The ins and outs of pick-up and drop-off

It might not be the parts of the school day that kids and parents most look forward to, but it's something that must take place: pick-up and drop-off times. 

During these busy moments, a little patience goes a long way, said Rebecca Medvecky, a parent whose children attend Fruitville Elementary School. 

"At the end of the day, they're just emotionally and physically exhausted, so sometimes just buckling a seatbelt can take a lot of patience," she said. 

Yet as you're waiting, there's more to think about, and plenty of actions to avoid. 

Starting and ending the day safely

Danielle Ford, president of the Tatum Ridge Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization, said the organization's No. 1 priority is always having your child exit the vehicle on the right-hand side. 

She said it's beneficial for safety but also for alleviating traffic.

“It's not something a lot of people think about, ‘Well, my car seat’s on the right-hand side or the left-hand side,' but it definitely keeps the flow of the traffic going, if you do have them on the right-hand side," she said.

If your child's school uses a hang tag for vehicle identification, make sure it's visible, Ford said.

She also said to make sure your child knows what color their car is, as otherwise, children can sometimes approach the wrong car.

“I know a lot of my teachers that do it on a regular basis, they get to know, ‘Oh, you're in this car; Oh, you're in this car.’ But for us new people, it can be difficult. So we look at the hang tag,” Ford said.

Photo by Ian Swaby

Medvecky said it's important to work with teachers to ensure you know where your child will be picked up if the school has multiple buildings.

Principal McHenry Lerebours of McIntosh Middle School recommends arriving 15 to 30 minutes prior to dismissal. 

He also said to make sure you're paying attention to all formal safety rules, as he's had to address several parents about related issues. 

Some of these issues include parents telling children to walk off campus to be picked up or to walk across the parking lot rather than embarking and disembarking in the designated zone.

“Parents are supposed to remain in their cars with their kids when they’re dropping off, until they make their round onto campus," he said.

Sometimes kids just aren't feeling up to the experience of pick-up and drop-off, a situation for which Medvecky had some advice.

“Sometimes we'll do walk up and drop off instead of the car drop-off, and that seems to smooth things a little bit,” she said.