To politely ask you not to linger outside school once you've picked up your kids?

[CrunchyNutNC]

It's chaos outside our primary school at home time with groups of parents standing around the gate but I understand that you need to wait somewhere and we're all just doing our best.

However what really gets my goat are the parents, with children collected, standing chatting on the fairly narrow pavements immediately next to the school so that nobody else can pass. Every afternoon I've had to step out onto the road with a 5yo DS in order to pass people. It's ordinarily not a busy road but it becomes so at school pickup.

There's just no need, if you want to chat why not you stand in the road and leave the pavement for people who just want to get home safely, or go further away to an area where you can stop safely.

People are social beings and want to talk to each other. It's outside. Time to chill out and stop being so censorious.

Have you said "excuse me ? "

I stand chatting while I wait the 20 sodding minutes for the time my other child is leaving. Not a lot I can do about that and there aren't many only children at my kids school (well, not in either of my 2s class anyway). I try to move away from the gate tho.

A note will go out to all of our parents when we reopen. OP you are right, it is unnecessary when there is still a virus spreading.

I don't get the bit about you stepping on to the road with your 5yo. When I am walking with small children and people are blocking the pavement I just politely and clearly say "excuse me" and wait for the path to magically open!

It's not even about covid though, it's about having to step out onto the road with a 5yo to get past because there's literally no space on the pavement.

@KaleJuicer

I don't get the bit about you stepping on to the road with your 5yo. When I am walking with small children and people are blocking the pavement I just politely and clearly say "excuse me" and wait for the path to magically open!

I will wear bigger girl pants tomorrow and wait them out

Sending thought and prayers

YADNBU - I’d also add ‘please don’t bring your dogs’.

It’s completely mad how blasé people are about Covid.

Would also add 'please don't get to the one single narrow gate AND STOP'.

Either say "excuse me" or stand smiling until they move. Welcome to primary school pick up chaos! Don't let it wind you up, there's a long time to go yet!

Yanbu. It can be madness it isn't just pavement blockers it is reckless drivers who park anywhere and everywhere and then there's the dogs, some owners leave dogs mess, nothing worse it is a battle ground.

When I'm with DD in the pram I will never go into the road. I'll ask ppl to move and then if they don't I'm like the bus in the film Speed, I'm coming through and I'm not stopping

It was the same at our school back when schools allowed key worker etc kids, when case numbers were still high. Lots of them not bothered at all. I’m fine with it and don’t step on the road, just say excuse me or squeeze past. But I’m low risk (and may have had it, still suffering a bit with my lungs). I know people who caught it around the area and plenty undiagnosed with symptoms back in March in the school. So it was a real danger here. The parents also met up for a party. Contrast this with people leaping out of the way like I have the plague (also don’t mind but I’m not thanking them for it, which they sometimes expect) and it’s pretty weird right now to have that contrast.

I’m sure school will mention it but parents have a way of reverting back to the behaviour over a few weeks.

@TheYellowOfTheEgg

People are social beings and want to talk to each other. It's outside. Time to chill out and stop being so censorious.

Yes but why shouldn't they move a bit further down the road to a much wider space so that people can still use the pavement

You could do what the pompous old git who was attempting to speed-walk past us the other day did, and say loudly, "2 METRES PLEASE!!!!"

@Burnthurst187

When I'm with DD in the pram I will never go into the road. I'll ask ppl to move and then if they don't I'm like the bus in the film Speed, I'm coming through and I'm not stopping

Perhaps I should take big hairy slobbery DDog with me, I'm sure they'd be able to see us then

I’ve just come to the end of my 10 years doing primary school pick ups, and I never understand the angst about it all on mumsnet. If you want to talk to people, talk. If you don’t want to talk to people, don’t talk. If people are in your way on the pavement, say excuse me, and walk through. There’s really no need to turn it into a battleground.

OP - parents like to chat. It’s natural, especially as often they’re busy and the only chance they get to catch up, arrange play dates etc, is at school pick up. There may come a time when you find yourself talking to another parent in the pavement - it’s highly possible!

@CallmeAngelina

You could do what the pompous old git who was attempting to speed-walk past us the other day did, and say loudly, "2 METRES PLEASE!!!!"

It's a small community and I'm still courting the idea of being a sociable/popular parent at the school though, trying not to blot my copy book in the first fortnight!

Will be hard not to at my school when I’ve one child having to be picked up at one time and the other 20 mins later. Not looking forward to it tbh.

Perhaps I should take big hairy slobbery DDog with me
Please don't. You'll be adding to the madness, dogs are annoying just as loitering parents are on the school run.
My DD was terrified of dogs it's ok she is not NT the hassle it caused me every morning before I got her over her fear.

I hope people wont do this at our school when it re-opens, its a narrow pavement on the side of a narrow country lane with a lot of farm vehicle traffic and sometimes people driving/cycling far too fast around a blind corner just before the school gate.

Have you had a word with the school about it?

If not, there's absolutely no point in politely asking Mumsnet, as what are the chances of the parents here being the same ones at your small community school?

To politely ask you not to tell others what to do when it’s none of your business...