Why you should participate in Winter Walk Day

There are people at school who think I’m a martyr — or a nut — because I walk my daughter to school in any weather. My close friends know it’s because I don’t drive, but my husband does. It would be totally fine, in fact, to ask him to drive her most days if I wanted to. But I don’t. What began from something simple (my not driving), has become something more. The benefits to our lives, mine, and my daughter’s, from walking everywhere are so obvious.

Yes, there are all the usual struggles over getting her to dress appropriately. Sure, sometimes there is some whining, but it usually only lasts a minute, and then the fun begins. One day we are superheroes, another day we’re in the world of Minecraft, and I am still working on my ninja moves. We climb snowbanks, we play, and there is laughter. It’s almost like being 8-years-old again myself.

So, parents, I encourage you to make your own adventures on February 1, Winter Walk Day. The morning activity will help your kids focus better, which can improve their grades, and walking to school encourages independence as your kids start planning how to do it alone in future.

It’s also a fun time to really talk to your kids in an intimate meaningful way. Or you can pretend to be astronauts. Your call.

We know some of you are just not able to walk to school, so instead try injecting walks into your lives in other ways. Walk to the rink. Walk to the park. Stroll around your backyard. Just throw on that toque, keep moving, and have fun! Or talk to your school about holding a Winter Walk Day event.