Middle/high school pick-up parents: this is what you actually do with your time?

[Anonymous]

Meh, I have a flexible schedule, and like picking up my kid after school so I can catch up on things with them and they can get home earlier to do their many EC activities and homework. I enjoy it, and getting there a little earlier (like 10 minutes early, not an hour early) allows me to avoid the traffic. Best yet, I don't care what other parents think, because it works for us! Stay in your own lane, friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just volunteered for my son’s Spanish party at the middle school, as his teacher asked for parents to assist with set-up, serving food, and clean-up. This was during the second-to-last period of the day.

When I got to my car, a full HOUR ahead of the final dismissal bell, what do I see? A line of cars at least 20 deep, already forming the school pick-up line.

Are you people insane? Do you have nothing better to do with your time? Do you hate comfort? If your kids can’t walk home from school, you know they have buses, right? There’s buses for that. Are you seriously so afraid that Little Spencer or Brayden Jaymes or Lindseigh Grayson can’t handle the bus?

Is this seriously what you do with your time? You send your kid to school to learn about climate change, while you sit there burning fossil fuels and emitting pollution for a FULL HOUR? What is wrong with you?

Didn't bother to read any other posts so this might be repeating others: parents in car lines at all grade levels have been seen to pick up their kid who is either special needs so get to leave earlier or they want to be closest to door to pick up a kid on crutches ow wheelchair. Don't be so ignorant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh, I have a flexible schedule, and like picking up my kid after school so I can catch up on things with them and they can get home earlier to do their many EC activities and homework. I enjoy it, and getting there a little earlier (like 10 minutes early, not an hour early) allows me to avoid the traffic. Best yet, I don't care what other parents think, because it works for us! Stay in your own lane, friend.

+1 My car is like my home office, and I love spending more time with my kids before they are doing their ECs and hw.

[Anonymous]

How did we ever survive elementary in the 1980s and 90s without car lines? Kids took the bus and this traffic generating car line nonsense was unheard of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just volunteered for my son’s Spanish party at the middle school, as his teacher asked for parents to assist with set-up, serving food, and clean-up. This was during the second-to-last period of the day.

When I got to my car, a full HOUR ahead of the final dismissal bell, what do I see? A line of cars at least 20 deep, already forming the school pick-up line.

Are you people insane? Do you have nothing better to do with your time? Do you hate comfort? If your kids can’t walk home from school, you know they have buses, right? There’s buses for that. Are you seriously so afraid that Little Spencer or Brayden Jaymes or Lindseigh Grayson can’t handle the bus?

Is this seriously what you do with your time? You send your kid to school to learn about climate change, while you sit there burning fossil fuels and emitting pollution for a FULL HOUR? What is wrong with you?

That’s funny, because when I was reading your post I was thinking what a loser you and your kid must be that you’re volunteering for a party after elementary school.

So you'd rather this kid be embarrassed by their parent and care what others think? Calling a kid a loser is real mature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did we ever survive elementary in the 1980s and 90s without car lines? Kids took the bus and this traffic generating car line nonsense was unheard of.

I mean… how did our parents survive the 80s and 90s with out cell phones and internet? Amazon direct shipping anything you want right to your door?

Get off the internet or STFU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it is their alone/quiet/lizard time away from work at home spouses and/or kids still at home with a sitter.

If you have the time, you should be taking a walk or doing something actually relaxing or actually productive. You’re probably shoveling food in your face while you sit.

You sound jealous they have the time to do this.

DP but why on earth would someone be jealous that you have time to....sit in a car and do nothing. I work full time, I make time during the day to take a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood. That is much more pleasant to me than sitting in the car waiting for my kid. Your defensiveness about this is so bizarre!

This is such a hilariously pathetic attempt at a flex.

DP here. Better than "I have an hour a day to sit in a non moving carline" flex.

The difference is no one is bragging about sitting in the carpool lane. They’re just minding their own business, being judged by OP and her ilk who seem to be under the impression that walking for 20 whole minutes around their boring suburban neighborhood every day is just SO impressive

We live in a high traffic area. DH is a surgeon and if he usually picks up a kid on his way home whether it is school (rare), practice or home and drives kid to practice. Very occasionally when he does get out early enough to pick up a kid from school, he will go early. I will tell him he is too early and he simply says he will return some phone calls.

I often see parents in school parking lots, soccer or tennis or baseball lots obviously on work calls. Sometimes people can’t time things perfectly so they would rather get to kid location first and then jump on call so they are not driving distracted.

I personally would never be an hour early but some people do a lot in their cars. I know sometimes I spend time ordering Amazon or Instacart early for an exercise or carpool. It is no big deal.

[Anonymous]

I’ve done this at my kids school on occasion (minus the leaving the car running) for 1 of two reasons: (1) I had a call that ended at pickup time, so I had to get there early to take the meeting from the car, or (2) I had an appointment close to school and had time to kill prior to pickup, so would work in the car till pickup. But this is preschool, so no bus! Agree these may be kids who need to get to a practice immediately after school and so taking the bus is a no-go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it is their alone/quiet/lizard time away from work at home spouses and/or kids still at home with a sitter.

If you have the time, you should be taking a walk or doing something actually relaxing or actually productive. You’re probably shoveling food in your face while you sit.

You sound jealous they have the time to do this.

