Question School drop off and pick up lines

mburks26

New member
Dd starts school Monday Kindergarden so I am new at this

We have to do the pick up and drop off line no parking allowed and no getting out of our cars to help our childern

How in the world am I to buckle my daugher in either her GN or Vivo she can't yet (one hand) I cant reach back there to buckle from the front seat either. She can unbuckle the Vivo but not the GN. She can get out of our truck but can't get in with out help.

Any thoughts if I have to pick her up? I will on the first few days of school since shes not used to school or buses yet.
 
ADS

Maedze

New member
You can't unbuckle and turn around to help her? :confused:

If you can't, you get out and help your child :shrug-shoulders: Tell them you will not drive away with your child improperly restrained, and they can take it up with XYZ PD if they have an issue with that.
 

skitle1802

New member
I drop DS2 off riding in his brother's Vivo, but we walk to the line together. After school, I've had the school aids come ask if I'm missing someone because I haven't moved yet. They don't understand it takes awhile to get in and buckle (DS2 in a FR, DD1 and DS1 in boosters next to a convertible).
And I may get flamed...
I've started pulling out of line, 10 feet at creeping speed to avoid the glares.
 

Joyofbirth

New member
I would just pull up, park, unbuckle, lean over and open the door, let her sit. Then lean over and buckle her in. In my opinion, the GN is easier to buckle than a booster, but that could be because of my limited booster experience. I agree with Maedze said if they give you a hard time. Also, maybe you could do a couple trial runs before school actually starts without anyone there. If you practice a couple times, it might be easier than you think. If they do give a hard time about it, perhaps you can go to the principal and explain and ask if they'd allow you to park and go get her.
 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member
They will be in for a rude awakening when my twins go to school. One is in the 3rd row, in a harnessed seat, and will still be in it when he enters Kindergarten. There is no physical way to 'turn around' and unbuckle him. I would have to get out of my car to get him in/out.

I would just park in a designated parking spot (not in the line), and walk my child in. Not every kid can (or should) sit on the passenger side in a booster. Cause well, sometimes families have more then 1 kid. ;) And I'll be damned if the school is going to dictate to me, how my child is going to ride in the car in order to make pick up more convenient for them.
 

ZephyrBlue

New member
Yeah, the people supervising the drop off/pick up lines need to chill out. They used to get all huffed up when DD was still in her Nauti and one side of the buckle would occasionally stick- I had to climb back there (3rd row of Yukon XL) and help her. Lots of panties in a wad from the supervising adults in the line, but tough cookies. What Maedze said is good- ask them if they are really advocating you driving with your children improperly restrained, and tell them that you will need to consult with local law enforcement because that seems unlawful to you :whistle:
 

aeormsby

New member
Can you park on the street somewhere close to the school and walk up to get her?

We don't have a pick up/drop off like that. I always park and walk DD to her door, and meet her right outside when she's done. (preschool at the local elementary school). They don't do a strict drop off line though, the drive-thru in front of the school has cars parked on both sides and cars driving down the center dropping off older kids. Lots of cars parked on the streets around the school too.
 

mburks26

New member
We have a 2003 F 150 supercrew getting in and buckleing the hard part. I can't reach the door to help her if I'm in the driver seat even turning around.

Parking near the school and walking nope its off the darn highway. There is no streets to park you take exit and the entrace is right there and the exit leads back to the highway (yea its werid)

Since I was told this when I enrolled her and didnt get to speak with anyone about her hand then maybe since she does have a disabilty they will allow me to park. We get to meet the teacher on the 19 so I guess Ill have to wait til then to see what the school says. They have to accomadate children with handicaps dont they?
 

Evolily

New member
Can you park in the parking lot? Just say "my daughter has a disability and I have to help her get into the car".

I've read the pick up line thing here. It says "for your child's safety, please do not leave the pick up line, get out of your vehicle, blah, blah, blah". :rolleyes: Luckily we're in a more than reasonable walking distance and this year C has special ed busing (although I may end up walking him instead :whistle: ).
 

mydogteaser

New member
I have heard about this drop-off line thing before from many people on a couple boards and I guess it just baffles me. I get the need/want to keep the line moving, but do they seriously expect kids to buckle as the parent is driving? Kids are not that fast, especially if they are properly fastening their seatbelt. I would think the few seconds it would take for a parent to wait for their child to buckle would not matter. Do they expect parents to just slow down so their kid can roll out the door at drop-off and then hop in as if on a conveyor belt at pick-up? Ds's pre-school has a drop-off lane for the kids in the elementary school. He will not be going there for K and I don't know how his school next year handles this, but you can bet I will not drive off without him properly restrained.
 

Jillybeans5

Active member
I don't know if this would work in your situation, but this is what I did when my kids weren't riding the bus. I would let the kids get in and close the door, then move forward several car lengths toward the end of the lane so that other cars could move up, then hop out real quick help the kids buckle and hop back in. Usually I was back in my car before the cars behind me were ready to move again, and even if your not, its obvious that you were trying to be as courteous as possible. Rule or no rule you have to help her buckle, so do what you have to do.
 

lpperry

Active member
At my mom's preschool, they have a pickup line like this. The teachers put the child in the car, then the car just moves up through the parking lot, pulls into a spot, or pulls over on the side of the parking lot. Mom turns around or gets up to buckle child. Then mom leaves parking lot.

