School run with a toddler is fucking awful

[collectspples]

I'm so fed up with my toddler just being a total nightmare on drop off and pick up. Makes me so stressed out.

Any tips. He's two so I imagine it's just a waiting game

As above, why is a buggy not the answer? It will keep him safe, you from being kicked, less stress for your older child/ren going into school because you're not dashing off in the wrong direction.

Can you not walk to school? I think toddlers don't like the getting in and out of the car.

Ugh I feel your pain, it's a horrible part of the afternoon here too. Dysregulation all around, and that makes everything harder.

I agree with the suggestion of a snack as distraction and a hip seat.

Have the people saying put them in the buggy never had a buggy refuser? Trying to put my 20month old in a buggy is at least twice as hard as carrying him or walking. He'd be screaming and twisting and going rigid, does this only happen to me????

Make it into a fun experience by whatever means that works for that particular child. (Three adult sons). With my middle one it was an hours round journey in the buggy,😫,moved house pretty quickly before he was half days in preschool with brother full time school but we used to pass a bakery and he loved a plain hotcross bun or crispy French roll in his buggy on the way back as second breakfast😋others liked stickers or special toy/game that was kept in the car/pram/buggy (whatever was in use, had quite a few house moves) and only played with there so he was eager to jump into the car seat. (And constant running commentary so that they knew exactly what was happening when, so not suddenly pulled away from something they were in the middle of enjoying doing).

Tickle their tummy.......it works😜

My middle one was a nightmare. I don't drive so we walk, but she was tall and would drag her feet along the floor in the buggy so you couldn't push it. If she walked she would just lay on the floor if we didn't go where she wanted. I cried out of pure frustration a couple of times! My 3rd is 2 now and a pain on the school run too! Even snacks etc need sorting because he's dropped something or doesn't want this/wants something different or is thirsty or he's finished them and wants more.. he's always cried and screamed in the pram. Last winter he refused to wear a hat and gloves in the pram and would take them off, a school mum actually offered to go and buy him gloves as she thought he was screaming because he was cold! He just didn't want to be in the pram. I feel your pain!

Adults are stronger than toddlers, if nothing else is working you just have to shove them in, surely?

God, this is giving me flashbacks.

OP, your choices are snacks, distractions or grim determination. I've been tempted to put mine in a sack, before (he used to love the sling). The good news is that does get easier when they are mature enough to be bribed.

This will work in a few months but he's 22 months old so not quite so advanced!

Wouldn't solve the screaming issue which is the main trigger for my stress

From all the posts it definitely seems like I have to just grin and bear it and wait it out

I had to bribe my sons as toddlers with snacks in the playground. It was the only thing that worked! Then all of a sudden one day, they didn’t need a snack anymore and just tolerated it

How far is the walk

Get a buggy out or go early let him walk with reins play games....stop, go, stand on one leg etc is good to encourage stopping when they try to run...find something red, spot number 2 make it run.

30 mins at my brisk pace, god knows how long with my 5 year old

Been there, done that and yes it was awful! You're right that it won't last forever though!
snacks, toys and bribery all the way. Maybe a scooter that you could push him along on??

@collectspples if he screams he screams. Just ignore it (easier said than done I know).
If no one is paying any attention to his screaming he might stop.
Don't worry about what other people might think - it's not their business. Ignore them too if they comment.

I do the school run with toddler twins (just turned two). I’m sorry to sound unsympathetic but - jfdi. He either walks next to you holding your hand or goes into the pram. I try to allow extra time, and time the wait with snack time. If we drive we take turns choosing music. We look for buses and cyclists and aeroplanes etc if we walk. I try and make it enjoyable but the bottom line is that even if either/both kick off, I won’t be stopping.

So. We scoot to school (managed to get mine on a. Scooter at 18m. Game changer). I try to leave extra time but it’s harder as I walk slower (I’m due #3). We made the school run a “race” and introduced loads of games as others have described above (colours. Shapes. Skipping. Biggest jump. Kicking leaves etc). Extra praise if they stop at the roads (and the consequence of going in reins if they don’t). In school grounds I run a “competition” - have stickers in my pocket. First to the classroom door (where drop off is) gets the sticker! Sometimes it’s me, sometimes my dd, often my toddler get a “good job” one. Screaming or refusal to move gets completely ignored and I play/chat with/pause the walk with older DD. She is just late until the younger one is ready (this has only happened a few times).

Its really helped. But commiserations. It’s hard, can you work out what they don’t like? My two year old is sensitive to crowds/pushing and people being too close. So we’re usually first or one of the last in through the gate to miss the big surge!

Get noise cancelling ear phones! And once you pick the nice older kid up you can just talk to him/her

Yep, it's easy once you do this lol 😉

I often had to do the walk from car to school and back with one of my twin toddlers under each arm!

Oh god!

Hats off to the twin mums.

My first genuinely wasn't like this, but then I didn't have school runs to do and I lived in SW London where I didn't have to drive anywhere