Panic alert...again

[Blackhorse]

I am really worried about next week

I am going to pick up my car on monday after work and then on tuesday I have my first school/nursery runs to do.

I will have
dd 19 months..walking really well
girl 3 yrs with down syndrome..walking short distance but easily runs off according to her mum
boy 13 months not walking
and the 6 yr old boy going to school

now if I do a school drop off...(and I have never done one in my entire life so maybe this is a stupid question)
do you just let the boy out the door watch him go into school and off you go?
or do you have to take him somewhere to hand him over? In which case I would have to get everyone out of the car...nightmare as I dont know how I would do that safely yet

then 3 yr old goes to nursery for 2.5 hours so I am sure for that I need to get all 3 remaining los out of the car...at least on the way back to the car I am only left with 2....

and then at lunch time it is nursery pick up..with all the kids..
then at 3 school pick up but less the little 13 months old boy...

how do you all do it??? Without needing a mental asylum or an ambulance??

any advice will be greatly appreciated!!

[TheBTeam]

For the school drop off you will need to take the child to the classroom, some schools require you to accompany the child into the class and some like you to leave them at the door. In your case I would have a double buggy for the non walkers and put the 19month who will walk on to reins (i attach a wrist strap to a set of reins so that there is a longer handle to give room to walk next to the pushchair). If you have to leave a buggy with children i would leave it right by the window and if necessary not enter the cloakroom until you can get through quickly to see the children left in the pushchair at all times. I would take the walking child in with me. If at all possible I get all pushchair children out of the car before any walkers, if this is not poss you need to strap the wrist strap to the pushchair and ensure that it can not be moved into the road.

You just have to get used to putting the pushchair in and out of the car, acceptance of the situation is halfway there to avoiding the loonybin!

[bibi571]

Hi

I've had to do this a lot in the recent past and in a couple of weeks I'll have a 10 months old 12 month old and 15 month old all of whom will need out of the car at pick up time! Both nursery and school.

I've agreed with the mum's that in the morning i'll just drop off at the gate and the kids will walk round to the line altogether.

But at pick up time when they come out the teachers want to see an adult picking them up.

It really is difficult and as the pp says its a case of accepting the situation. I've been so soaked to the skin i care to remember. This year will be a bit worse as the little ones will be the littlest for a while. The one's who have just left were 3 and 4 and wore little life back packs - which they loved and the handles of them hooked over the buggy, leaving me free to push it, and the stapps were longers than reigns.

For probably the last 2 years i've had to go up to the playground to get mindees. Before that when it was only bigger ones they could come down to the car on their own, with parental permission, and the babies could stay dry in the car - it made a huge difference; especially if they were sleeping.

For everything else i'd agree with the previous poster, getting the buggy children out first and walkers last - just in case they totter of when your attention is else where - it can only take an instant.

And give yourself loads of time - it always seems to take ages to get them all in and out and up to the playground; loads longer than it should!

Barbara

[FizzysFriends]

You will need to take the 6yr old to the drop off point, which is usually the playground. You shouldn't need to take him into the school as at 6 he wont be a new starter, you will need to get the out of the car though as I have yet to see a school that you can drive too. Our school you can't get anywhere near with a car.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

You will get a system going getting them all in and out and you will need to take them all with you each time, whether drop off, pick up, school or nursery

Sorry!

[sarah707]

It does get easier!

Write yourself a risk assessment and check it regularly so you are sure you are doing everything to keep all children safe.

As others have said, all children should remain strapped while you get the buggy out. You might have an issue with the 6 year old if parents let him get out and bounce around the car, so make your rules very clear from day 1 and don't let him get away with anything you don't want him to do.

You get out and put your coat on... get your buggy out of the boot... brake on buggy.

Babies out of the car and in the buggy and covered up as needed.

Walkers out and holding on away from the road or on reins.

Walk into school... deliver child to teacher... back out - great opportunity for some road safely chats...

brake on buggy, put the walkers in the car first and strap in... give them their drinks and lots of praise.

Babies in car, strapped etc... then buggy in boot, then take your coat off or you will steam up if it's been raining.

TAKE YOUR TIME... there is no rush. If you are in a rush, ask yourself how you can make it easier or if you've taken on too much.

