Charting a New Course
The sun streams through the curtains of my bedroom as the clock strikes 7:00am. I spring out of bed, eager to meet the new day. After a quick stretch, I make my way to my daughter’s room to find she’s dressed for school and is making her bed. We head downstairs where we enjoy a healthy breakfast, brush our teeth, and head out the door for the fifteen-minute walk to school. Sound familiar to you? Not to me either. Because this particular morning is strictly fictional, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to my household.
My daily routine consists of waking at five or six am when my husband rises, then desperately trying to get back to sleep for another precious hour or two. I finally crawl out of bed around 7am and begin the delightful task of waking my child. After slowly opening her blinds, I turn off the white noise machine. The white noise is immediately replaced by an anguished cry of “it’s too early”, “I don’t want to get up” or on some days, an ear splitting “why me??” followed by a dive beneath the covers. Whatever happened to that angelic face that used to appear beside my bed with open arms and an exuberant “Good morning, Mommy!”????
Most days we’re simply too rushed (or too grumpy) to walk to school. But I work from home and could use a reason to exercise more often. I’m also actively trying to find ways to leave my car at home as much as possible. And as my daughter becomes more aware of the environment, eating trashless lunches and singing along with Jack Johnson to “reduce, re-use, recycle,” I’ve decided she’s old enough to add one more “green” element to her daily life: commuting to school on foot.
On the plus side, Tessa’s school is only seven blocks east and two avenues north of our home. On the down side, first-graders are not allowed to store their bicycles in the bike racks, provided for 4th and 5th graders only. So our travel options are limited, unless I want to walk a Barbie princess bike with training wheels all the way home. I’m willing to face the size 2 “hot yoga moms” in my ragged workout clothes (and sans makeup) for the sake of the environment. I’m not about to add a chronic back injury to my humiliation.
Walking to school seems like such a small thing. But if everyone did it, think about how much fuel we’d conserve (and how much pollution we’d avoid). If your kids are anything like mine, change is not something they eagerly embrace. So here are a few strategies to make the transition go more smoothly:
1) Plan ahead. Consult the weather report and lay out appropriate clothes the night before. Give your child a choice of two outfits, or let her pick something for your approval. This will save time getting dressed in the morning and save a few arguments as well. You can also set the table and pack non-perishables for lunch the night before.
2) There’s strength in numbers. Find friends along your route who are willing to join you. This makes the trek much more fun, and adds peer pressure to get your kids out the door. Plus, if one parent can’t make the walk to school, perhaps you can work a trade off and have them pick the kids up in the afternoon.
3) Mix it up. Change your routine on a regular basis. Walk down different streets, or add incentives along the way, whether it’s a quick stop for a bagel, or window shopping for a future purchase.
4) Just breathe. If you leave enough time, you may actually enjoy the walk. Crisp morning air and sunshine are a great way to start your day, much better than cursing inconsiderate drivers or arguing over radio channels. I live in California where the idyllic weather is a precious trade-off for the outrageous property taxes. Why not enjoy it as often as possible?
5) Have fun. Ask your child about his or her plans for the day. Talk about your options for after school activities or the evening’s menu. And if your kid begins to grouse, use the wealth of visual props to distract her. Play “I-Spy” or “Follow the Leader.” Or take a page from Monty Python and challenge her to a contest of “Silly Walks.” You may attract a few confused looks from passersby, but you won’t be bored. And neither will she.
6) Track your progress. It’s all too easy to abandon this kind of activity the first time it rains, or when cold weather sets in. So create an EcoBoard, a calendar to mark your accomplishment. Devise rewards for consistency, whether it’s a certificate of environmental awareness you print up on the computer, or a special stop for ice cream (or hot chocolate) on the way home.
7) Give yourself a break. It takes patience and perseverance to stick with a routine. Naturally, things will happen that force you to drive now and then. But try to go back to walking as soon as possible. And remember to give yourself some incentives as well. Buy a few new songs on iTunes (or download some free ones) for your post-walk workout. Or add some variety and download free podcasts from NPR. My current favorite is “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” which is sure to keep you laughing as you speed-walk home. Once again, you may attract a few stares. But you won’t be bored…
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Meg Jackson - Ecoist
Meg Jackson began her career as a playwright in NYC. Her work has been performed off-Broadway in addition to productions at Williamstown Theater Festival, A.C.T. in San Francisco and The Source Theater in Washington, D.C. She has written TV-movies for Hearst Entertainment, Alliance-Atlantis and ABC Family and was a staff writer for NBC’s Profiler before taking a break to chronicle her daughter’s first five years in “Tessa’s Life & Times.†She has written reviews and articles for “Written By†and “Eating†magazines and is currently working on an independent feature.
Tags: exercise, morning routine, school, walking