KAYSVILLE, Utah (AP) - A Utah mother who started walking her children to school every day after an epilepsy diagnosis prevented her from driving has discovered she loves the conversations and extra time she gets with her children.
Trishelle Duncan said the walks are good for her health, save a bit of money on gas, and get the family outdoors more. The mother of six walks her 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son to school each day in Kaysville. Her 3-year-old son comes with them, the Deseret News reports .
“We found ourselves unplugging a lot more and having a lot more meaningful conversation,” she said.
The Kaysville family is among the 1,100 participants in September for a Utah Department of Transportation program encouraging people to walk or bike to school by offering a prize contest where winners get bikes, scooters and helmets.
He daughter, Abby, said she likes the new morning routine better than driving to school.
“It’s good,” Abby said. “I like walking to school because I get to talk with my mom. Sometimes, I also like it because then I have a couple of more minutes to stay with my mom.”
The Duncans are fortunate that they are close to the school, Columbia Elementary, which means their walk is only about five minutes. As they arrive on a recent day, the parking lot is filled with a line of cars dropping off kids, creating congestion as parents come and go in the morning.
“It’s also been important to us to recognize that as we are reducing our drive time, we are becoming more aware of our environment and the impact that we are making on it,” Duncan said.
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
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