To wonder if you take your primary aged DCs to school and pick them up?

[Sunnydayinapril]

First of all no one is being criticised

Looking into work that might be able to allow me in the future to do this (not an issue at the moment.)

My parents never did as they always worked. It didn't bother me.

But I think I'd like to pick my children up.

Do you, and if not who does?

[honeylulu]

I took mine until year 6. In year 6 they are positively encouraged to get themselves to the school and back. My son couldn't wait.
Before and after school clubs are really helpful for working parents too.

[Lilaclily]

My year 4 (9) meets me half way between school and home at 3.30
I walk her to school and then continue on to work

[readingrainbow]

At the moment, yes, though my year 4 DD really wants to do this herself. I would prefer she's a wee bit older but we live further afield from her new school compared to last year before we moved. We were only a block away from school then and I was happy to let her take herself to school.

[Friolero]

I drop off and collect DS, in Year 1. I don't work so there's no reason not to.

[curren]

Our school is too far away for the kids to walk.

Ds was in the school nursery while Dd was in year 5 & 6. So we walked in with her every morning until she left. In the afternoon, we just parked up and she came out in year 6, as Ds finished at lunchtime. But you had to write a letter saying it was ok for the child to leave school grounds.

Ds is now in reception and Dd is in year 7 at secondary. So we walk Ds in. But I also have to take Dd to school. Again it's not walkable not is there isn't a bus. So she eats dropped off at the school drop off point. We meet her quite far away from the school, as its manic near the school at pick up time.

No idea when we will start letting Ds walk from the car into the school on his own. Just have to see how it goes.

[MrsJamin]

Mine are in y1 & y3, I work flexibly between school hours for a small tech company. It employs several mums who do similar hours, they are fab! No idea why companies can't be more flexible with working arrangements to get motivated skilled employees. I'll probably do more hours once the youngest can take himself to and from school in y6.

[Misselthwaite]

Four times a week mine are taken by either DH or me. Twice a week I collect them. The rest of the time nursery take them.

But by year 3 their teachers basically chuck them out the door so you have to find them if you need to chat so I'd be less bothered about us doing it at that point.

I'm a part time teacher, DH works in IT with a company that lets him choose his hours. Neither of us have specific jobs that enable the school run and none of my mates do either. Most people manage by way of part time working, compressed hours etc.

[allowlsthinkalot]

My friend became a childminder for this reason.

My dh takes them to school. He's an academic and can be flexible with start time. I pick them up (sahm).

[NoCapes]

Mine are Reception & Year 2, I drop them and pick them up every day

[QueenofLouisiana]

DS walks between my school and his- he started in the summer of yr5. He calls for a friend half way on the way in and joins a small group who peel off at various points on the way home. He'll be bussed into high school next year so we started practising early.

Sometimes I can pick him up and he likes that as a treat- although that may be more to do with the cafe we go to!

[Mousefinkle]

Reception and year 1. I work from home so not an issue but will be a FT student from September so my mum's going to step in with some pick ups, I'll still do the drop offs though. Their school is 2.2 miles away and you have to a cross a few main roads. I would possibly trust them once my eldest is y6 so they'd be y4,5 and 6 but I'll hopefully have a car by then so shouldn't be an issue provided I'm not working when they're at school, in that case I'd probably send them to breakfast club...

I haven't seen any children walking to that school alone, even the year 6's have a parent drop them at the gate (granted I don't see them all). If we lived closer I wouldn't hesitate at that age but it's a distance and the main roads really put me off. One dangerous junction in particular, we all almost got run over there a few months back.

[bigTillyMint]

I used to take to school/breakfast club and pick up from school/ASC depending on whether I was working or not until they were 10, then they could go/come home on their own (school rule) with or without friends. We only live 3mins from their primary school.

[GreatFuckability]

mine are in y4 and y6 (and y7 but she gets a bus) and walk themselves to school. sometimes they come home alone, sometimes they go home with a childminder and sometimes i pick them up. they are perfectly capable of coming home alone.

[Scone1nSixtySeconds]

I take and pick up ds (yr6). At one point I tried to encourage him to walk in without me/meet me outside, but he didn't want to. Not because he's anxious but because, apparently, he likes this 1-1 time with me.

He will take a bus to high school and actually I will miss the school run. saddo

[G1raffe]

Most people in our school are dropped and picked up by mum or dad or sometimes gran.

[Sunnydayinapril]

I guess I was just wondering as most people seem to pick up their children at least some of the time, but also not everyone is a SAHP, so wondered :)

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

I do now but previously didn't as both DH and I worked.

It's less about dropping off and collection for me, much more about DD being able to go to after school clubs and us being able to cover holidays and sickness easily. Obviously the flip side for us is a bit of financial stress.

[LunaLoveg00d]

No, because we live 2 houses away from school and I can see them coming out of the door from the upstairs windows. I just stand at the window and wave and they are home 30 seconds later.

I used to go and collect when they started school first but my youngest is now almost 7 and comes home by herself too.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

When I worked we used the school breakfast club and then a childminder after school, every day. I did miss out on important notices as the school stick them in the window, but that was just the school.

It is nice to sometimes have contact with the teacher but we could book appointments if necessary.

[Mistigri]

I almost never took mine to primary school, due to work. It was DH who did it, until they were old enough to take themselves.

[CheerfulYank]

No. He walks to and from. He's in second grade (8 years old, 9 in July.) We're less than three blocks away in a small town and a lot of other kids walk too. He used to walk with a six year old I mind but her mother got a job at the school and drops her off now. :)

[louisejxxx]

I do about 75% of pick ups/drop offs at the minute and I'm lucky enough that my parents pick up the slack when I'm working.

I work 25 hours a week Sunday - Wednesday and currently do a long day at work on a Tuesday which is usually when my mum & dad do pick up and drop off. They are both retired now so they enjoy doing it.

[louisejxxx]

Forgot to say that ds is in yr1 and the school is a 6-mile drive so getting himself there isn't an option in both of those respects.

[Skittlesss]

I drop mine off then go to work. My mum picks them up and watches them til either hubby or I finish work. Our school doesn't do before school or after school clubs, but I wish they did so then I could pick them up as well.