I REALLY hate the school run

[Remembersweetvalleyhighbooks]

For some reason, I looked forward to it Pre Dd and imagined it would be *Fun..wtf 🙈
I hate the rushed, stressy mornings, i’m organised but getting Dd ready can be hard at times. Drop off isn’t *As bad, quick kiss and hug at the outside door bit, it’s the pick up I don’t like. I wait in my car until the last minute when the door opens, then rush up, can’t stand the awkward standing waiting around everyone does. I hate if the teacher comes over to me and wondering what she wants to say to me. I just want to get my child and go home. Sometimes when I think how many years left I have to do this for, day in, day out, I feel panicked
Anyone else, or am I just a proper weirdo?

It's a joy to drop off and collect your children. And it is gone in the blink of an eye. WHat a weird thing to hate!
Kiss your kids goodbye in the morning and hug them in the afternoon. If you chat to someone else that's great . If you don't then no harm done.
Everybody is probably thinking the same as you OP.
It goes waaaaaaayyyy faster than you think. Just enjoy it.

How is it even a thing? My school run must be very different to yours... Walk down, quick kiss goodbye, rush back home to work. On the days I do the pick-up - wait around for a few minutes, smile and say nice weather or whatever to the other parents, check emails on my phone, wait for my kid to come out.

I think I am lucky not to have social anxiety, as I can't imagine what part of that could be stressful! Its the before and after bits that are stressful, rushing to get out of the house and rushing to get to work on time, that's the bit I hate

@autumnboys Why a knot in your stomach for three years?

Due to timings and distance, there’s no way we can walk to school, then I walk back and go to work

Totally agree. I pay a fortune for the school bus both ways so I don’t have to do it. It’s the best money I have ever spent.

I sort of get it, my issue is I just hate the chaos of it. I do have 3 kids though. I always chat to parents, I have one about to leave so know some parents really well (well enough to have had some wild nights out with them!). My younger 2, I'm starting to make friends with some of the parents now so always have someone to talk to. By the time my youngest leaves, I'll have been going for 13 years, I'll deserve my own leavers ceremony after that!

Jammy sod!

Reception was terrible for him, he had what then was undiagnosed ASD and pretty severe visual problems and he bit other students. It was mostly but not completely resolved by year 1 but it took such a long time not to feel sick at pick up.

I really can't relate to this, and I hope other parents at my kid's school aren't secretly suffering / uncomfortable like you describe OP. I rarely do drop offs but quite liked the brisk start to the morning when I did, like getting in a good walk first thing and being forced to be up and dressed. I do all the pick-ups, with two younger kids in tow. I actively enjoy it - I speak to other parents who want a chat, and find out more about them/their kids (not in a nosy way - just "Hey, how's Bob getting on / did he like the concert last week?"), and if the weather is good we head to the nearby park with other people from school. I have bent over backwards and sideways to work "flexibly" and feel very lucky to be able to collect DD.

I kind of understand why people who are socially awkward dislike it. But really hating it just because you're in a bit of a rush seems really weird to me.

I’m coming out the other end of it now. Youngest is y6 and prefers to walk. I drop her on my work days as I take her for 7:30. I find pick up on work days a dish due to traffic and wrap around closing time so she’s started walking home from wrap around. I genuinely don’t miss it. My eldest however who can walk, often struggles to get up and ready so k do end up taking her in. High school car park/1 way system is an absolute nightmare. She is autistic so o do give her some slack. I love the days I’m off work and they both get out themselves, on time and I’m still in my PJs and can then get showered and dressed at my own pace in peace. The primary introduced a soft start in a morning where they can be dropped anytime between 8:45-9 and just go straight on. This has been an amazing change from them all lining up at 8:50 and going in in lines. Car drop off areas are so much less busy, no one’s hanging around, so we times see people to chat but not often.

I used to hate it and then my work hours changed and I now don't do any drop offs and all my pick ups are from ASC. I sort of miss it... but only because I don't get to do it. I hated doing it every day

Yes because the majority have to get to work after 🤷🏻‍♀️

Do you have a bit of social anxiety maybe ? Perhaps you don't realise. Or maybe just an introvert ;or simply that you are antisocial and just cba with small talk lol)

Ha ha!!

Sorry op, but I think you’re whining about something that just has to be done…. like complaining that having to brush your teeth twice a day. Just do it, make it as pleasant as you can by sometimes going earlier than last minute and making some friends. Be happy to talk to the teacher of your child who has been with them during the day and might have something interesting to tell you about them.
Being unfriendly, unengaged and grumpy is not going to help.

I'm long past that now but I never hated it. I don't particularly miss it though.

I felt a bit like that when ds started at senior school. It's 20 miles away. He has to be on the bus at 7.45 which means I have to get him up by 7 latest. Every school day for the next seven years.

It was daunting to say the least.

But it passes. I've done four years already. Only missed one day so far. 😀

YANBU. Not one bloody bit. Standing outside the gates waiting for them to open is painful, either you’re standing alone looking like Billy no mates or making awkward small talk with another mum you’re a bit friendly with (obliged even on days when you really cannot be arsed to socialise.)

Then the school gates open and I feel like I’m being rammed into a concert every bloody time. To many people.

DD’s class always seem to be the bloody last out, so queue more awkward small talk. ‘How’s verity’s rash now? So glad she’s better. We must get the girls together outside school x absolutely loves verity.’ 🤮

Turn and run out the gate, thanking every staff member you see on the way out.

Your kid see’s every single human they know on the walk home and wants to run up to them so you have to do more awkward parent talk. Some of the parents are bloody weird, sorry.

Back to the car & breathe

I do the exact same. Sit in the car & wait until one minute past the time school finishes. I cba with the jangling, I say hello & I am never rude. I just get the kids & off we go back to the car. My sister is the total opposite to me when my nephew was in the school. She would be that mum talking to everyone. She used to laugh at how antisocial I was & I used to laugh at how gossipy she was.

I actually like doing it! I only do it two days a week due to work, I think it's nice to have that contact in seeing their teachers, chatting with other parents and I like seeing my kids interacting with their friends too. This morning they were all playing some crazy game running around each other! Maybe I wouldn't enjoy it if I did it every single day though.

It can be a chore but I really miss it now it’s not part of my days any more. Those incidental social moments can be lovely. And you get to know people for years sometimes.

So, I don’t feel the same as you but on occasion I did yes, when my baby was crying or toddler screaming or I just felt awful and tired and dowdy and sad.

I wasn’t into small talk with other mums so I can relate, however now my situation is different with school run, my youngest goes to a special needs school 30 miles away so has taxi there and my 2 older ones are at secondary and college so I just drive them and they bugger off out the car door.

I do miss some elements of the school run now, I did it for over a decade at the same school and When covid hit my middle child was in year 5 so she never got another sports day, school play ever again and for ages we weren’t even allowed to approach the other parents cause of social distancing rules. I missed it once it was taken away and I’m pretty sure you will too when your child grows up.

I used to enjoy 'talking shit' 🙄 with the other mums.
With attitudes like that, it's little wonder some of you struggle.

Flower - not everyone needs a car to get to work, there are other modes of transport