For those who do school runs in cars

**mumofone** · 23-07-2015, 09:52 AM

Just wondering what you do logistically with babies if you pick up older children from school in your car? I actually used a cm when my baby was young who did school runs but I now realise I have no idea what "happened" to him when she picked the others up eg. Did she leave him alone for any period of time? How do you all work this?

**FussyElmo** · 23-07-2015, 10:18 AM

You take them with you. You cannot leave them alone while you go and fetch the older children.

Its something you have to consider when taking on the mix of ages. Especially if you have 3 young ones.

**redtiger21** · 23-07-2015, 01:03 PM

I'm a walking CM so don't have that issue (just the issue of managing to walk them all and get them home alive haha!), but I know that the schools in my town make allowances so that CMs can park very close to the school entrance, so that they can either walk all the younger ones in more easily, or so that CM can stand at the car and an appointed staff member will deliver older mindees to them. I would have a chat with the school and ask them to work in partnership with you- that word usually motivates them to be accommodating

Hth x

**AliceK** · 23-07-2015, 03:44 PM

This is one of the reasons I hardly ever use the car to do the school / nursery runs. By the time you strap everyone in, drive there, unstrap them all, put the young ones in a buggy, drop off the school ones, take the LO's out of the buggy, strap the LO's back in the car and drive back home to unstrap them all again, phew, no, it would never work for me, I'd rather walk.
You must never leave children in the car alone although I do see a childminder do this regularly at my school

xx

**Kerry30** · 23-07-2015, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by AliceK

This is one of the reasons I hardly ever use the car to do the school / nursery runs. By the time you strap everyone in, drive there, unstrap them all, put the young ones in a buggy, drop off the school ones, take the LO's out of the buggy, strap the LO's back in the car and drive back home to unstrap them all again, phew, no, it would never work for me, I'd rather walk.
You must never leave children in the car alone although I do see a childminder do this regularly at my school

xx

This is also the reason i walk in the school run and practically everywhere else.
Also theres the health benefits of fresh air and exercise for me and the lo's. And they see and hear so much more.

**tulip0803** · 23-07-2015, 04:44 PM

I have to use my car as no footpath from house to halfway to school and busy 40MPH road (very few vehicles travel 40 or under

) I have a double and single pushchair in my boot and everyone gets out whatever the weather, I park in the school car park if possible, or the park car park (bit further away) or the chippie car park (with permission) over the road from school with crossing lady.

**loocyloo** · 23-07-2015, 06:24 PM

I walk or drive depending on where I need to be before/after school run and also depending upon how many children I have!

When we drive it's an opportunity for my new walkers to walk to school when the walk from home is too far ( just under a mile each way )

I have permission from school to park in teachers carpark if necessary and they bring the children to me. As long as I ring and let them know I'm there!

That said, I do prefer to walk whatever the weather as everyone and the buggy gets wet going in the car in the rain but raincovers and waterproofs mean we all stay dry when we walk!

**Ripeberry** · 23-07-2015, 08:28 PM

When I was doing the school run (last year), I had two, two year olds and a eight month old baby. It meant taking everyone out of the car and the baby car seat for two school runs. Nightmare in the rain. But I had to use the car, due to the distances and the fact that we have no pavements in the countryside.

**greenfaerie** · 23-07-2015, 09:58 PM

I always forget living in a city that some places don't have pavements. When I come across it it makes me really irriatated, sometimes you have to walk to places! Why isn't this encouraged safely?

**Ripeberry** · 24-07-2015, 07:43 AM

My own kids school is only 0.5 miles up the road. That does have a pavement, but it's narrow. Speed limit is not applied , as evidenced by the numerous holes in the wall that runs the whole length of the walk. Then just when a pavement would be very useful, it stops and to cross, you have to stand in the middle of the road (crossroads) and hope the traffic stops. Which it won't as it's full of lorries and crazy car drivers rushing to the motorway. I tried it once. Never again!

**mumofone** · 28-07-2015, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by loocyloo

I walk or drive depending on where I need to be before/after school run and also depending upon how many children I have! When we drive it's an opportunity for my new walkers to walk to school when the walk from home is too far ( just under a mile each way ) I have permission from school to park in teachers carpark if necessary and they bring the children to me. As long as I ring and let them know I'm there! That said, I do prefer to walk whatever the weather as everyone and the buggy gets wet going in the car in the rain but raincovers and waterproofs mean we all stay dry when we walk!

How did you go about getting permission loocyloo? Did you ask the head teacher?

**loocyloo** · 28-07-2015, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by mumofone

How did you go about getting permission loocyloo? Did you ask the head teacher?

I just spoke to the school secretary who asked the head for me, but I think it helps that I volunteer at school, am vice chair of pta and help out with things; so I am well known, plus it isn't a huge school!