tell me about your public transit commute to school

[Anonymous]

Short answer: I think it depends on your personal tolerance for commute hassle. Do you already hate transfers and wait times and walks in the rain? If so, you'll hate it more.

Longer answer w/ personal anecdote: I think it sucks to have a complicated commute with or without a kid in tow. We personally walk 3 blocks to school and it is pretty wonderful. But on days when the kid is dragging ass it's awful, and it's just a 3 block walk! We have neighbors who do a longer commute and it seems difficult. If it's by car the whole way it's not too bad, but if it's on the metro and/or bus with a transfer and if it's out of the way of where you're ultimately going, it is a time suck and a dreaded task. Every single day.

For preschool I would wholeheartedly advocate for proximity and simplified logistics. It will be two years of your life.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Short answer: I think it depends on your personal tolerance for commute hassle. Do you already hate transfers and wait times and walks in the rain? If so, you'll hate it more.

Longer answer w/ personal anecdote: I think it sucks to have a complicated commute with or without a kid in tow. We personally walk 3 blocks to school and it is pretty wonderful. But on days when the kid is dragging ass it's awful, and it's just a 3 block walk! We have neighbors who do a longer commute and it seems difficult. If it's by car the whole way it's not too bad, but if it's on the metro and/or bus with a transfer and if it's out of the way of where you're ultimately going, it is a time suck and a dreaded task. Every single day.

For preschool I would wholeheartedly advocate for proximity and simplified logistics. It will be two years of your life. [/quote]

I think it's only 2 years if you live WOTP. Otherwise aren't we trying to make longer term decisions? That's what I'm hearing... Or do you recommend re-lotterying at K?

[Anonymous]

I think it's only 2 years if you live WOTP. Otherwise aren't we trying to make longer term decisions? That's what I'm hearing... Or do you recommend re-lotterying at K?

Yeah, that's the trick. Preschool and pre-k at most places will be fine. But those two years are pretty likely your only shot at a better school if your IB isn't satisfactory. Open seats at K and above dwindle to fewer than 5 at K and above for most schools. And all this jumping around does impact quality. I know everyone does it for struggling schools, but that's one reason they keep on struggling.

Commutes in this town aren't getting better for anyone, either.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Short answer: I think it depends on your personal tolerance for commute hassle. Do you already hate transfers and wait times and walks in the rain? If so, you'll hate it more.

Longer answer w/ personal anecdote: I think it sucks to have a complicated commute with or without a kid in tow. We personally walk 3 blocks to school and it is pretty wonderful. But on days when the kid is dragging ass it's awful, and it's just a 3 block walk! We have neighbors who do a longer commute and it seems difficult. If it's by car the whole way it's not too bad, but if it's on the metro and/or bus with a transfer and if it's out of the way of where you're ultimately going, it is a time suck and a dreaded task. Every single day.

For preschool I would wholeheartedly advocate for proximity and simplified logistics. It will be two years of your life. [/quote]

I think it's only 2 years if you live WOTP. Otherwise aren't we trying to make longer term decisions? That's what I'm hearing... Or do you recommend re-lotterying at K?[/quote]

Wotp we don't have dcps preschool. I don't get this point. We typically do private preschool ages 2 to 4, and then either one more year of private preK, or public preK at Janney, Mann, key, etc. I can't think of one single person I've ever known who makes a heroic commute on public transpiration from wotp to an eotp school for free preschool. I'm sure someone has done this, but they're rare.

[Anonymous]

PP from wotp, I am also from wotp and I just wanted to point out that your post sounds a little tone deaf. not really sure what it added to a thread about commuting for schools. It is fairly condescending to throw in "heroic" when yes, many people across the city do commute far for the education of their children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PPs does your commute involve a lot of cajoling or is it pretty smooth?

The kiddo is fine about it - she tends to be quite easy-going and just sings songs, chatters, or eats the rest of her breakfast along the way. She does sometimes take what feels like a million years to JUST. BRUSH. HER. TEETH. (or put on mittens or whatever) but I think that's probably being 3 more than about her resisting the commute. She's never lived in a family who owns a car, so she doesn't know the difference as far as that goes.

If there's ever any cajoling, it's usually in my own head to roll on up that hill one more freaking time even if I'm tired or have a hundred other things to do, but we like the school so much that I'd honestly do more to get her there if I had to.

I think this is key, if you love the school you are willing to make the commute day in and out. And, that makes the difference.