seems like such wasted time, especially for DS2 having to sit in the car, bored, unstimulated. He'll be 2.5 then. But its worth the travel because they are the best schools in the general vicinity.

It won't be so bad when i'm taking them both though.

Is anyone else in this situation?

[mbear]

We travel 15 mins - sometimes 20mins each way with bad traffic.
Can i just say, this is my 2nd year of doing it (DD#1 is in Year 1 this year) and its a total PITA.....im finding it really hard with day sleeps (9 month old and 2.5 year old), trying to do anything in the day (meet girlfriends for coffee, go to shops, etc) is almost impossible...by time i go out, its time to get home to do arvo sleeps, leave home for school etc etc...
Also you will find your childs friends wont live near you obviously....my DD friends live about 25 mins away...we havent come across it yet, but going over to friends houses after school etc when she is older, will again, become a PITA.
Birthday parties are out of 'my area' too...and beleive me, in kindergarten, they seem to get invited to every kids birthday party. So i found on the weekend, im travelling in the car yet again....
I feel like a lot of my time is spent in the car.
Its more wear and tear on your car.
Not to mention the petrol.
My Dd#2 often says to me 'mummy i will stay home when you go and get DD#1.....please'. They are over the car too.
We have a public school 2 mins from our home...but like you, there is a catholic school 20 mins away, so we took that option.
I wouldnt change our decision....i love the school, but the driving thing is the pits....

[Matryoshka]

Yeah i hear what you're saying, that's what i was thinking. My DS2 is 20 months and stopped having day sleeps a few months ago, but he does fall asleep in the car on long drives, which i can see maybe happening which will be annoying.

We're getting a new car which actually has the gas system, so that will save on fuel costs.

There's a public school in walking distance from our house, and a private one as well, but we don't like either of them. I really would have liked him to make friends in the area as its a family area, kids everywhere all the time, lots of little parks. But we can't jut choose a local school based on that...

[Bathsheba]

It's about a 40 minute walk (return) for me twice a day to do the school run for my 6yo and I have my 3yo with me in a pram... so that's 20 mins each way... 4 times a day. Yes, it does often feel that all I do each day is walk walk walk but the time is great for conversations (when my 6yo isn't scooting ahead on his scooter).

Maybe consider playing special CDs. If I was you I'd play my collection of children's French music and audio games. My kids love it and it's something I put on here at home when i want them to wind down and stay in the bedroom instead of running around the house... like when we are dressing for bed.

If it's a great school and you only have a year or two before they will both be there i'd stick it out... but that's just me... we have moved house to be closer to good schools though.

[Matryoshka]

Ah good idea bath, i'm thinking Erik Satie's - Gymnopedies, so very relaxing. I find driving in general pretty stressful, but having moved out of the metro area 2 years ago i've gotten used to the fact that going anywhere in general is a long drive, always involving a FWY.

They're exactly 2 years apart, so i'd have to stick it out for 2 years. We do plan to move further that way, but not for at least 5 years.

[Pandora]

The school Im hoping to send DS to is a 20 minute drive in each direction but its a really good school, and theres no traffic or lights and only 2 intersections the whole way there.

[Lulu]

It is a PITA, but I find DS uses the time to daydream and he is raring to go by the time we get there...

[megs]

I live on a farm so for me kindy is a 50km trip, which takes 30mins. I guess it is a PITA but I have no choice. I find of a morning the kids just have some quiet time (if they have had a really early start they might have a 15 min nap).

Coming home works well, gives me a chance to have a chat about their day (my second son is in daycare as have to keep spot for when I return to work) and if they are tired they may again have a little nap.

It is a pain for my 10 month old as mucks up his sleeps a bit but I guess you just get through it, he will be older soon and it won't matter as much

[August]

It is a PITA, but I find DS uses the time to daydream and he is raring to go by the time we get there...

We have a 30-35 minute trip 2 days a week into childcare and my DS is the same, raring to go by the time he gets there!