You are not picking up your child and then pulling immediately out on a road, right? You are just pulling up a bit in the parking lot? Just put child in car, pull through parking lot, pull over, buckle child in.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
We just had DD's school meeting today and she starts tomorrow. They have pickup lines and we "aren't allowed" to get out. The teacher walks her to the car, opens the door and shuts it for her. DD can buckle herself so it's a nonissue, but for kids who can't buckle, you can always just pop out and buckle her and get back in. It's not like you have to zoom out of the parking lot; traffic will be turning as they leave the lot so it's bound to be backed up so you would be sitting and waiting anyway.
 

Pixels

New member
Get her a 504 plan, and include accomodations for this scenario in it. Or just go Maedze's route. Get yourself out, help her, and when they give you a hard time about it, simply explain that in accordance with X State law, you will not drive until your child is properly restrainted, and that she cannot do it herself.

Really, if your child was a paraplegic and needed her wheelchair tied down, they can't expect the child to do that by herself. They have to make accomodations for physical disabilities.
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
it seemed like it would be an issue, but it really wasn't at dd's school, and it was Montessori, so all the kids were 3-5, so - young. The teachers would lead the kids to the right car and the kid would get in buckle. The car would creep forward, and by the time you hit the end of the line to pull onto a "real" street, your kid had plenty of time to buckle. (well, except for my kid, the dawdler, lol, I'd have to yell as we were approaching the turn for her to stop jabbering and BUCKLE!). Some parents also parked on side streets and simply walked up for their child. I guess if you had your kid in a seat they physically couldn't buckle themselves, and HAD to use the car line....I'm not sure what you would do. Jump out and piss people off, I guess. I'm not sure what her disability is, but if she is in kinder, she's 5, right? I guess I'd probably work on teaching her to buckle, unless her disability is something that will like..permanently prevent her from buckling herself, in which case, ya, the school needs to deal. I guess I'm just jaded cuz I've never known a kid in real life who couldn't buckle themselves by age 5. Most are buckling their own (boosters :rolleyes: )by age 3 or so. Cuz..you know..the PARENT certainly isn't going to do it. :mad:
 

mlohry

New member
I drop off and pick up at our school as well as about another 150 parents, and you can't stop in line, except to get kids into vehicle, but there is a pull over spot to scoot up to if kids need help. My boys thankfully can get themselves into their seats on their own. They both used to be in GN's and now one my to be Kindergartner is still harnessed in a GN and my 2nd grader is boostered in a TB. I would work on helping your child to buckle and unbuckle themself in.
 

Pixels

New member
This child is currently physically unable to buckle herself due to physical differences. It's not as simple as teaching her 4yo to do it herself. If I had to buckle myself in the back seat, even without a booster to contend with, I doubt I could do it with the OP's daughter's limitations. Same with trying to buckle a harnessed seat. Couldn't do it.

OP, can you move her seat either to the center or behind the driver, so that you can turn around and reach her? I realize you still won't be able to reach the door, but it's something. Perhaps a pickup line adult could help her with the door.
 

lovinwaves

New member
Um, well, I got out of my car to unbuckle my daughter last year. They (the school) just had to deal with it. :twocents:
 

andre149

New member
I would talk to the school about it, and if they seem to really have a problem with it I would tell them that they are asking you to put your daughter in an unsafe situation and you will not do that :)

I had a similar situation when I was nannying. I usually only had 2 kids but had 3 one day (so a RF Scenera, FF MA, and TB in my backseat lol) and the school age child couldn't get herself buckled because it was so tight. I got out to help her and got flamed by the "supervisors" but the other parents in line were very supportive and appreciated that I was taking the time to properly restrain a child lol.
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
it seemed like it would be an issue, but it really wasn't at dd's school, and it was Montessori, so all the kids were 3-5, so - young. The teachers would lead the kids to the right car and the kid would get in buckle. The car would creep forward, and by the time you hit the end of the line to pull onto a "real" street, your kid had plenty of time to buckle. (well, except for my kid, the dawdler, lol, I'd have to yell as we were approaching the turn for her to stop jabbering and BUCKLE!). Some parents also parked on side streets and simply walked up for their child. I guess if you had your kid in a seat they physically couldn't buckle themselves, and HAD to use the car line....I'm not sure what you would do. Jump out and piss people off, I guess. I'm not sure what her disability is, but if she is in kinder, she's 5, right? I guess I'd probably work on teaching her to buckle, unless her disability is something that will like..permanently prevent her from buckling herself, in which case, ya, the school needs to deal. I guess I'm just jaded cuz I've never known a kid in real life who couldn't buckle themselves by age 5. Most are buckling their own (boosters :rolleyes: )by age 3 or so. Cuz..you know..the PARENT certainly isn't going to do it. :mad:

OP's DD only has one hand Jess.
 

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