Things That Stress Me Out About Car Pickup
If you have ever picked up your child from school or picked up someone else’s child and it stresses you out, then this one is for you. I don’t know what it is about car pickup but it is so stressful for me. It must be my personality type of being a socially anxious introvert who likes to people please because it doesn’t seem to bother my husband.
Merging. Ugh, merging. Until my daughter reached a different school for 3rd grade, I have had to merge at some point with other cars. I have tried getting to school later so I do not have to go through the inevitable “merge” but now that I have two in school, it is inevitable. I count each car 500 times to see who I am going to merge after. The thoughts that go through my mind: Will someone skip? What do I do then? Is it really my turn? Do I let them go - yes, of course because I am a people pleaser and I don’t like conflict. What if I look away and miss who I am supposed to go after? What if someone doesn’t let me go? The trauma that goes through my brain each day. Send help. My husband on the other hand has gotten into an argument another parent about merging and well, I hid in the backseat. It was the conflict. Yikes.
The sign. The sign that must be displayed clearly for the teachers calling names through the walkie talkies. If the sign isn’t just right the teachers bend their necks to try and see it and I feel awful. Or worse, I have to roll down the window and actually speak to someone. The horror. Did I mention that I am not only an introvert, but also socially anxious? What if I say the wrong name. Ahh.
Unlocking the car door. Geez you would think this would be so simple but heaven forbid I forget to unlock that door. I think I hit unlock about 500 times to double and triple check to make sure it is unlocked before pulling up. I have been that parent that has pulled up and the teacher is trying to open the door… that I didn’t unlock. I am so sorry.
Leaving as fast as possible. I feel like this is a given and everyone should be on the same page. But you know there are always those people…. you know who you are. I am so fast in the morning my kids now try to open the door while it is still moving…whoops. The afternoons is a whole other ballgame, playing make sure you are ready to go as soon as the car in front of you is ready. Add 10x more stress if you are that first car.
Is this just me? Am I just this person who overthinks every moment of everyday? Do others feel this pressure of this car pickup line we will inevitably be in for the foreseeably future? Well at least until my youngest is in 3rd grade. Only 3 more years! But don’t rush it. I am conflicted.
