Waiting for older siblings.

[MyOtherCarIsAPorsche]

I childmind for my daughter and take my grandchildren to and from school 50% of the time.

The children are DGD in year 4, DGS in reception, DGS in nursery.

The youngest, in the school nursery, finishes at 3pm. The nursery children are always stood ready with coats and bags and leave promptly. The rest of the school leave officially at 3.20 but are always later in coming out.

It's a half an hour wait.

Is this common practice? How long do others have to wait to collect children from primary school? My daughter got drenched today and it wasn't raining that fast. (Waterproof coats and a large umbrella, plus 15 min walk home.) She left the house to go to school at 2.45 and got back at 3.45 - an hour in the rain.

I would say that last year it rained more often on my drop offs and pick ups.

At the school I worked in, there was no more than a 5 min staggered leaving time between the youngest and oldest children leaving.

Is this waiting time common - or is it just this place?

Depends on the size of the school and exits in my experience. However, staggered pick ups during Covid for social distancing may have convinced smaller schools staggered is best

My kids finished at 315, it was usually 330 by the time they came out.

That's quite normal with nursery where the hours are often different due to 15/30 hours.

Last year we had 3.05 and 3.30 pick up (infants and juniors). Also 10 mins difference in the morning. This year it is 3.10 and 3.30 but a 15 min wait in the morning. It's annoying especially in bad weather.

So I picked up the children from school yesterday for the first time this term and ended up mistiming because the roads weren't busy - I arrived at 2.50 (10 mins too early for the nursery) and DGD was the last out at 3.33 (I was stood looking at my watch). 43 mins waiting!

I'm not young and have arthritis (feet, hips) - when I'm stood waiting it aggravates my back and it can be quite painful to 'get going' again.

At least it wasn't raining.

Traffic and trains can hold me up on my journey (don't live locally to their school and mum drops them at mine as it is on her way to work) so I can't chance setting off any later.

I'm too old and too miserable to be stood standing (I have the rage). 🤣.

Why can't they all come out at a similar time?

Sounds obvious but why can't you wait in the car?

I can't get anywhere near to the school to park. The primary school is next to a high school which finishes at 2.30 and parents begin parking there up to an hour before, to get a space (according to my daughter).

I park as near as I can get and usually have just one main road (several minor roads) to cross. It's usually about a three/four min walk as all the nearest roads are over flowing/double parked with the ubiquitous Chelsea tractors. There is also a sought after butcher's shop opposite the schools without its own parking, and there is always queuing outside and down the street whatever time of day it is. It's where I get all my stuff from - excellent quality.

I wait in the car as long as I can when it's raining. It's not practical to go back to the car in between the nursery class finishing and the other classes finishing. I certainly wouldn't leave my younger DGS in the car while I nipped back for the others - it's several streets away and he has epilepsy.

My DC are in secondary/heading to uni now but there was always a 30 minute gap between P1/P2 and the rest of the school (P3-P7)

2 things: the school had a parent/carer room for parents to wait. Wasn't massive so only for those who couldn't wait outside.

There was a limited number of 30 minute spaces at the on site after school club available.

Could you see if the school has either of these options?

I absolutely hated the waiting, it was one of the worst parts of having kids in primary school.

My youngest came out 30 minutes before the oldest & was tired, grumpy, hungry etc. His behaviour used to deteriorate minute by minute, it was truly awful & bad weather on top made me dread the school pick up.

When bad weather was looking likely I used to try to get to school early & wait in the car, occasionally I got close by so could go back to the car in between.

Another school mum had a similar issue & ended up paying for after school club for her youngest, who had a slice of toast & a drink in that 30 minutes for £1.50 per day. I wish I'd done that!!

It's bliss now they're all at secondary school!

After school club would be a good shout but they only take children from reception age and upwards.

So next year, hopefully, I'll have a shorter waiting time.

You mention your younger grandson has epilepsy.

Surely this would give you the ability to park in a disabled spot near the school?

My DCs primary school has disabled parking in the school car park and could legitimately be used in such a case as this.

A blue badge may be issued in cases of epilepsy you could investigate.

It is common unfortunately. With our school it was 3pm and 3.15pm which isn't as bad but the older ones were always late coming out

Pretty normal. Be grateful that nursery, infants and juniors are all on the same site and you don't have to spend the intervening time running between places.

We had separate infant and juniors. So the evening pick up went:

Pick up from infants at 2:45. Walk down to juniors arriving about 3:10-3:15.

Juniors finished at 3:25, but almost no one waited at the gate as there wasn't space. The first children would start trickling up the road at about 3:35, and the last ones would be closer to 3:50.

Then I had a 50 minute walk (uphill) back.

Wonderful when that stopped, but I was fitter.

And you could guarantee that if it rained at any point of the day it would start about 2:40...

If your dc has epilepsy maybe school would allow you permission to park in the teacher car park...

I would speak to the HT and ask if there is the possibility of waiting in the school hall, obviously you would have to ensure that the nursery child sits with you quietly if there are classrooms off the hallway.