Picking up Your Kindergartener from School

T., I would recommend planning on being the last person to pick up, or one of the last persons to do so. Maybe show up at 2:50? That will probably work. Good luck!

Hi T.,

Those kinks will get worked out in the next few days but unfortunately, the line starting early never goes away...the teachers just get smoother and the kids get faster as they work at remembering their numbers better. My daughter's school has always had the early arrivers and like you, if you weren't there by 2:30, you were pretty far back in the line. That being said, I completely agree that you should just wait and come a bit later. If class lets out at 3:00, then I wouldn't get there until about 3:05 - 3:10 and I bet you'd get your child in your car within a minute or two of your arrival. Also, in my daughter's last couple years of elementary school, I started having her dismiss with the "walkers" and then would just park my car and either meet her or she would walk towards where she knew I was parked. Lots of parents caught on to that little trick at her school. We just gave up on car pool lines after 2nd grade because it was just too frustrating waiting when I could have her much quicker doing what I just explained to you...

There may be a kid shuttle service in your area (I own Kid Express in Richardson). If it fits your budget, you can pay someone to do it for you so you can stay home with your little one. Most companies give discounts for multiple kids coming to & from the same location. Check with your school to see if they know of a service they can recommend. Often they go to the bus lane which can be faster pick-up wise. Good luck!

This is our 2nd year at our elementary school. It gets better and more efficient by the 2nd week. The first week - the teachers are trying to get the swing of things, the kids are -- they are not that fast to jump up when they should to go to the cars...and they are not that fast at actually getting into the car and buckling up -- thus, making all the cars behind them wait and wait..... AND there tends to be line cutters in the beginning, b/c they don't know the system -- and that makes the line less efficient.

It gets much faster the 2nd, 3rd, 4th week! Just stick with it and be patient. Everyone is learning. It happens at my school, too. Every year - it's the same thing. i would ditto what some other posters said at leaving the house later and arriving at the end of pickup.... make sure you tell you child that this is the plan so they don't worry that you forgot them.
I have a 3 month old and sometimes she's not to keen on being in a still car for that long (and starts screaming her head off when the car is not moving!) so I try to leave later and there's a very small line then.

Gosh I remember these days! I have a few suggestions:

Park, put the baby in the stroller and walk up to the school. It's a little outing and you may be able to find out what is going on up at school by networking with other Moms.

Or, as advised by another mom. Come a little late. Your child may just love having the extra time to socialize.

Or, get a carpool.

Good luck. Each season, rainy days, etc... will bring new challenges, but at least when it gets cooler waiting in the car isn't so bad. That was kind of a special time for me to spend with the younger child playing games, or in a couple of years......doing homework.

I feel your pain!! My son started kindergarten this year too. I sit for an hour with my 3 year old. Luckily, we have dvd players so she can watch a movie. My son's school has you hold up a sign with his name and teachers name and they radio into the waiting area for the next 5 kids (cars)and when the kids come out the door the teachers walk them to the car.

The only think that work in my child school is park the car get the stroller out or take the baby in your arms and walk i have to walk about 2 or 3 blocks but i can go home faster than the cars in the line,in the raining days is a nightmare.

This sounds ver strange to me. At the school kindergarten child attends,is not so hard to pick them up and leave. They form 1 line and as the bell rings the load up your child by the first car that is in line once its all loaded you may leave. Of cousre its not one by one either they load the cars that are near the front of the school in the line and as your car is loaded you may leave even if the car in front is not fully loaded. They use colored cards by grade to dictate where the children goes after school and the parents are given that color of card that they selected for every grade level to put in the car with the childs name on it so the line moves every quickly for us.
You may talk to the principal over at your childs school and see if they like this idead it is so much better than there way of course my opinion. Iam not there but its sounds rough.I get to my childs school at 2:35 and as soon as the bell rings at 2:50 It takes me no more than five minutes to get out of there.

Ugh! I hate school pickup. I would suggest to write your principal a nice letter, providing suggestions (not just criticism), but I've tried that at least 3-4 times over the last 4 years (with 2 different principals), and have had little change. At least now, they send a letter home to parents on the first day of school, instructing them on traffic flow, procedures, etc.

I actually find drop off in the morning just as frustrating. Parents at my school cut in front of each other, racing to drop off their kids and get to work. We've had 2 accidents in the parking lot over the last 4 years that I know of - fortunately both were car-to-car and not car-to-child! But I wonder if it's just a matter of time :(

So, I would second the consensus:
* Walk up to the school if you can
* Show up a little later
* It will get better in a week or two
* Rainy Days: All bets are off!

Good luck! We all feel your pain!
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Here is the process at our elementary school. I sub teach there a lot and my daughter went through the program.

First and foremost, the K's are kept separate from the grades 1-5 (same basic area, but separated and inside a classroom)

Cars have 2 lines to line up, you can go to either line. In the beginning of the year, there is a paper plate or some type of notice hanging in the car for the teacher with the walkie talkie to alert the teachers that you are available to get your child. THEN....you proceed to a color coded cone and a teacher escorts the children to the correct cone.

Of course with this being the first week, this process is much slower. Everyone will get the hang of if and before you know it, you won't even need the paper plate notice, the teachers will know your car. Also, children recognize their car.

As for alternative pick up, many parents at our school park in the teachers parking lot and walk to the specific area to pick up their children. All they have to do is check with the teacher and let them know they have their child.

Hopefully, the kinks will be worked out for you withing a couple of weeks. I know a lot of parents begin lining up as early as 2:15 at our school. Like you, I'm not one to sit in the car 1/2 hr to wait.

Just wait...the middle school and high school carpool lines are horrid. You have parents driving everywhere, stopping everywhere and it is a miracle that someone does not wreck every day.

i know you said you are too close for him to ride the bus..but if you are on free or reduced lunch you can ride without paying even though you are in the 2 mile radius..also if not on free or reduced lunchyou can pay i think its $1 a day per way for him to ride the bus..call your school districts transprtation office and talk to them and explain the situation

I learned a long time ago to get there about 5 minutes after 3pm(when school lets out) and usually I go through the line pretty fast. Your son will have to wait, but there waiting anyway for you to go through that line. It will get better in the next few weeks, but the line is always long and get ready for the bad weather days-add a mile to it:)

maybe suggest staggered dismissals out K gets out a little earlier 2:45 grade 1 gets out at 2:50 and grade 2 get out at 2:55 from one location and the 3-6 are on the other side of the building...