I can't cope with the school run anymore!!

[PapayaCoconut]

I don't drive. (Have a tiny breastfeeding baby, so won't be able to learn until she's older.) DH works looong hours. DD (5) just started school 20-25 minutes walk away.

I just can't do it anymore! DD is so tired some days I have to drag her scooter with one arm and push her sister's pram with the other. In the rain if I'm unlucky.

I'm seriously thinking about hiring a taxi to take us every day... 😖 AIBU?

Okay my bias is I think it's a crying shame to put another car on the road for the sake of a 20 min school run. But I do have a driving licence and use of a car. I hate driving though and found parking very difficult for a few years after passing my test I've never driven on the school run and used slings to carry my children almost exclusively so to me walking and slinging is easy.

Learning to drive and then running a car is very expensive. You could probably buy all the other options suggested on this thread including the bakfiets for the same cost, when you consider the car continues to have fuel and running costs for as long as you need it.

Parking by a school is a nightmare and belting children into the car could well take you longer than the walk once the baby is a toddler and can fight you. Even if those things won't be a problem, you aren't going to be a qualified driver this side of Christmas so it's STILL not a solution for now. By the time you're a qualified driver your DD will be totally used to the walk and won't be so tired.

In most areas you'll find it impossible to get a taxi at school run time unless you pre book for a regular slot, so investigate that before you start relying on it.

Honestly I would get a sling, a giant golf umbrella, some wellies for DD and keep going with the walking. Pick her up with a bag of crisps/raisins/sweets/treats in hand and point out which lamppost or whatever she has to walk to without complaining to get the next treat. Always carry a big shoulder bag to put surprise models etc in. It will get better honestly. Her legs will toughen up so quickly and it's great exercise for you all.

Ugh. Poor you. Buggy board sounds like a good idea, and taxis when it's pouring.

Is DD better in the mornings and then super-tired in the afternoon? Maybe walk one way and buggy board on the way home.

I learnt to drive in 4 months when I was 30, and DD was 11 months. Had 2 x 2hr lessons a week, though. Tedious, but so, so worth it.

Muppetshow, pretty sure that the poster talking about EBF triplets was being sarcastic. Apart from anything else, I'd love to see anyone actually exclusively breastfeeding triplets at all, let alone battling blizzards at the same time...!

I'm going to take a wild guess that the reason that poster can't get into a Catholic school is because her children aren't baptised Catholics.

I agree with the other few PPs who have pointed out it's not that far and you're focussing on the wrong problem.

Pushing/dragging two bulky things is no fun, so ditch the scooter and get a buggy board. But why is DD so tired? Is she sleeping badly? (Can you do anything to improve her sleep routine?) Is she generally unfit? (Can you do incorporate more gentle walking/energetic play on your OH's days off, so there are two of you and you can split looking after the kids so you're only looking after one at a time?) What is she like on the way home? (Presumably you have to make a return journey - is she OK on the way back or is she equally/more tired?)

What about you? Are you tired from lugging around two bulky things, or are you tired before you start the trek? Improving your sleep as a parent is difficult, but is there anything at all you can do to help yourself cope with mornings better? You may have already optimised your morning routine, but is there anything you rush around doing in the mornings that you can skip/do the night before? Is your OH disturbing your sleep routine? If so, can you try temporarily sleeping apart just so you get to feel a bit more human?

You say your baby is tiny - did you get a chance to fully recuperate after the birth or are you actually still recovering? If you've never really healed up/rested properly, there is no shame in saying you've put your body through too much and you need a rest break. If you went from childbirth straight to running around after two kids, it's no wonder the cumulative exhaustion has got you.

I know it's a lot of questions and I don't expect you to reply, but I'm just trying to get you to look at the situation from a different angle.

Driving lessons don't mean you'll definitely pass and getting two kids in and out of a car in a hurry isn't particularly fun, especially when you add in school drop off madness. You're trading one set of problems for another.

Take a step back, identify all the causes rather than just the symptoms and look at what you can make better. If you really at breaking point, rather than get a taxi, some paid childcare on a temporary basis might make more sense.

Of course, I HAD to go and google "exclusively breastfeeding triplets" and am stunned to learn that there are actually women who have done this....!

I loved breastfeeding and I was lucky that it worked out well with both my babies but I think I would have drawn the line at EBF triplets.

I'm going to take a wild guess that the reason that poster can't get into a Catholic school is because her children aren't baptised Catholics. hmm

You dont have to be Catholic to go to a Catholic school

It's nothing wrong to get a taxi if you can afford it.
I used to take my dc 20 minutes there and back everyday since 4 years old, not on the scooter, walking.( I can drive, but through choice.)
Great everyday workout and strengthening exercise for your child in the long run. Built up so much stamina, which made them better athlete in later years in primary, also good for me to lose weight easily and being healthy.

