MODERN FAMILY

WE are really lucky to have the time to be able to walk to and from school every day.

It is probably the best 10 minutes of the day, when we actually have time to chat about the day.

During the walk I often find out what they are going to do, how they are feeling and what has happened in their lives when we are not there.

The youngest normally comes out of school professing he can’t remember a single thing he has done that day (even though the bell has literally just rung).

A few steps down the road and it slowly comes back to him that he scored a goal in the lunchtime match, the interesting facts he has learned about the Victorian workhouses in history, or who had the best treats in their packed lunches.

I am grateful for that time, and even more so when you see the amount of bad parking outside schools on social media.

Enforcement officers and police are often called out to patrol outside schools across the country and there can be on-the-spot fines, but it doesn’t seem to stop motorists parking on double yellow lines, in the zig-zag areas outside most schools, and dangerously at T-junctions opposite the school gates.

One person posted a picture on social media of a car parked right outside one Cardiff school on the white no-parking zone. When she approached the driver, he gave her a sarcastic reply and wouldn’t budge.

Even a fine of £70 doesn’t seem to put some people off.

Last week we were using the designated zebra crossing outside our school at home time and a driver just carried on and didn’t stop.

The elderly driver didn’t even notice the distinctive crossing with flashing lights. Thankfully, I was with the children and have taught them to stop at the crossing and wait until the car stops too before crossing, or who knows what could have happened?

South Wales Police say they get a lot of complaints from people about motorists parking badly outside schools.

A source said there is at least one complaint a day from different schools across the force area.

When they do get a complaint officers go along, speak to parents and raise awareness, but the message is not getting through to everyone.

At some schools they have even put up signs made by the children saying “please don’t park here, you are putting us in danger”, and in others pupils have gone out with police to try to hit home the dangers.

With our busy and hectic schedules, not everyone has the luxury of being able to walk to school, but there is no excuse for not having the time to not put children’s lives at risk.