Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Hate the school run

217 replies

CandyFIosss · 06/09/2021 00:05

Does anyone else hate the school run? I honestly dread it, I hate it and if I never had to do it again I would be happy, it seem unusual though and most parents seem to love it! Does anyone else hate it?

OP posts:
purpleme12 · 06/09/2021 00:07

I'm quite indifferent about it really!

FibroFighter81 · 06/09/2021 00:10

I truly f*king hate it

And all the smug mums with it.

I've had a bad day lol

bubblebubblebubbletrouble · 06/09/2021 00:12

I'm not disappointed that my 2 are back at breakfast/asc this week so I only see 1 or 2 parents per day 🤣😂

purpleme12 · 06/09/2021 00:14

Why do people hate it so much?
Why are the mums smug?

Jasmine11 · 06/09/2021 00:14

I hate having to get up early every day for it, but once we are out of the house I don't mind it too much! I've never met anyone who loves it though. What exactly don't you like OP? The journey itself or people you meet along the way?

FannyFifer · 06/09/2021 00:14

I honestly never understand all the school run stuff on here, I just drop my kids at school then wait & collect them at home time. Sometimes I say hello or chat to folk, sometimes I don't.

Original poster
CandyFIosss · 06/09/2021 00:15

I actually preferred it when parents weren’t allowed in the school as I’m not “in” with the other parents so it was easier to not feel like an outsider, now I have 4 all in primary all in different places so I have to walk them all round the school all to different classes, when parents weren’t allowed in they were just collected at the front, dreading tomorrow

OP posts:
DocAutumn · 06/09/2021 00:16

Always running late in the mornings so no time to love or hate it. We are too busy running to the school gate. I look forward to getting my DCs back and hearing all their news in the afternoons so enjoy that.

Original poster
CandyFIosss · 06/09/2021 00:19

I don’t even enjoy the afternoon pick up, we live a bus ride away so bus is always packed getting home is a nightmare

OP posts:
elQuintoConyo · 06/09/2021 00:21

One of us drops him off, one of us picks him up. That's it. Sometimes I'll natter, sometimes I'll dash off.

I don't know who the cliquey mums/dad's are and neither does DH. This is the 8th year of primary and it's a total non-faff.

TurnTowardsTheSun · 06/09/2021 00:22

@CandyFIosss

Does anyone else hate the school run? I honestly dread it, I hate it and if I never had to do it again I would be happy, it seem unusual though and most parents seem to love it! Does anyone else hate it?
Why would anyone love dropping their child off at school? Confused It's a task that has to be done. That's it, surely?
Southwestrunningmum · 06/09/2021 00:23

Ahh don’t try not to worry about being ‘in or out’ most people feel ‘out’ or insecure.

skyisblue21 · 06/09/2021 00:25

I hate it. Hate having to wake up and get ready get the children ready. The whole drama in the morning. Once I get out of the house with them am actually fine. I still don't like the whole seeing parents, having to speak. Lol. Am just anti social in the mornings and 3pm

TurnTowardsTheSun · 06/09/2021 00:25

@FannyFifer

I honestly never understand all the school run stuff on here, I just drop my kids at school then wait & collect them at home time. Sometimes I say hello or chat to folk, sometimes I don't.
Wait?

I presume you do not have a job then.

I can imagine that it is much less stressful when you don't have to, say, do a nursery drop then a school drop then get to work on time.

Compared to being a SAHM who has no 9am meeting to worry about.

Any empathy for other people's situations at all?

Welshmaenad · 06/09/2021 00:26

My youngest starts high school next week and will be getting the bus to school. I've been driving to primary school for eleven years (I'm not lazy, they didn't go to the local one snd it's not walkable) and the sense of freedom is indescribable!

WorraLiberty · 06/09/2021 00:27

@FannyFifer

I honestly never understand all the school run stuff on here, I just drop my kids at school then wait & collect them at home time. Sometimes I say hello or chat to folk, sometimes I don't.
That's what I was always like.

I treated it as no different to waiting for a bus really.

I don't get all the angst over it and I've yet to meet a dad who puts such high importance on it as so many mums on MN do.

Halfaham · 06/09/2021 00:30

Yes. It feels fantastic when they go to secondary.

Original poster
CandyFIosss · 06/09/2021 00:35

It’s not just about chatting though, I’m not a morning person so hate having to get up early and rush out the door, I hate having to get the children all dressed in the morning, I hate the walk down as we live quite far but sometimes get the bus but it’s always packed, I basically hate every part of it, I don’t chat to the other parents anyway as I’m socially awkward but that’s not the only part I hate

OP posts:
Beenheresincethebook · 06/09/2021 00:35

I hate it op. The day they are at high school and can get the bus will be the best day Grin.

I just find it so boring to drive to the same place twice a day at the worst rush hour time (and it depriving me of sleep between nightshifts) it’s genuinely the two parts of the day I resent so much. I have a school refuser as well so it’s already stressful before even getting in the car

Sisalcarpet · 06/09/2021 00:38

You are not alone op , either in loathing it (I hated being tied down to it every day, I hated the slow walk with tired or protesting DC, and I hated the playground politics and having to interact with other mothers, although one or two were really friendly) and I don't think you are alone in thinking that some other mothers love it either. I have a friend who genuinely looks forward to doing it every afternoon.

This September, I am finally free of it after fifteen years and I have so much more time in my day. I honestly feel like I have been released from prison! (I do love spending time with my dc but walking them through noisy, polluted streets every day was not my idea of fun, or theirs! )

Op, if you hate it so much, could you increase your work hours and maybe pay for someone to do the school run part of the week? Looking back, I wish I had done that, and hadn't been such a martyr about it.

Summerfun54321 · 06/09/2021 00:38

4 young kids on a busy bus sounds grim, not surprised you hate it.

thenewduchessofhastings · 06/09/2021 00:44

My school runs ended in March 2020.

All 4 of my kids are now at secondary/college and make their own way there via whichever mode of transport they use eg bike,school bus etc.

It's the best thing ever;I started doing the "school run" in 2006 starting with pré-school runs to the local pré-school and after 14 years of battling to haul my arse out the door in all weathers on time every morning looking like Wurzel Gummidge with any number of bickering kids I was perfectly happy to give up school runs.

Original poster
CandyFIosss · 06/09/2021 00:55

I’m glad it’s not just me then, we usually walk but the school is 25 minutes walk and my kids hate that and find it long so moan a lot, my youngest is starting school on Wednesday so we won’t be walking anymore and will have to get the bus from now on as usually I would push her down in the pram as it’s very hilly and she is very very slow so it can easily take much longer but now she is starting school she will have to come out of the pram so we will need to get the bus all the time now which like I said is always busy as everyone else is going to school/work at the same time

OP posts:
TrampolineForMrKite · 06/09/2021 01:23

Oh I hatttttttttttttte it. Hate it. You aren’t alone.

fourminutestosavetheworld · 06/09/2021 06:14

"I actually preferred it when parents weren’t allowed in the school as I’m not “in” with the other parents so it was easier to not feel like an outsider, now I have 4 all in primary all in different places so I have to walk them all round the school all to different classes, when parents weren’t allowed in they were just collected at the front, dreading tomorrow."

At our school, parents with more than one child tend to collect them all from one place. Is there somewhere you could stand and wait for them to come to you? Show them where to meet you and then send a note/email the office saying that's what you're doing from now on.

Swipe left for the next trending thread