To think that if school comes out at 3pm....

[Sparklingbrook]

There is no need to get to the school in the car at 2pm? Just driven past the school, there are parents there already.
That's five hours a week-waiting.

On the rare occasion I drive to pick up Dd I get there a bit early but only 10 mins or so before I need too - allowing then 5 mins to walk round from.sensible parking spot. Usually go by tram - only drive if going on somewhere. As i've mentioned no one could poss need to drive to our school as so oversubscribed.

Head sent out letters to parents 're blocking drives and involved police but did no gmood

in my non-working days, I would do this. I would do for a variety of reasons - that the youngest would get some sleep by me driving him around for 20 minutes and then us sitting for an hour outside school...because I'm not so great at parking so prime spots are the only ones I can be sure I can successfully park in....because I'd been shopping or something and mis-timed and didn't want to have to disturb the youngest....it had nothing at all to do with me feeling my children might 'melt in the rain' or belonging to some kind of school run mum clique...the judgements just never stop, do they?!

These people were alone in their cars mum, no toddlers in sight. They had managed to parallel park too-right up to the zig zags so no problem there.

I used to do this if I'd taken my youngest charge our for the day and he fell asleep on the car on the way home. We'd just go straight to school and he'd have a lovely nap and I'd listen to the radio/read a book. Much better than getting home, trying to transfer him to his cot and risk waking him and having a grumpy small person all afternoon

i think if they had toddlers with them I would probably not be as surprised TBH.

Anyone turning up more than fifteen minutes early for school pick-up, for any reason, deserves to be judged!

I live 40 minutes from the school.
I can't just "pop home" if I am on the way back from somewhere.
It makes sense to wait at the school - saves petrol apart from anything else.
And no I don't block anyone's driveway or any of that other bollocks.
I just sit quietly in my car minding my own fucking business.

I have 2 school pick ups to do, about 30 minute walk between them. If I have to get away quickly from the second, I drive down to the second (later school) walk back up to the first, and then walk ds down to the second school, where we can drive to where we are going on to. So I would look like I'm arriving about 45 minutes early.
I don't take a prime spot though, I like one I can get away quickly from without hassle.

I don't drive if I can help it though.

Yes, but you aren't sat in the car DeWe, it's the sitting in the car bit that baffles me. On your own. For an hour.

This has happened to me before, i don't drive & sometimes the only bus back is early getting me to school for around 2:30 leaving me 30 mins to wait. Not long enough to bother trekking home nor long enough to do something else.

Doh silly me, you meant car drivers, i don't get that either

Oh no pumpkin do you have to stand around for 30 mins? Is there nothing nearby?

We live in the countryside. 10 miIes from dcs school. I work in the same town, finish at 2pm. I go straight to the school because it is easier all round, I sit and read while I wait. Have a and stop assuming you know other people's full story when you clearly don't.

Thanks mrspremise. I hope I haven't touched a nerve.

maybe they are taking an hour of peace and quiet with no child with a coffee in the car to work on their PhD/ MSc/ other.

It's the ones who get out early and natter about nothing that make me

I do this as it means DS3 and DD will have a nap and I get 45 minutes of quiet to read my book.

Sad I know but I look forward to it.

There's a cafe at the Leisure centre next door and a huge car park, why don't they park there? That's what's baffling. You can arrive at 2.55 and get a space there no problem.
If they had parked in there at 2pm I wouldn't have even noticed. Where they were parked is as close as you could possibly get to the school without being on the zig zags.

Nothing near my school so if i'm early i just wait

pumpkin. Bit cold for that.

Parking near our school is horrific so have to get there too early or late. I am not there everyday early as we mix it up with walking or after school clubs.
On the days I go at normal pick up and drive I quite look forward to it.
With the baby secured and happy in the car sleep and sometimes asleep its the only half hour I get to catch up on diary, I take paper work with me, the calender, and catch up on things and I also like the radio show on at that time.

I had three years not driving and walking a good 40 mins there and back, an hour if DC decided to be really slow in all weathers, in sickness and in health. People who live round the corner, literally, still drive

I think we have earned our stripes to park up a little early once or twice a week.

X post Haribo its not sad, its common sense

Perhaps I have been out of the school run loop for too long then. But I still think they were there at 2pm to bagsy the nearest spaces, or they would have parked in the car park.

I have a 35 minute drive to school variable journey times.
Sometimes I get there with 5 minutes to spare, sometimes there are 25

would you judge me for making sure I am there to pick up DS2?