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.

YANBU OP. School aren't helping in our case by staggering pick up and drop off times so I have to wait around for 20 minutes between children

Parents doing this used to drive me mental back when coronavirus was still a twinkle in a bat’s eye. Take it to the park people.

@Mintychoc1

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!

That’s all fine when there isn’t a global pandemic - I’m assuming the OP is in Scotland (like me) and at our school we’re not allowed in the playground. I love a nice chat, I’ve got good friends at school, I’d love the chance to meet new parents. I can’t do that because it’s irresponsible just now. Doubly so to do it on a crowded, narrow pavement.

just shout "coming through!" and barge

why not stand in the road and talk?

ermm - because a car might hit them?

YABU if you're just standing there without saying excuse me (which would actually be good manners)

Assumed this was to do with covid concerns

My kids school is a nightmare for folk congregating at the gates. P4-7 parents not allowed in the playground so everyone blocks the entrances.
My neighbours and i have decided that they can walk to a fro themselves since they will be in a group earlier than i would like but it takes a bunch of us away from the gates. Its an 8 minute walk with no busy roads.

@shinyredbus

why not stand in the road and talk?

ermm - because a car might hit them?

A car might hit me when I have to pass them on the road though, what's good for the goose...

@OverTheRainbow88

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

People who obstruct others and then pretend to be deaf or blind when patently confronted with raised awareness of their obstruction.....

...they're the kind of folk who make it a person's business.

@OverTheRainbow88

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

It's my business when I can't pass safely.

I’m sure this has already been said but due to staggered collection times I have 20 minutes between picking one child up and the other! What am I supposed to do bugger off and sit in my car then bung the toddler back in the buggy for the next collection? I do agree though in some respect it is annoying to block the paths, it’s polite to stand to one side to let others pass.

@RIPworkingmums

I’m sure this has already been said but due to staggered collection times I have 20 minutes between picking one child up and the other! What am I supposed to do bugger off and sit in my car then bung the toddler back in the buggy for the next collection? I do agree though in some respect it is annoying to block the paths, it’s polite to stand to one side to let others pass.

All the kids are out by this stage, mine the last to go.

@Harrysmummy246

YABU if you're just standing there without saying excuse me (which would actually be good manners)

Assumed this was to do with covid concerns

They had a demeanor that suggested they're expecting us to move, they saw us coming and didn't respond to eye contact. Other parents, on a different, wider section were moving back and forth to accommodate people on the pavement as they came along.

@Brefugee

just shout "coming through!" and barge

Fucking hell.

'Polite' notes, such as this and those people put up in communal office kitchens etc are so bloody irritating. It's not for you to decide if it's polite. It's not for you to decide what other people do.

Well my child s go to your school so I assume I'm exempt from your request

People like you make me not want to even bother making friends.

@Mintychoc1

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!

Primary school pick-ups are long behind me, and I was just about to say this, but Mintychoc has said it for me.

It's my business when I can't pass safely

Why are making such a big deal about this? Just say excuse me instead if standing there mute!

Christ, I loathe these mealy-mouthed 'public service' announcements.

Say something to the people actually creating the problem, instead of passive-aggressively issuing a scatter-gun online chastisement to people who have nothing to do with the issue.

Flamethrower

Or chill out

Express your needs to the people who matter

@snappycamper

YANBU OP. School aren't helping in our case by staggering pick up and drop off times so I have to wait around for 20 minutes between children

Haven’t they said siblings can be picked up together? Our school did.

@Newjobnewstart

My kids school is a nightmare for folk congregating at the gates. P4-7 parents not allowed in the playground so everyone blocks the entrances. My neighbours and i have decided that they can walk to a fro themselves since they will be in a group earlier than i would like but it takes a bunch of us away from the gates. Its an 8 minute walk with no busy roads.

If this leads to more kids getting independence earlier then it’s great in my book. Kids are perfectly capable of walking to and from school a lot earlier than they currently do. I think it would help their self esteem, too, to be given that responsibility. Subject to really busy roads / winter nights etc - obviously I don’t mean every single kid, every day of the year).

I sympathise. Have you considered schoolstreets.org.uk/?