You should be able to do it all safely with a good risk assessment and a bit of practice.

Good luck!

[miffy]

You'll be fine - if you're worried about the 3 year old running off then either have her in a buggy or with reins on so that she can't.

Good luck

Miffy xxx

[helenlc]

I would have the 3 yr old on some sort of restraint - for your peace of mind and until YOU are confident that she wont run off. Although she does it for mum, she may not for you. But dont take anything for granted.

The 3 yr old I minded was so unpredictable that for peace of mind, especially when I had other LOs with me, I used to use reins on him. Sometimes I would give him the benefit of the doubt and would put the reins on but tuck the strap in and allow him to hold my hand or walk round near me in the playground. But if he misbehaved, I held onto the reins.

Do as the others have said in regards to the order you get them out and back in the car and buggy. Stay calm and be vigilant. If something doesnt work, wait til you have a few spare minutes at home later in the day and sit down and think how you could do things differently.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Cazz]

You'll be fine once you've done it a couple of times.

This reminded me that at my pre-reg inspection recently one of the questions Mrs Ofsted asked me was if I went somewhere in the car with a mindee that could walk and a baby who would use a buggy how would I safely go about it. (I.e. putting the baby in the buggy first and then putting it in a safe place with the brake on whilst I got the child that was walking out afterwards). She did comment that you would be surprised how many people wouldn't think to do it in that order

All the best for your school run - fingers crossed it stays dry for you. Why is it if it's going to rain it will be between 8.30am and 9.00am and 2.45pm and 3.15pm

[breezy]

good advice already given, it does get easier once you get used to it

[Blackhorse]

thanks guys

I will follow your instructions in regards to kids order.
and then we will see how it goes..
the good thing is I only have one boy to get to school so if it takes a bit longer then I have nowhere to be straight after..well the girls playgroup but with enough time inbetween and if she is a bit late on the first day then that wont be the end of the world either..(I mean I will try to be on time, but it's only playgroup...not school iyswim)
and once I have a routine in place that works and the kids are also used to it I am sure it will get easier...

and I didnt know how it works here with school drop off's anyways so your info has been very helpful.
I dont mind getting them out, I just want to do it as safe as possible and maybe at some point as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
and as long as only I get wet it's not as bad.
I was actually thinking of getting rain proof trousers to go on top of my normal ones to keep me dryer in the rain...

I am glad to have you all to give me great tips and to help put my mind at rest..THANKS!

[Zoomie]

Interesting read, as I am going to have 3 under 3's shortly.

I need to reassess my exiting the house routine.

I have my DD who is 22m, two mindees, both 26m, mindees 5y and 7y and my DS8.

At the moment I can trust my DD and the 26m to wait by me when we are getting into the car / buggy, but I still have to suss out the new 26m mindee. I think I am always going to have to have the buggy with us, to strap one of them in, as I am comfortable dealing with 2, but moving in 3 opposite directions is a tad tricky.

Any suggestions

[Zoomie]

thanks guys

I will follow your instructions in regards to kids order.
and then we will see how it goes..
the good thing is I only have one boy to get to school so if it takes a bit longer then I have nowhere to be straight after..well the girls playgroup but with enough time inbetween and if she is a bit late on the first day then that wont be the end of the world either..(I mean I will try to be on time, but it's only playgroup...not school iyswim)
and once I have a routine in place that works and the kids are also used to it I am sure it will get easier...

and I didnt know how it works here with school drop off's anyways so your info has been very helpful.
I dont mind getting them out, I just want to do it as safe as possible and maybe at some point as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
and as long as only I get wet it's not as bad.
I was actually thinking of getting rain proof trousers to go on top of my normal ones to keep me dryer in the rain...

I am glad to have you all to give me great tips and to help put my mind at rest..THANKS!

Can't give any better advise than has already been given, but just give yourself plenty of time. You can always drive around the block an extra time or something if you arrive tooooo early .

[Demonjill]

It will all def fall into place after a few times trying out the routine and fine tuning it to suit.

As has been said risk assess and take your time dont panic or rush and all will go well.

[ORKSIE]

I cannot add to the advise that g=has already been posted.
But it will get easier once you have a routine
Good luck