I’ve created a monster. Can I nip this in the bud?

[Anonymous]

Are you seriously a parent who can’t simply tell their kid, “It’s a beautiful day. You can walk.” Try some parenting classes at PEP - you have a long road ahead of you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can you be zoned for the middle school but not zoned for busing?

MCPS has a 1.5 or 2 mile radius for walkers in middle school. We are walkers at about one mile from school.

Are you OP? If not, I was going to ask how far is the school and how long does it take her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Long story short, we live literally across the street from the cutoff for bussing to our middle school. It’s a trek, but doable in the warmer months. Over the winter, especially on dreary days, I made it a habit of picking her up from school. It’s an ordeal and not easy by any means. It involves inevitably getting stuck at a light for a few cycles, waiting in line, etc. She could walk faster. But I digress.

Now that it’s warmer, she’s been walking, but she hates it. She will text me, “Mom! Mom! I’m so hot/I’m so cold/I got my period/I have to poop/etc etc, please pick me up!” I don’t, I don’t even respond, but I’m tired of the texts and then the attitude once she gets home.

Just ignore? Implement a punishment for annoyance and grouchiness? Is it summer yet?

Sitting a few cycles of a light and waiting in kiss and ride is not an "ordeal"? Geez.

It is when the kid could have walked home in the same amount of time. Geez.

[Anonymous]

We live .7 miles from the bus stop. If I’m home, I go get my kid. Obviously if I’m busy, I can’t get him.

Why won’t you get your kid? If you are not on an active call or not home, I would get my kid.

[Anonymous]

Huh…I think have a talk about what are actual hardships versus what are annoyances. Your sitting at a light to pick her up is not an ordeal. Her walking in winter is also not an ordeal. Her texting you with reasons she wants a pick up is annoying to you but it is your choice to feel annoyed. From her side it seems like the texts would make sense since sometimes you give in and get her. Also, if the intersection is dangerous and kids hav been killed and you are fearful of her walking across it makes sense she would also be fearful. I think either she is allowed to cross the intersection and you and she agree it is safe due to skills you have taught her for intersection crossing or you do not allow her ever to cross since it is unsafe, in which case you pick her up and drive her. It seems reasonable for the two of you to set expectations to how she gets to and from school and then stick with it.

[Anonymous]

PP mentioned walking with her, I love this idea. Even meet her halfway, you can take some of her stuff and you can catch up on your days together while you head home.

[Anonymous]

Can’t you walk to a spot where you pick her up so that you avoid the lights and the whole nonsense at the school itself at pick up time?

[Anonymous]

*she walk

[Anonymous]

I assume you are either a SAH or WFH, you should just plan it in your schedule to drive her or hire someone to do it. It's part of parenting in this area where most parents have nannys or drivers and if they WFH they drive their kids.

[Anonymous]

I had to deal with a similar situation with my DS. You just can't respond to the BS and the dramatics. Be firm, hold steady and implement consequences if they don't comply.

I will still pick him up if he has to go to a Dr's appointment or if the weather is bad, like serious rain/snow, but I have made it clear those are exceptions and not to be expected.

Now that he's accepted I'm serious about this, he wakes up on time and makes his way to school without making me miserable or on the hook. So it's worked.

[Anonymous]

Tell her she has a "free ticket" once a week. She uses that ticket on Monday and then needs a ride on Thursday - tough luck. If it is an emergency, means no ride next week. This "free ticket" system works for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can you be zoned for the middle school but not zoned for busing?

MCPS has a 1.5 or 2 mile radius for walkers in middle school. We are walkers at about one mile from school.

Are you OP? If not, I was going to ask how far is the school and how long does it take her?

I am not. I am the first comment.

[Anonymous]

Tell her that your mortgage payment is higher because you bought so close to the school in order that she could walk. You driving her is a total waste of parent time. Alternatively, offer to walk her home. That will immediately result in her saying that no way is she going to have her classmates see her walked home by her mom, and will solve your problem. If she says yes, show up wearing something embarrassing so that she won't ever want you to do this again.

[Anonymous]

I would agree to pick her up once a week and when it is raining.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PPs that you need to set a schedule and stick to it and she learned her drama from you (suuuch a hardship to sit through a light for your child’s sake!). How about a compromise for both of you? You drive more than you’d like and she walks more than she would like. Like you pick her up 2x/wk and she walks 3x/wk.