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MNHQ

Share your stories of disastrous school runs in the car with Direct Line - £300 voucher prize draw!NOW CLOSED

161 replies

MichelleMumsnet · 25/09/2015 14:54

Direct Line have asked us to find out Mumsnetters’ stories from the school run.

Here’s what they say: “We recently found a fifth of drivers didn’t know if their motor insurance policy entitled them to a hire or courtesy car following an accident or theft. Yet 77 per cent said one was either critical or important to them.”

We know that the school run can be a pretty stressful part of the day and with this in mind, we’d like you to share your most horrific or funny stories from your school run with your family. What kinds of things have happened to you whilst on the school run? Maybe you’ve been in an accident on the way to school? What happened and how did you continue your journey? Or you might have driven off with your handbag on the roof, perhaps you've even forgotten to bring a child home?! Whatever your stories are we’d love to hear them!

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher!

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

OP posts:
gamerwidow · 27/09/2015 19:09

I locked myself in the back of the car when I forgot about the child locks and shut me and dd in the back while I secured her car seat. I had to knock on the window to get a passing mum to release me.

maryandbuzz1 · 27/09/2015 19:10

With bags galore being transported to school I have inevitably driven off with book bags still on the roof. Luckily my elderly neighbours live at the bottom of the hill where I turn and they always seem to be flung off outside their house!

ThemisA · 27/09/2015 19:11

When my first born was little we had a clapped out old mini which used to stall in the rain. Our journey to school entailed navigating round one really busy roundabout. There was torrential rain but I had to risk driving because there wasn't time to catch the bus and get him to school an me to work. The car seemed to be coping well until I pulled out onto the busy roundabout and then it splattered and stalled - I was being sworn at and beeped as as I blocked the road. Fortunately I eventually managed to start the car and drove off red in the face and extremely stressed.

shawbarbara · 27/09/2015 19:18

School runs most mornings are a nightmare - getting them breakfast - uniforms on - shoes and coats on - out and into car - drive away - drive back - no school bag - no PE kit - no lunch - the list goes on and on!!!!!!!!!!!!!

shivbrown · 27/09/2015 20:21

Where do I start… My son who is now 12 was ready for school so we headed off in the car, got to school he remembered he had forgot to do his teeth so we had to go back.. Arrived at school once again and then he realised when he got home he had left his lunch box in bathroom… Went home drove back and a silly driver drove right into back of car and we ended up at the hospital with whip lash.

Was an awful day and was glad it was over x Things always happen in threes don’t they!

BlackCatSleeps · 27/09/2015 20:26

I had an early meeting at work, so drove my children to school. I didn't even get to the end of our road before I realised I had a flat tyre. We walked back to the house and luckily for me we had the most lovely builders working at our house, so they offered to change the tyre while I ran up to school with the children. Got back home to the new tyre and off to the meeting!! I could do with those builders looking out for me all the time really!!

feefeegabor · 27/09/2015 20:55

The first time I drove my daughter to school in my husband's car (mine was being fixed) it stalled in the middle of a very busy roundabout. I couldn't start it again and was nearly in tears but a lovely man actually stopped and got it started for me. Luckily and touch wood, that was my worst disaster on the school run - so far!

mave · 27/09/2015 20:55

I've driven off with their bags before now, got to work and had to go all the way back to school as they have had no lunch!!

pfcpompeysarah · 27/09/2015 21:24

I haven't driven to the school for a long time since I got rid of my car, but I have seen some sights.. standoffs between people refusing to give way in the same road, I have seem mums hollering and swearing at each other because one perceives the other to be in the wrong about something, its amazing how stressed people get, luckily strolling to the school as we do is stress free... provided we aren't running late as is usually the case!!

beckyinman · 27/09/2015 21:37

I've got to school with the cat in the boot in the hubbub of getting everyone in

oliviajones · 27/09/2015 21:43

Once we were an hour late for school because I hadn't set an alarm, it was a rush getting everyone up and ready as quick as we could!

compy99 · 27/09/2015 21:54

first day of school happened to be in a new car, the first trip in it, went to school ok, came out and couldn't move the car an inch, had to wait 2 hours for the breakdown people, turned the steering lock was on - oops!

lhlee62 · 27/09/2015 21:55

I was driving my 3 yr old to nursery with my 1.5 yr old in the car as well. The 3 yr old then pipes up with "Mummy, I can smell poo, it smells yucky!" alerting me to the fact that 1.5 yr old has done a humongous poo. I asked the 1.5 yr old, "You you done a poo?" "No", "are you lying?" to which she replies by giggling! I then had to get both of them out of the car to get her into the nursery, there was poo all up her back, but luckily none got out into her car seat!

