Long drive (~1 hr with traffic) to school

[Anonymous]

Not in the DC area, but there isn't a board like this where I live. Tell me about having a long drive to your kid's private school and how it affected their experience.

[Anonymous]

We have 40’ drive which is an hour with traffic. Kids do homework in the car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 40’ drive which is an hour with traffic. Kids do homework in the car.

This is not at all uncommon among DC area private schools; a lot also have buses/shuttles. Many people manage just fine. +1 to homework in the car.

I think the thing that's harder is the social aspect; having friends who may live more than an hour away can be tough. But again, people make it work.

[Anonymous]

Don't do it. You will regret it as they get older. Socially, nobody is going to want to get together for playdates at the younger ages because you are so far away, and at the older ages you and your kid will need to drive forever just to see friends on weekends. School events (which are plenty) will be a huge burden for you and your kid. And then throw in sports which are required at most privates and require that kids stay beyond school for a few hours...then add in the hour commute. this is not a good thing for your kid...

[Anonymous]

Not to be mean but isn't this a common sense question? Most of us do not want a long commute into work no? If it is we make it work but on the whole it sucks? I mean what is your question but whether to do it or not isn't that what you really are asking? I think the answer is only up to you. Unless it's a school that you can't get something out of anywhere closer I personally would not do it. I agree with PP re social aspect but on a daily basis I think I would be so annoyed at the drive. I personally cannot do it but again if I had the perfect school offering my kid 100% of what we needed.. actually I still wouldn't do it!

[Anonymous]

We did it 3 years with 3 kids in lower school. Did LOTS of audio books. And then we moved closer. Everyone is so much happier, despite much smaller house, longer commute for DH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did it 3 years with 3 kids in lower school. Did LOTS of audio books. And then we moved closer. Everyone is so much happier, despite much smaller house, longer commute for DH.

But when they’re in MS/HS it’s very difficult bc they have sports (practices and games), real homework, etc. It adds a stressful time component.

[Anonymous]

So that is 2 hours round trip? I would not consider it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in the DC area, but there isn't a board like this where I live. Tell me about having a long drive to your kid's private school and how it affected their experience.

Who does this?

[Anonymous]

it’s basically an afterschool activity. So you’ll have significantly less room for other activities. Sports, plays etc.

[Anonymous]

OP if you’re not in the DC area, it might be different. Traffic here is oppressive and stressful, but people in rural areas routinely drive farther and longer than we do and it’s not so bad because you’re just cruising along.

[Anonymous]

M A Y B E high school where public transportation and kids driving themselves start to come to play. Otherwise, I'd say not unless there was an extremely important reason and an adult with a lot of time and patience and flexibility on their hands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 40’ drive which is an hour with traffic. Kids do homework in the car.

This is not at all uncommon among DC area private schools; a lot also have buses/shuttles. Many people manage just fine. +1 to homework in the car.

I think the thing that's harder is the social aspect; having friends who may live more than an hour away can be tough. But again, people make it work.

+1. We live in deep in Loudon county and traveled to Bethesda from 2nd-12th grade. DD hated that we didn’t live close to her friend groups. Purchased her a car the day she turned 17, to hopefully make up for the years of misery. I will say, those long drives were great for conversations about all sorts of things, made us closer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in the DC area, but there isn't a board like this where I live. Tell me about having a long drive to your kid's private school and how it affected their experience.

How old are your kids?

(I had a long commute to a private HS. I took a bus to get there, and it was totally fine because I was managing my own social life by then anyway. But it's a different series of considerations with, say, a 6-year-old.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 40’ drive which is an hour with traffic. Kids do homework in the car.

Don't count on homework in the car. My kids get carsick when they try to read while the car is moving