What gets into parents at school pick up time?

[sewintoyou]

There is a painted line in the playground which we are supposed to stand behind, so the little ones can see their adult and the teacher can see them. The children are lined up indoors and one by one say 'Miss, I see mum/dad/gran/aunty/nanny'.

Every day there is a group of parents right up at the door, completely blocking the teacher and children's view, encouraging their child to skip the line, trying to talk to the teacher when she's got twenty other kids to see safely home and harangue her over what Timmy had for lunch and has she corrected Sally's homework?

WTF is wrong with people?

Where I grew up, most 4.5 year olds walk themselves to/from Kindergarten, and when they start school at 6.5, nearly all of them do. I find the concept of having to actually make eye contact with a parent/carer before releasing a child from a classroom into a playground/waiting area very odd! When I was growing up, the teachers wouldn't even see us out of the building. We'd stroll home, alone or in groups, to meet a parent at home - who at times might just have popped out, so we'd play outside / go ring at a friend's door until they got back.

Before you start explaining, I do understand where it all comes from. But it remains, to me, an extreme illustration of cultural differences.

We have to stand and wait until our children come out of their class room door. There will always be the same parents hogging the exit trying to speak with the teacher but then the children can't get past. I always wonder why our teacher just isn't more assertive and perhaps say to the parents please stand to one side or can we discuss this after all the children have left the class.

When dd was in reception, the play area for the littlies was cordoned off and we had to stand behind the gate. So much better. Once all the children had been set free, the parents could then go up to the teacher. I’m so glad dd is older now. I stand outside with the dog with the dog walking parents. Much less stressful. I hate going inside, it’s bedlam with all the parents crowding round.

So i have 1 in infants, 1 juniors and 2 in special needs. Let me tell you how the special needs school works. All children go through the school front door and are shepherded/wheeled to their class by assistants or TA’s. At the end of the day the same happens, your child is bought out by an assistant or TA. You literally never see the teacher. BUT you have an online diary system which means if the teacher wants to tell you something or you want to send a message, that’s how it’s done. I do appreciate this is impossible in a mainstream school but the hateful behaviour of some parents who urgently need to tell the teacher their child has a croaky voice/splinter really don’t know they are born. I have found some groups of parents are better/worse than others, my group with my youngest are quite mild compared to the junior school lot. Their is one pair of mothers who park on the double yellows late and run to stand in front of the crowd everyday 😑😑😑

I overheard some grandparents complaining last week because the teacher didn’t know someone else was picking up, they had never picked up before, no message had been sent to School and they didn’t know the password so she wasn’t willing to let the 5 year old go without talking to the parents first!

I am sure they would be the first to complain if a child was sent home with the wrong person!

Last weekend I took my Y6 DD to a test along with it seemed a million other Y6 girls.

At pick up time our group was late coming out. There was a huge group of parents waiting patiently, keeping the gangway clear. Up strolls this woman to speak to the person on the door who gestured to everyone else and said we were all waiting. So she stands in the middle of the gangway in front of the door, in front of all the people waiting. When her child came out they both stood in the gangway while she helped her put on her coat and asked her all about it. Meanwhile nobody else could see their child. She was eventually told quite firmly to move.

I walked past her car once I'd collected my child and she'd parked on the zigzag lines of the pelican crossing, with the back end of her car across the crossing. Some people just think they are so special.

I always hang back, because I know full well that my child will be the very last one out anyway.
And that she will most certainly have forgotten something important.
And that I will most likely have to stay to speak to the teacher about some mishap or problem! I only wish I could pick up quickly and go!

Wish my sons class was as organised as forming a line and waiting.

School finishes at 3:05 and we are the only class still standing there at 3:20/3:25. 3:35 is the latest ever (so far) and it boils my blood.

I pick my son up during my lunch break so get between 3/4 to get to school, pick him up, drop him to childminders and eat something.

His teacher stands up the steps and looks down to us all scanning through us, keeping eye contact for all of 0.2 seconds per parent before deciding to ask a parent which child they are after. It drives me fucking nuts, I'm mad just thinking about it.

Multiple parents have complained, many parents have more than 1 child to pick up etc. The head has been in the playground watching over the past few weeks but nothing has changed. Around 3 times she has just come and taken control and sent the kids out.

On wednesdays they have a sub for the last half of school and we are all out the grounds in half the time. Idk what is wrong with the teacher.

Because of the time she takes there is no time to send your kid back in to get the jumper/water bottle/PE kit etc. It's just not worth the risk.

I may be more angry because it doubles as my lunch break but this teacher is the absolute worst at the end of the day. (other wise she is a fine teacher for what its worth)

There was a dad at my dses' Infant school that used to bang on the windows 5 mins before the end of school, grinning and waving at his child, who was probably trying to get little arms into his coat at the time. He was told not to many times but did it anyway.

He couldn't do it when they moved to Juniors as his child was put into the classroom at the back of the school, for some reason .

Didn't stop him parking on zigzag lines to be closest to the gate, though.