Ok, mom tribe. I have to get something off my chest, and based on some of the posts I’ve seen in local Facebook mom groups, I am going to get lit up for this unpopular opinion, but here it is:
We need to calm down about the car line at school drop-off.
There. I said it.
Last year, my kindergartner rode the bus for a majority of the year, so the posts shaming other moms for coming to a complete stop before pushing their kids out of the car kind of went in one ear and out the other, but this year, my son decided he wanted me to drop him off.
I stay home with my kids so I feel that school drop-off and pick-up falls under the umbrella of my job responsibilities, so I happily agreed to his change in routine. Plus, mornings are my FAVORITE! The sleepy eyes, the bedhead, the cuddles on the couch, and two rested, happy kids. Any extra time with them in the early part of the day is a welcomed treat for me.
One of my favorite things about dropping off instead of him riding the bus is it gives us an extra 20 minutes in the morning to get ready and out the door. I HATE rushing around. And I really despise the nagging that comes with the morning routine.
Eat breakfast.
Get dressed.
Brush your teeth.
Get your shoes on!
I SAID BRUSH YOUR TEETH!
This isn’t just a mom life thing for me. I’m one of those people that really just hates rushing around in general. And my son inherited this from me. On the last day of kindergarten, do you know what he told me? What he was looking forward to the most about summer?
“I’m excited that we won’t have to rush around in the morning!”
Me too, Buddy. Me. Too. So you can imagine how well we jive with the car line drop off, right?!
The anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach starts the minute we leave the house.
My son is 6. He moves at a snail’s pace, and as he’s unbuckling I swear everything he’s ever wanted to tell me comes flooding out. Instead of listening to his heartwarming stories as I’m helping him get his backpack on, I am 100% nerved out that someone is going to blow me up on FB for not moving fast enough.
Yep. I’ve seen you in my rearview mirror, behind me in line, waving your hands as a signal that I’m taking too long.
But you know what else I see?
My son.
He’s outside of my car. My passenger window is down and he’s there saying:
“Say it, Mom! You forgot to say it!”
You see, we have a tradition. It takes about 15-20 seconds for me to say these words to him before he runs into his school:
“Be kind! Have fun! Learn lots!”
We sign “I love you,” and he’s gone for the day.
I know there are rules to the drop-off lane, and I don’t condone parking your car there. Also, I respect that you are trying to get to work or another drop-off. I respect that we are all busy and have a life that’s waiting for us, but I am not going to feel guilty for coming to a complete stop, handing him his backpack, and then sharing in a morning tradition with him.
We are all just trying to do our best, and my hope is that the kindness and grace that we are all trying so hard to teach our kids, we will also extend to our fellow moms.
Yes! I feel the same! I don’t want the last words I say to my boys before they start their day to be…GET OUT, go,go,go. I take that last back-to-front seat hug EVERY. TIME. I can get it!
LOVE THIS!!! Every. Bit. So. True. Thank you for being honest!!!!
I agree with you. I also want to suggest parking and walking your kiddo to the door. You do not have to do drop off and you get extra minutes and time for your goodbye ritual, also clearing up space for those who are on a tight schedule. I love parking and walking them up, giving big hugs and getting them on their way!