I REALLY hate the school run

I felt a bit like that when ds started at senior school. It's 20 miles away. He has to be on the bus at 7.45 which means I have to get him up by 7 latest. Every school day for the next seven years.

It was daunting to say the least.

But it passes. I've done four years already. Only missed one day so far. 😀

I'm long past that now but I never hated it. I don't particularly miss it though.

Sorry op, but I think you’re whining about something that just has to be done…. like complaining that having to brush your teeth twice a day. Just do it, make it as pleasant as you can by sometimes going earlier than last minute and making some friends. Be happy to talk to the teacher of your child who has been with them during the day and might have something interesting to tell you about them.
Being unfriendly, unengaged and grumpy is not going to help.

Ha ha!!

Do you have a bit of social anxiety maybe ? Perhaps you don't realise. Or maybe just an introvert ;or simply that you are antisocial and just cba with small talk lol)

Yes because the majority have to get to work after 🤷🏻‍♀️

I used to hate it and then my work hours changed and I now don't do any drop offs and all my pick ups are from ASC. I sort of miss it... but only because I don't get to do it. I hated doing it every day

I’m coming out the other end of it now. Youngest is y6 and prefers to walk. I drop her on my work days as I take her for 7:30. I find pick up on work days a dish due to traffic and wrap around closing time so she’s started walking home from wrap around. I genuinely don’t miss it. My eldest however who can walk, often struggles to get up and ready so k do end up taking her in. High school car park/1 way system is an absolute nightmare. She is autistic so o do give her some slack. I love the days I’m off work and they both get out themselves, on time and I’m still in my PJs and can then get showered and dressed at my own pace in peace. The primary introduced a soft start in a morning where they can be dropped anytime between 8:45-9 and just go straight on. This has been an amazing change from them all lining up at 8:50 and going in in lines. Car drop off areas are so much less busy, no one’s hanging around, so we times see people to chat but not often.

I kind of understand why people who are socially awkward dislike it. But really hating it just because you're in a bit of a rush seems really weird to me.

I really can't relate to this, and I hope other parents at my kid's school aren't secretly suffering / uncomfortable like you describe OP. I rarely do drop offs but quite liked the brisk start to the morning when I did, like getting in a good walk first thing and being forced to be up and dressed. I do all the pick-ups, with two younger kids in tow. I actively enjoy it - I speak to other parents who want a chat, and find out more about them/their kids (not in a nosy way - just "Hey, how's Bob getting on / did he like the concert last week?"), and if the weather is good we head to the nearby park with other people from school. I have bent over backwards and sideways to work "flexibly" and feel very lucky to be able to collect DD.

Reception was terrible for him, he had what then was undiagnosed ASD and pretty severe visual problems and he bit other students. It was mostly but not completely resolved by year 1 but it took such a long time not to feel sick at pick up.

Jammy sod!

I sort of get it, my issue is I just hate the chaos of it. I do have 3 kids though. I always chat to parents, I have one about to leave so know some parents really well (well enough to have had some wild nights out with them!). My younger 2, I'm starting to make friends with some of the parents now so always have someone to talk to. By the time my youngest leaves, I'll have been going for 13 years, I'll deserve my own leavers ceremony after that!

Totally agree. I pay a fortune for the school bus both ways so I don’t have to do it. It’s the best money I have ever spent.

How is it even a thing? My school run must be very different to yours... Walk down, quick kiss goodbye, rush back home to work. On the days I do the pick-up - wait around for a few minutes, smile and say nice weather or whatever to the other parents, check emails on my phone, wait for my kid to come out.

I think I am lucky not to have social anxiety, as I can't imagine what part of that could be stressful! Its the before and after bits that are stressful, rushing to get out of the house and rushing to get to work on time, that's the bit I hate

It's a joy to drop off and collect your children. And it is gone in the blink of an eye. WHat a weird thing to hate!
Kiss your kids goodbye in the morning and hug them in the afternoon. If you chat to someone else that's great . If you don't then no harm done.
Everybody is probably thinking the same as you OP.
It goes waaaaaaayyyy faster than you think. Just enjoy it.

It sounds like the teacher talking to you is giving you part of the anxiety. Is there anything you can do to lower the number of interactions or is it unavoidable? Ie if it’s about forgetting a permission slip or something then there might be something one of us can recommend to help you remember. Or if it’s about behaviour and it’s happening all the time then does it need to be an ad hoc chat or could it be a behaviour chart/book that goes between home and school.

I love the school run but I’m one of those incredibly annoying chat to everyone types and I love it if the teacher wants to have a chat about one of the DC

We HE our children so have limited experience but it is amazing how may HE parents say it the biggest advantage of HE - you never have to do a school run again.

I hate it too. Can’t do it due to my autism so dh had to take over 2 years ago

I'll confess something. I'm the PTA Chair and know lots of parents. I still hate pick up. It's busy, stressful and full of cliques.

Drop off is not so bad.

Girasoli, a bike would help

I once complained to my dad about food shopping (pre online delivery). I said I hated the faff of figuring out what we needed, finding a parking spot, wasting an hour trying to navigate whole families shopping together, dragging it all home and the worst bit, putting it all away (and discovering I forgot something vital).
He firmly put me in my place by saying : 'if that's all you have to complain about your life is pretty good'.
I never enjoyed the school run, but it was a necessary part of the day. Just get on with it.