Last week, kids across the UK went back to school. And that meant more traffic on the roads and on the tube.
Every morning on our way into our offices, David and I can’t help noticing the kid commuters. Compared to most kids growing up in America like we did, the commute to school is a totally different experience for the Brits. Most American kids are lucky enough to grow up down the street from their schools, close enough to walk or just a short car ride away. And David and I were both spoiled with stay-at-home moms that drove us to school and picked us up, especially in bad weather when we didn’t want to walk. In the states, where you go to school mostly depends on where you live, based on your district. But the school system is totally different in the UK. Most of the schools specialize in different studies and even for state-run schools, children have to apply to get in. So where they go to school doesn’t really depend on where they live… hence the commuting.
Kids in England start commuting from the time they’re in grade school. And most of them commute by themselves, or with friends and siblings. They’ve grown up with this schedule and know no different, so it’s no big deal when they become adults and have to commute hours and hours and hours each week to work. But for a spoiled American like me, used to an 11-minute comfortable car ride to the office, saying I’ve had a difficult time adjusting is an understatement. And to my defence, 4 hours a day is excessive, even for Londoners. But at least I’m working from home almost full-time now, which means I only get to marvel at the kid commuters two days a week, three max.
I’ve been fascinated by the whole thing since we moved here and first noticed these kids last Fall. Not only because they’re pretty tough to wake up so early, commute for who knows how long each morning, go to school all day, and then commute home at night (often in the rain or snow), but also because most of the kids sit there quietly and read the newspaper on to the way into school. They’re like miniature adults. No wonder they all seem so smart!
And the uniforms definitely reinforce the idea that they’re all a bunch of smarty-pants. Suits with ties and jackets for the boys and skirts with knee-highs for the girls. Some of the smaller boys even wear matching pageboy caps!
So it’s no wonder that when they all grow up, they dress up for work every day. David and I are also both lucky to work for American computer/software companies that definitely take the dotcom approach to casual work wear. I still wear jeans quite often to work, and since David runs his office, he wears jeans every day that he’s not meeting partners or customers. Dressing up is just so much work, and it hurts wearing heels around the city!
One last point to make – I don’t understand how the English are brave enough to send their children into the scary world all alone at such young ages. Some of the kids I see can’t be older than 9 or 10. When does a parent decide, ‘Okay, my child has taken this route long enough to:
1) Not get lost between all the different stops and lines
2) Not stand too close to the edge of the platform and get run over by a train and
3) Not get kidnapped in the throng of millions of other commuters each morning?’
I watch way too many shows like Law & Order: SVU and Criminal Minds to imagine sending my precious child out into the world all alone every morning.
Overall, though, I think it’s a good routine for kids to have that really instils independence and a great work ethic... Plus they entertain foreigners, like me, on our commutes!
Every morning on our way into our offices, David and I can’t help noticing the kid commuters. Compared to most kids growing up in America like we did, the commute to school is a totally different experience for the Brits. Most American kids are lucky enough to grow up down the street from their schools, close enough to walk or just a short car ride away. And David and I were both spoiled with stay-at-home moms that drove us to school and picked us up, especially in bad weather when we didn’t want to walk. In the states, where you go to school mostly depends on where you live, based on your district. But the school system is totally different in the UK. Most of the schools specialize in different studies and even for state-run schools, children have to apply to get in. So where they go to school doesn’t really depend on where they live… hence the commuting.
Kids in England start commuting from the time they’re in grade school. And most of them commute by themselves, or with friends and siblings. They’ve grown up with this schedule and know no different, so it’s no big deal when they become adults and have to commute hours and hours and hours each week to work. But for a spoiled American like me, used to an 11-minute comfortable car ride to the office, saying I’ve had a difficult time adjusting is an understatement. And to my defence, 4 hours a day is excessive, even for Londoners. But at least I’m working from home almost full-time now, which means I only get to marvel at the kid commuters two days a week, three max.
I’ve been fascinated by the whole thing since we moved here and first noticed these kids last Fall. Not only because they’re pretty tough to wake up so early, commute for who knows how long each morning, go to school all day, and then commute home at night (often in the rain or snow), but also because most of the kids sit there quietly and read the newspaper on to the way into school. They’re like miniature adults. No wonder they all seem so smart!
Just another day into the office... no wait, seventh grade!
Yes, I realize it's totally creepy to be taking random pics of kids, especially little boys, but I wanted you all to see what I see!
And I was very sneaky about it... using my phone's camera
while pretending to be doing something else.
So it’s no wonder that when they all grow up, they dress up for work every day. David and I are also both lucky to work for American computer/software companies that definitely take the dotcom approach to casual work wear. I still wear jeans quite often to work, and since David runs his office, he wears jeans every day that he’s not meeting partners or customers. Dressing up is just so much work, and it hurts wearing heels around the city!
One last point to make – I don’t understand how the English are brave enough to send their children into the scary world all alone at such young ages. Some of the kids I see can’t be older than 9 or 10. When does a parent decide, ‘Okay, my child has taken this route long enough to:
1) Not get lost between all the different stops and lines
2) Not stand too close to the edge of the platform and get run over by a train and
3) Not get kidnapped in the throng of millions of other commuters each morning?’
I watch way too many shows like Law & Order: SVU and Criminal Minds to imagine sending my precious child out into the world all alone every morning.
If I had to go to school here, I would've travelled in a pack too, and
caught up on my latest gossip like these girls,
instead of reading the paper!
Overall, though, I think it’s a good routine for kids to have that really instils independence and a great work ethic... Plus they entertain foreigners, like me, on our commutes!
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