I would suspect that getting a buggy that the tired five year old can travel in, will suddenly see an improvement in her ability to walk the distance!!

Agree with other posters that driving is trotted out as the cure for everything on MN. Surely buying and running a car costs a fortune! I would work on getting DD up to speed with walking first, then think about whether a car is actually necessary.

Baby carrier will help a lot, the walk is good for children and the bad weather is only for a couple of months really. It gets easier, not harder I promise 😊

I'd get a cheap second hand double buggy just for the school run.

The baby can sleep comfortably for the whole journey and the older child can get in and out as they please. Neither of them get soaked and the older child has the option to do some walking till they get tired.

I hate buggy boards. Well the one I had anyway. It stuck out so much I had to lean back right over it to push the pram. Child constantly having to get off and on to go up and down kerbs. Did my head in.

On particularly bad days I wouldn't think twice about everting a taxi but I wouldn't do it every day just because of the expense.

Mine often wanted to take scooters or bikes but as there's a massive hill on the way it just wasn't safe or practical. We often have competitions to see who gets to school first between ds and his friends. We pass them a quarter of the way there and we usually beat them as the traffic and parking is awful. I don't drive either and it just becomes second nature to walk everywhere. It's nice chatting time on the way and seems to wake them up and get them mentally ready for school. When DDs were first at school there was a school bus and we were all really sluggish. We miss the bus in bad weather but we don't have a choice.

There dont tend to be spaces in catholic Ofsted outstanding rated, over subscribed schools if you arent catholic/other faith.

Even if all if had to do was throw your kid over a hedge to get there...
.

You can only go to a Catholic school If there is space once all the siblings and catholic have had a space allocated- obviously!

I also use a bakfiets cargo bike and love it. We had my youngest in a car seat inside at first and now at 2 and 4 they sit side by side. They are expensive, we paid for ours monthly. Can't imagine being without it!

Do people suggesting phoning a taxi on a bad day live in towns/cities? We live in the sticks and all taxis would have to be prebooked, and the chances of getting one for the same morning would be very slim.

You're making excuses about the driving. Work out why you are so worried about starting. If your baby is new born I would be using a sling or something similar so you can walk and push the scooter if need be. Also, if your child is still in reception and so tired they can't scoot then ask to pick them up early until Christmas. Doubt they will miss much in the afternoon at 5.

You need a pram with big enough under carrier that fits in a foldable scooter.
When she is tired after school/bring snacks to keep her going. On the way to school tell stories/sing songs and perhaps make reward chart for days with no whinging on the way- treat at end of week?
I can drive but as school is 15 min walk most days also walk with a toddler and DS so do feel your pain. Can't WAIT until the door slams and we are back at home

Remember op.... everyone's just winging it too.
That's what you have to do with kids... pretend you know what your doing long enough and in the end you really will do.
I'm a great believer in getting thru however you can. The first few months of having a baby is survival. Do whatever you need to survive.

This stage will be relatively short lived and will get easier very soon.

If you can afford the odd taxi fare stashed for really shitty days then do.

And don't feel bad about that for one minute.

I would love to know how so many people have neighbours that can help out. They all work or don't speak round here. One very old lady who's lovely but can't imagine unless it was a dier emergency asking for help.

So many idiotic replies here OP

I've been there and it's so hard. Fully sympathy here.

This is a fairly short term issue so find the easiest solution right now.

Buggy board for older one
Or
Sling for baby and a pull along scooter (I've seen some with ropes?)
Or
Double buggy
And
Back up plan for taxi on rainy days or when you are having a bad day with the baby

At this stage my younger one would be ok for morning walk but the afternoon walk always timed so badly with tiredness, feeds and grumpiness- screaming baby made my school run miserable for all of us though I had bad PND at the time.

Remember op.... everyone's just winging it too.
That's what you have to do with kids... pretend you know what your doing long enough and in the end you really will do.
I'm a great believer in getting thru however you can. The first few months of having a baby is survival. Do whatever you need to survive.

Totally agree with this comment by bullyingadvice2017

Mine were about this gap. Sling and putting the scooter on a lead (you can get specific ones, but anything will do) saved my back.

Taxi would be a pain - imagine putting the two car seats in and out, getting baby out and back in at the school end... total nightmare.

I still use my double buggy - can either put bags etc in the extra seat or DS 4 happily goes in when tired. Baby is in a carrycot in the other seat.