how odd?or is it?

Most is not all.

Most 5-6 year olds should be more than capable of a dash between two schools. It takes time to get a child in a push chair sort everything out and get going. You and child can walk 100 yards in that period. Most children will run it anyway.

Also if a child can't walk a short distance to and from school, is that the right place for them to be?

Who said they have a short walk? Lots of familiea these days aren't getting their chosen schools and are being found places in schools that aren't necessarily on their doorstep.

Stranger than strapping them into a car?

Not really.

Think about it.

A sling for an older child is a bit unusual - my 2yr old DGC wouldn't entertain it no matter how tired - but to say it adversely affects their walking is a bit silly when no-one would bat an eyelid if said child was hoisted into a car seat and driven home. My DCs primary school covered a large catchment area, so many parents arrived by car, and there were certainly no murmurings at all about how it would be better for them to walk home 5 miles or so up hill and down dale. Fashions come and go but my little chunkies got chucked out of the sling at about a year (into a buggy) because my back couldn't stand it any more . A shame because the buggy route to school took me at least 20 minutes longer!

watermeadowsorry, keyboard problems

watermedow

we couldn't get in the pram, it was full of coal.

watermeadow....you had a potato?

I see little just-turned fours coming home from school, which is a mile and a half away on the other side of a deep valley.
At the end of a long tiring day they have to walk uphill all the way home to the poor end of town, where most parents have no car. Yes, they’re too heavy to be carried but I feel sorry for them.
Of course we oldies all walked five miles through forest and swamp, with only a cold potato for dinner.

Yes, they are, but a trip to the play park and some fresh air on the way home soon perks them up

Well, it works with mine!

Aren't some of the September intake only just turned 4, and must be incredibly tired at the end of a long school day? And surely a cloth sling is safer than a piggy back.

Well said, Patticake.

yes a dad, who is a much stronger person than a woman plays with a child and carries him/her. That's not the same as a 5 year old in a sling on their mothers back.

your DH must be a strong one Cherry mine would fall over with a sturdy 4 year old perched on him [as would I.]

When the dads pick up their nursery and/or young school child they can quite often be seen carrying their offspring on their shoulders.
Nobody bats an eyelid

My grandchildren are used walking/running as they spend alot of time in the countryside. However if we need to get a scoot on granddad will often stick one on his shoulders.

As a young child I remember my father or uncle giving me a
'carry coal'

Well said, patticake.

Besides which, I'm all for as much harmless oddness in the world as possible.

Two of our grandchildren still go in a double buggy to school even though they are 5 and 6 years old. We do stop at a corner before the school and save them the embarrassment but the simple reason is, they have a 2.5 mile walk to school, mostly uphill. They live in one of the worlds busiest cities and taking them by car or public transport is out of the question. School starts at 8.0am and being realistic, I reckon we’d need to set off at 7.0am if they were to walk. When they come home, I’m pleased to say they both walk. Moral of this story, avoid making judgement, they may be a very logical answer to what you observe as lazy children!

there would be other issues there though paddyann possibly autism.

we did a photographic job recently where a large 9 year old refused to walk and her father carried her about all afternoon.It appeared to be the norm as no one batted an eyelid .She was quite a spoilt girl who caused all sorts of issues during the day even switching off all the lights in the ladies after checking there were people in most of the cubicles! No windows and older women ,if she's been mine she would have been in deep do do

extremely odd.

I think my grandson would quite enjoy me carrying him around. Mind you, he's ten!
so's mine and I think he could pick me up! well, certainly his mum, perhaps not me

Quite right oldbatty

I am not contradicting myself - I don't think that 4-5 year olds should be carried in a sling unless there is very good reason.

Also if a child can't walk a short distance to and from school, is that the right place for them to be?
Quite right oldbatty

4allweknow^Why do parents send their "just 4 "year old to school in the first place. Why do they not wait until their next birthday before sending them into the battle of school.^

Because if they do defer the start of school for a year the child has to start in Y1, not reception. Reception year is mainly play-based.
they would miss quite a lot of peer-bonding too.

In DD's case, it's Derbyshire. She's not the only one who did it. It probably is cultural in the sense of earth mother culture

No woman is going to carry on carrying her child when the child gets too heavy.