School pickup

**Wivi** · 07-02-2011 12:44

Can someone give me some tips on how to handle school pickup when it is literally in the middle of bubs afternoon sleep?

DS1 has just started kindy and I have to pick him up at 2:45pm. That means I would leave here around 2:30pm. DD usually has a nap from 2-4 so it is at the worst time.

What do other people do? Just suck it up and get on with it? I've put her down at 1:30 today in the hope that she will have at least an hour before we go.

I don't have any options in terms of someone else picking DS1 up.

Any tips would be really appreciated.

**HarvestMoon** · 07-02-2011 12:51

DS2 always had his nap between 2 and 4 as well. Nothing changed when DS1 started school.
DS2 would still crash just before we were about to leave. He would usually fall back asleep in the car. I would carry him into the school... sometimes he would stay asleep and some times not. He would sometimes fall asleep back in the car and i would carry him into bed when we got home... other times was the complete opposite.

What can you do really?

**Wivi** · 07-02-2011 13:00

yeah - I kind of thought that might be the case. When I was a kid I grew up in the country and we caught a bus to and from school. School pick ups were never an issue!

**amandaw** · 07-02-2011 16:36

Nt sure if it's possible, but could you do an early pick up (say 2) and then bubs can go to sleep in the car on the way home??

**Sheer Bliss** · 07-02-2011 16:44

Change of naptime had to happen here. It doesn't always work, but quick lunch at 11am, then bedtime at 11:30-12. DD2 often chats for an hour, but then other days she is asleep within half an hour, DS2 is usually asleep straight away. We leave at about 2:40/2:50 so it gives me enough time to get them both up, change nappy, a quick snack if they didn't eat much in the morning and into the car. I am hoping I can leave a bit later this year as I am working up to DD walking out of school and up the path to the car, so I won't have the stuffing about of getting the pram out and the kiddies into it and then DS1 walking slowly into school!

**OJandMe** · 07-02-2011 16:52

It's terrible hey!

I struggled through waking and taking him for 2.5 terms.. then decided to put O and J in after school care every day for the rest of the year.

I wouldn't pick them up very late... but omg it made a HUGE difference. It meant I could let Sander sleep, get the washing off the line, get dinner prepped and then get the boys. I didn't 'have to' be there right on 2:50 (which is really hard with a breastfed baby who likes to poo!!)

And because I didn't have to leave so early, I could get all the stuff done that I'd otherwise need to do once they were home, so it meant I could just spend time with them in the afternoon instead of running around doing housework.

This year is different though, I just pick them up as Sander's sleep time has changed.

Could you put him in after school care for this term and work on changing bubs sleep pattern?..

**Dannielle** · 07-02-2011 19:03

I remember the school pick ups when my twins were born. (Years ago now though as they are in Year 2 now)

I resorted to walking for the school pick ups and getting them to have their sleep in the pram.

**mum2bubba** · 07-02-2011 20:10

Originally Posted by Wivi

Can someone give me some tips on how to handle school pickup when it is literally in the middle of bubs afternoon sleep?

DS1 has just started kindy and I have to pick him up at 2:45pm. That means I would leave here around 2:30pm. DD usually has a nap from 2-4 so it is at the worst time.

What do other people do? Just suck it up and get on with it? I've put her down at 1:30 today in the hope that she will have at least an hour before we go.

I don't have any options in terms of someone else picking DS1 up.

Any tips would be really appreciated.

I'm in the same boat, Nathan's naps are usually 10:30am to 12:30pm (though he's getting out of that lately) and again around 2pm to 4pm. I think I might put him down after lunch (around 12:45pm to 2:45pm) could you bring his nap foward or even put him down later?

**Wivi** · 08-02-2011 10:41

Thank you for all your replies.

After school care isn't an option for us and I wouldn't feel comfortable with it at this age.

I can't walk to school as it is too far for DS1 and DS2 to walk!

Yesterday I put her down at 1:30 and she had an hour - got her up again at 2:30 and went to pick DS1 up. We were home by 3 and she went back to sleep for another hour so it all worked out. I don't expect her to do that all the time though as she was a bit unwell yesterday I think, but we will get around it somehow.

I am sure hundreds of parents have to deal with this all the time!

**Bon4** · 08-02-2011 11:28

Unfortunately there is not a whole lot you can do. When my littlest DD was a newborn I hated having to get her out of bed to put her in the car to go to school, but I didn't have a choice. I found though that she would usually resettle in her capsule and then it was just a matter of carrying her capsule into school while she slept.

Now she is older she has only been having one day sleep and that is mid morning, so she is always awake by the time school pickup rolls around.