DP but why on earth would someone be jealous that you have time to....sit in a car and do nothing. I work full time, I make time during the day to take a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood. That is much more pleasant to me than sitting in the car waiting for my kid. Your defensiveness about this is so bizarre!

This is such a hilariously pathetic attempt at a flex.

DP here. Better than "I have an hour a day to sit in a non moving carline" flex.

The difference is no one is bragging about sitting in the carpool lane. They’re just minding their own business, being judged by OP and her ilk who seem to be under the impression that walking for 20 whole minutes around their boring suburban neighborhood every day is just SO impressive

We live in a high traffic area. DH is a surgeon and if he usually picks up a kid on his way home whether it is school (rare), practice or home and drives kid to practice. Very occasionally when he does get out early enough to pick up a kid from school, he will go early. I will tell him he is too early and he simply says he will return some phone calls.

I often see parents in school parking lots, soccer or tennis or baseball lots obviously on work calls. Sometimes people can’t time things perfectly so they would rather get to kid location first and then jump on call so they are not driving distracted.

I personally would never be an hour early but some people do a lot in their cars. I know sometimes I spend time ordering Amazon or Instacart early for an exercise or carpool. It is no big deal.

Oh "DH is a surgeon" poster, you pop up so frequently that we all know who you are!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it is their alone/quiet/lizard time away from work at home spouses and/or kids still at home with a sitter.

If you have the time, you should be taking a walk or doing something actually relaxing or actually productive. You’re probably shoveling food in your face while you sit.

You sound jealous they have the time to do this.

DP but why on earth would someone be jealous that you have time to....sit in a car and do nothing. I work full time, I make time during the day to take a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood. That is much more pleasant to me than sitting in the car waiting for my kid. Your defensiveness about this is so bizarre!

The car ride with teens is time that I get to talk to my teens. I drive my child to high school so I can hear about what he has planned for the day. I literally drive by the bus stop on our way to school.

You are not the person we're talking about. You're not waiting in the car for an hour to pick your child up, are you? Not sure what that hour in the car is getting you in terms of spending time with your children. Geez, the lack of reading comprehension on this thread!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it is their alone/quiet/lizard time away from work at home spouses and/or kids still at home with a sitter.

If you have the time, you should be taking a walk or doing something actually relaxing or actually productive. You’re probably shoveling food in your face while you sit.

You sound jealous they have the time to do this.

DP but why on earth would someone be jealous that you have time to....sit in a car and do nothing. I work full time, I make time during the day to take a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood. That is much more pleasant to me than sitting in the car waiting for my kid. Your defensiveness about this is so bizarre!

This is such a hilariously pathetic attempt at a flex.

Why? I would rather be doing something for my health than sitting in the car like you, sorry you find that pathetic, how bizarre!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it is their alone/quiet/lizard time away from work at home spouses and/or kids still at home with a sitter.

If you have the time, you should be taking a walk or doing something actually relaxing or actually productive. You’re probably shoveling food in your face while you sit.

You sound jealous they have the time to do this.

DP but why on earth would someone be jealous that you have time to....sit in a car and do nothing. I work full time, I make time during the day to take a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood. That is much more pleasant to me than sitting in the car waiting for my kid. Your defensiveness about this is so bizarre!

This is such a hilariously pathetic attempt at a flex.

Why? I would rather be doing something for my health than sitting in the car like you, sorry you find that pathetic, how bizarre!

Strolling around your shitty neighborhood for 20 admiring the McMansions and sterile lawns is not doing anything for your health. Healthy adults wouldn’t find such a boring activity pleasant or stimulating either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did we ever survive elementary in the 1980s and 90s without car lines? Kids took the bus and this traffic generating car line nonsense was unheard of.

I mean… how did our parents survive the 80s and 90s with out cell phones and internet? Amazon direct shipping anything you want right to your door?

Get off the internet or STFU.

Does your brain work? Cell phones and amazon are conveniences that make life easier. Spending an hour in your car when your kid already has free district-provided transportation is not a convenience. It's just another sign of the parental coddling that is so common these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did we ever survive elementary in the 1980s and 90s without car lines? Kids took the bus and this traffic generating car line nonsense was unheard of.

I mean… how did our parents survive the 80s and 90s with out cell phones and internet? Amazon direct shipping anything you want right to your door?

Get off the internet or STFU.

Does your brain work? Cell phones and amazon are conveniences that make life easier. Spending an hour in your car when your kid already has free district-provided transportation is not a convenience. It's just another sign of the parental coddling that is so common these days.

No, it’s just an example of you being a hypocritical, judgmental hag. Conveniences for me but not for thee. Merry Christmas.

[Anonymous]

I get it, OP. It does make one wonder your exact question of who has time for that. I know my parents never would have.

It is partly coddling parents and partly the school bus doom loop. Parents do more driving, the school district responds by providing fewer buses. That makes the bus routes worse, which in turn causes more parents to drive their kids, which in turn causes the district to further reduce buses, making the routes suck even more. And meanwhile adding more cars. It’s horrible.

My DD doesn’t love riding the bus but I make her do it, partly to build character and partly to show her my time is not infinitely available for her convenience.

In the rare case that I must pick her up for an appointment or something, I am amazed at all the moms who just wait in their cars. Who has time for that? It is stupid, just another example of the late stage of resource sucking capitalism that we are in.

And don’t even get me started on how stupid it is how much time and resources and fossil fuels families spend on sports and activities.