School run parking issues

[SeeTheGood20]

Hi,
My 4 year old has recently started school. I chose a good school in a middle class area where I have to drive there. My neighbour goes really early with her kids as parking is so bad round there.
Anyway, it's not even been half a term and I've already had a couple of people telling me where I should and shouldn't Park.
The first time I was too close to a wall so although prams could go through it was too narrow. Granted, I made sure I didn't park there again.
The second time, a girl came and said "I live there, park somewhere else, anywhere you like." So I complied.
Now this morning, I was careful not to block a drive (as always), careful to make sure my car didn't obstruct traffic and ensured space on the pavement for kids and prams. Then a resident starts pulling out of her drive and telling me off with her partner because she "couldn't see" when pulling out of her drive. I was shocked.
I've pulled out of drives, I know sometimes it's hard to see through nearby parked cars but that's the challenge of driving. I didnt think people were wrong to park next to a drive.
It's got me really doubting myself. I already feel very intimated doing the school run, I am petite and wear a headscarf and there are hardly any brown people in that area.
I try to smile at people,chat and show kind manners but in that particular neighbourhood I find its getting me nowhere. I don't know if people give me more comments because they assume I won't give gob back. Tell me if I'm being silly.
I'm feeling anxious every time I haveto do a school run and feel like I should have just chosen the nearby estate school. I can't go on having people grumbling at me every few weeks despite me trying so hard.
Is this normal? What do you do?

Are you absolutely sure you're parking considerately? Then you've nothing to worry about. It's likely not you, they're the type of people that would tut and moan at anyone daring to park outside their house.
Tbh if a child questioned Me like that, I'd just say something like "oh that's lovely, I like your door colour/roses/bike", whatever.
People can be funny about car parking, but unless its a private road or drive there's nothing they can do.
You shouldn't have any wheels on the pavement though, it sounds like in the situation with the wall you were parked half on the pavement.

Is it possible to park a little further from school if there's places with more space and no driveways? ( Not all areas are the same, I'm going off our school!)

As long as you are parked legally, then ignore.
I know living near a school can be incredibly frustrating when there are lots of people who don't follow the rules. But if you are parked correctly then they really shouldn't be complaining.

I would also go for parking a bit further away and walking.

We had this at First School. There had been a school there forever but the residents behaved as if they had been there first and the school built afterwards. There were cones out, dirty looks if you dared to park outside their house even though the drives were about 4 cars long.

Don't miss it one bit.

Sounds stressful for all concerned.

Have you considered leaving a bit earlier and parking a ten minute walk away? That way you and your boy both get a leg stretch and a chat and arrive at school relaxed, rather than stressed out by finding parking / angry neighbours. I think that's what I would do, if I could.

I think you're probably getting the effects of frustration. If it's anything like my dc's school the immediate neighbours have had all sorts of ridiculous inconsiderate parking and as a consequence that have a low tolerance level.
Try parking a little further away and walking part way. There's a lot of easy parking 5 minutes away from our school but still the parents are parking on corners, across drives, blocking the road etc.

Parking further away is what I've been doing most of the time.
But I've got a heavy toddler who walks too slowly and whether I carry him or take a pram, it's hard work up the hill to school!
But this is what I'll haveto do I guess. Atleast I can tone up my legs for free..

Don't take things too personally... School drop off andick up times can be a right nightmare. I imagine most local residents hate it and I often find myself swearing at the windscreen when I get stuck outside a school on the way to work. I think it's sensible that you allow extra time to park legally further away and walk to school.

I suspect that they are venting their frustration at the fact that their streets are clogged up with cars every day by parents from outside the area doing the school run, and I don't blame them. I don't think that your headscarf or skin colour has any bearing on that frustration.

It sounds like a good idea regarding parking further away from school. As you are a female on your own, people will feel like they can say what they want at times. I have a drive and the next door neighbour (male) always seemed to feel that he could park slightly over on to my drive. My male partner moved in and all of a sudden he never does that so that's an example of how people behave differently when you are a single female.

I would also go for parking a bit further away and walking.

This is what I do, it's far less stressful than getting agroe and I quite like the quiet calm of walking after the manic getting ready and out the door on time.