CointreauVersial · 27/09/2015 23:31

We pulled onto a dual carriageway.... and immediately ran out of petrol. I had my three DCs and the neighbour's two as well. I managed to get the car into a conveniently placed lay by, and realised that, as luck would have it, we were very close to a car repair place where I knew one of the mechanics. I ran down the road, scrounged a can of petrol, ran back, filled the car up.... and we made it to school only a few minutes late. A good recovery!

Themilseys · 27/09/2015 23:42

Struck in traffic on the way to school there was a dirty van in front of us and in the dirt, somebody had drawn a phallic symbol. DD2 asked me why somebody had drawn a fishfinger on the van to which DD1 said "No, that's not a fishfinger, it's a fork, look you can see the prongs...." I could not wait to turn off to the road to the school.

Laineyflo · 28/09/2015 05:10

A pigeon once dive bombed onto the windscreen, and my DD spent the rest of the journey hysterically crying because 'Mummy had splatted it'. My nerves were in absolute tatters..

Sockattack · 28/09/2015 05:27

For me its the thinking wow everything is going so well then you realise you've forgotten something.... Luckily not forgotten a child yet!

pockledigg · 28/09/2015 05:48

Swerved to avoid running over a suicidal squirrel, instant hot oat cereal all over the place.....

suewho · 28/09/2015 09:06

I was taking my son to school one morning when four young deer ran across the road and ploughed into the car. One of them bounced off the windscreen and died, the others ran off. I sat shaking like a leaf in my now very battered car as my son calmly asked "What was that mummy?". Within a couple of minutes a man in a white van pulled up, put the deceased animal into the back of it and drove off!

phillie1 · 28/09/2015 09:14

Don't normally drive, but on the few times we tries, had to park so far from school, may aswell have just walked

jodiecrossley1 · 28/09/2015 09:39

half way through the journey at a really busy junction i felt his arms round my neck, he had taken his seat belt off! There was nowhere to stop and had to convince him to put it back on whilst driving which was terrifying for me!

angelaboyle34 · 28/09/2015 10:03

I was on the school run one morning and as always I was picking up my auntie and cousin on the way to school so I stopped outside my aunts house beeped for them and they came out, upon hearing the door slam shut I assumed both were in the car and started to drive away but suddenly became aware of someone running along the pavement beside me waving their arms and shouting only to turn and discover my cousin hadn't got in the car at all and had to chase me oooooppppppssssss. from that day on I made sure I turned round to check everyone was in before driving away

lizd31 · 28/09/2015 10:04

My nephew suffers from bad nosebleeds & one day on the way to school he had a really bad one, gushing all over his clothes & the car so we had to turn around so he could change.

glennamy · 28/09/2015 10:16

Driving to DD's school to drop her off and we suffered a flat tyre, after changing it i managed to get her to school, as I apologised for being so late my DD piped up 'that I was talking to the car and there were a lots of naughty words' that she was not allowed to repeat as she would get detention...

carolacr · 28/09/2015 10:51

I was taking my 2 girls to school 1 morning but had to nip to the shop 1st, i was loaning my moms car at the time. The girls bombed out of the shop, jumped into the back. I walked over to the car got in, sat down, looked at the passenger seat covered in cds. Thought the car had been broken into. Relalised my 2 in the back! were silent, i turned round to speak to them, omg they wasnt in the back. Panic. I jumped out of the car on autopilot, only to see a car completely identical to my moms next to the car i had just got out of. My daughters were absolutely laughing their heads off.