Drop Off line

[MSWR0319]

This is our first year using the drop off line. Last year I had to walk my nephew in because they require you do that for younger grades, but this year they are making you use the drop off line. I can't seem to figure out exactly what they want me to do, because the aides get very cranky with me every morning. I drive an SUV and take 4 kids. Two of them are 5 and very tiny. I have two in the back and two in the middle seats. The one by the door opens it, gets out and then flips the seat up so the back two can get out. They are slow because my SUV is big and it's hard for them to get out, let a lone quickly. Not to mention their backpacks are as big as they are so it slows them down. Then my younger one gets out once they are out because he's super slow and it gives him time to get his backpack on. I tried to have him get out when DS1 gets out before he flips the seat, but that didn't work because then the aide yelled at them and told them to go on before they could get the seat flipped up. This morning the aide shut the door on one of my kids because we weren't moving fast enough. Any suggestions? I have no idea what to do better. It's really the best we can do. The kids are trying to go as fast as they can, but this is the first time doing it and it's going to take awhile for the little ones to get it down. Most cars just have a kid or two so everyone can slide out and be on their way or they have a minivan with a sliding door. It's only going to get worse as winter comes I assume, because the running board will be slick and they'll have to be careful. So I want to get the best routine down now. If the aides would just stop intervening it would go smoother than when they do intervene. But we get targeted because we're the slowest car in the line.

[coolae]

This is our first year using the drop off line. Last year I had to walk my nephew in because they require you do that for younger grades, but this year they are making you use the drop off line. I can't seem to figure out exactly what they want me to do, because the aides get very cranky with me every morning. I drive an SUV and take 4 kids. Two of them are 5 and very tiny. I have two in the back and two in the middle seats. The one by the door opens it, gets out and then flips the seat up so the back two can get out. They are slow because my SUV is big and it's hard for them to get out, let a lone quickly. Not to mention their backpacks are as big as they are so it slows them down. Then my younger one gets out once they are out because he's super slow and it gives him time to get his backpack on. I tried to have him get out when DS1 gets out before he flips the seat, but that didn't work because then the aide yelled at them and told them to go on before they could get the seat flipped up. This morning the aide shut the door on one of my kids because we weren't moving fast enough. Any suggestions? I have no idea what to do better. It's really the best we can do. The kids are trying to go as fast as they can, but this is the first time doing it and it's going to take awhile for the little ones to get it down. Most cars just have a kid or two so everyone can slide out and be on their way or they have a minivan with a sliding door. It's only going to get worse as winter comes I assume, because the running board will be slick and they'll have to be careful. So I want to get the best routine down now. If the aides would just stop intervening it would go smoother than when they do intervene. But we get targeted because we're the slowest car in the line.

I hate that they're getting frustrated at you! It's the beginning of the school year...One thing I've done is to keep the backpacks in the front seat and just hand them to the kids or the teacher as they are exiting. That way the child can just hold the backpack or put it on once they're out of the car. I feel your pain.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I took a few volunteer shifts on the drop off line once and was frustrated by how slow some families moved. Never said anything but I had the same number of kids and was a heck of a lot faster when I did it. Backpacks don't need to go on. Grab and go. They should have their backpack handles (whatever they can easily grab) in hand as you're waiting for the car ahead of you. There are bound to be ways you can streamline your efficiency. But, it doesn't sound like you were like the worst offenders. The ones still hunting in their car for stuff or worse, the driver who gets out of the car to help unload things.

[belovedgandp]

If it is stressing you or the kids out, I'd just park and walk them in.

I do think handing backpacks does help so they can walk and put on at the same time.

Are you slow rolling up along this line? We are fully unbuckled with my solo third rower up in the middle before we stop to open doors.

And yes, I sometimes think the aides get in the way more than they assist in things like this.

[TwinFoxes]

I think most of my BP posts have been about dropoff. I agree with everyone that they shouldn't put their backpack on in the car. Could the little ones sit in the second row so they can be first out? It doesn't make sense to me to have the smallest and slowest farthest away from the door. Put the bigger faster kids in the third row.

Do you drive up and drive up in the designated spot? The only time our aides get cranky is when parents insist on dropping their precious little snowflakes closest to the door, holding up everyone else in line. I want to slap people who do this, and I don't usually feel that way about anyone. I daydream about getting out and tapping on their windows and explaining to them what a PITA they are to everyone else in line.

[ett]

Like PPs mentioned, put all the backpacks in the front seat and then hand them to the kids/teachers out the window. It'll be much easier for the kids to get out without handling their backpacks at the same time.

[Octobermommy]

Their frustration doesn’t help. I would maybe practice if you can & see if y’all can get it to a quicker speed. If that doesn’t work & y’all are all flustered in the morning I would park & walk them in if it doesn’t bother you. They can’t require you not to park & walk them to the door.

[AngB]

Our school has a "turtle" line for situations like this where you can help kids out, etc. take your time, and then walk them across the street to the normal drop off line. (Teachers act as crossing guards to stop drop off traffic to stop cars from moving- usually during unloading the regular drop off line. )

I have my kids unbuckle when we pull into the parking lot. My mom used to have our slower kid (kindergartner last year) climb up to the front of her suv while waiting, I would probably try to do that with at least one of the kids in the far back. Or maybe you can wait to be the first car, pull all the way up, so other cars can leave from behind/around you easily as you have everyone get out? Maybe something like that. You could ask them? (I'm assuming they don't have a turtle line which would solve the problem entirely.)

The car rider line drives me nuts, not for slower big families but all the families that park in the back of the lot, walk all the way through the car line to get kids into building (slowing down the car line by a ton as people are too freaking nice and wait for them) , then slowing it down again as they walk back, and then they try to pull out of the parking lot, again in the middle of the car line, again slowing it down. I have cussed more in the school parking lot the last two weeks of school than probably the last two years combined otherwise. I have no problem with people walking kindergartners or big school projects in...in our case it's mostly people walking in line second graders, for no real reason except they want to chat with the teacher before school (even more annoying because teachers don't have time for that either! Email them, call them after school, whatever, chill out helicopter parents.) I don't know if I am more bitchy this year with a baby and less patience getting 3 of 4 kids to school, I worked way more last year, or it is really that much worse but it seriously could be a bitching post every day.

[specialp]

I would try practicing and rearranging. If the littles can't flip the middle seat to let the big kids out, maybe having 1 older to help 1 little in each row, but here at least, they need to be unbuckled and ready to go before we get to the dropoff location. If the teacher or aide will not take the backpacks, have one of the older kids grab them.

[twowhat?]

I feel for ya, the drop off line is stressful and we're fortunately to not have to deal with it most days! I also think the aide was super rude to shut the door on your kids, WTF??? It's the first week of school give people a little time to get up to speed!

Some ideas to make it go quicker:

Definitely don't put on backpacks in the car! Grab and go - you might even need to put all the backpacks in the front passenger seat and have the aide open that door and unload all the backpacks as the kids are getting out.

I assume you have captains seats in your SUV - do you have a middle seat in the captain's row that can be removed to create an aisle so that no seat flipping is required? Or can you fold the middle seat down and just have the 3rd row kids climb over it (which is easy to do even for little kids in a giant SUV as long as they aren't carrying a backpack)?

Can you have 3 kids in the middle row and have your most capable kid in the 3rd row? Then everyone in the middle row out first, and then your DS1 flips the seat and gets out last (assuming the seat can be flipped from the 3rd row, which in most SUVs I've ridden in is possible).

Practicing would be great, though maybe not so practical if you're driving kids who don't live with you. But - I think you could at least have your youngest DS (is he the slowest?) practice!

Good luck...it will get better!!