Last updated on September 28th, 2021 at 01:42 pm
A MoM recently asked:
My twins recently started preschool. As a procedure at the school, for single kids, the teachers put the kids in their seats and strap them in when the parents come to pick them up. Since I have twins, it is not that simple. The director has asked me to let her put the twins in the car, have me drive forward, and strap them in away from the pick-up line. She claims that it takes too long to get both kids strapped in and causes the line to be slower. I feel this is unsafe and even offered to park and walk up to get them instead. She said that wouldn’t be necessary, but then today made the same request for me to move my vehicle without my twins strapped in. I can get them strapped in quickly without even leaving my van. We are about as fast as just one kid and definitely faster than two separate kids in separate cars. Have any other twin parents come across this issue, and how did you handle it?
Here’s what our Twiniversity fans had to say:
– You pay 2 tuitions, you should get the same amount of time it takes to buckle in 2 different vehicles. Or petition the rest of the parents to show that waiting an extra minute for your children to be safe isn’t a big deal. ∼ HM
– If every single car is picking up a single child and you are managing to pick up 2 students at once then there is no possibility of you taking longer to get 2 children than 2 separate cars getting 2 children. Good grief. People can be so ridiculous! Another example of the sight of twins FRYING SOMEONE’S BRAIN. Why can’t people think straight when they see twins? ∼ NWR
– This is crazy and probably illegal for her to ask. It’s definitely illegal for you to do! Tell her that the law requires the kids to be strapped in before the car moves one inch. If she doesn’t want you in the line, you reasonably already offered to come to get them and walk them to the car. ∼ SC
– I wouldn’t mind just pulling forward. But I would not accept the school buckling other children in. Are they assuming all liability in case of an accident? ∼ AL
– What happens when a door isn’t latched completely and your loose preschoolers push against it? Or decide to roll down the window and climb? Climb up to check out what momma is doing and fall into the gearshift? Even at slow speeds, terrible things can happen. This is silly to even ask of you. I would give her several options *you buckle one she buckles one * you go in and get them *you pull forward and they walk them both to you *you arrive 10 min early or late and load without “holding up the line” *you find a new preschool. Let her pick which option works best for the school. ∼ HG
– You stay where you are and buckle them in. They can’t make you move and tell them your twins safety comes first! They’ll just have to wait. I’ve seen cars bumped in the rear in car pick up lines. Not hard but bumped hard enough that if a child weren’t buckled in could knock them forward. Safety first all else would just have to wait. Tell them you’d be happy to have them buckle one while I do the other. ∼ ES
– There is no way, zero chance that I would move my vehicle unless they are strapped in. Is it likely that something will happen? No, but from the time they were infants, the car doesn’t move unless everyone is safely belted in. No ifs and I would not accept someone else telling me that it “won’t hurt”. My children, my rules. I would just get out and strap one in while she’s doing the other. Tell her that it’s not just a safety issue. It’s teaching your children good habits – including buckle up. ∼ KM
– Just say, “No, I will not break the law and teach my children that we can drive in a car while leaving restraints intentionally unbuckled FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. Either you let me buckle them in or you take the time you need to buckle both and the people behind me can wait less time than it would take to secure two separate children in separate vehicles.” ∼ RKB
– We buckled our own children at preschool pickup line! I’d just put my van in park, and get out of the van. She walked them to me. Then she walked back to get the next child! I buckled them while she did this. No different than the other parents! I think it is odd that a teacher is buckling then in any way? My kids could do most of the buckling themselves, and then I just tightened the straps and checked them. ∼ DMF
– Are your children old enough to learn how to strap themselves in? This may be a good time to start teaching them this fine-motor skill. As a twin Mom and a teacher that supervises elementary pick-up line, I get both sides of this conundrum. Yes, your children’s safety is important as is the flow of the car line. We all talk about how patient we will be waiting for the parents ahead of us to buckle their kids in, but on the day we need that nobility it’s usually in short supply. It’s also, at my school at least, hazardous to have people out of the vehicle on the drivers’ side since there is a through lane on that side. For everyone’s safety, I would, and did, walk up to pick my children up. ∼ SHM
– I had this same issue and told them no way am I driving off without buckling them in even just to pull over into a parking spot. I complained to the principal, prepared to go higher, and offered to just walk up and get them and walk to the car. The next day, the rules changed and Pre-K parents are now able to park and walk up and get their children and take them to the car. Drop off is still an issue though. ∼ DRR
– Sounds like its time to find another preschool. If their judgment lags on this, think of all the other areas it’s lagging in. ∼ TSG
– This doesn’t sound legal for them to be buckling kids in. They are to teach kids not parent them?! Am I the only one that finds this insane they even have this as a procedure? I would absolutely refuse and buckle my own kids in. I’m the parent. It’s a mega safety issue. ∼ MC
– Safe or not safe going 5 mph, you have a rule in your car and that rule is that the car doesn’t move unless all are buckled in. It’s your car, your family, your rule. They can choose how to follow that rule, either buckle them both in while in line or pull over and have them brought to your car. ∼ KO
– I would not be ok with someone else strapping my kids in. I would just walk up and get them then, or get out and strap both in myself. People really are crazy when it comes to twins. ∼ AS
– I think it’s illegal to move your vehicle at all unless everyone is buckled. I mean, adults need to wear seatbelts, it shouldn’t matter that you’re not traveling far or very fast… At least here you can get fined for it. ∼ AP
– This was also our preschool policy. We moved up about 15 feet, never leaving the parking lot, and I parked in a spot and strapped them in. Everyone was just fine. I’d rather do that than have someone else strap them in. ∼ SB
– Never heard of teachers bringing kids to the car and strapping them in. I would insist they take the time and buckle them up. It’s their procedures so they should deal with it. ∼ RMW
– I can’t see the problem if a teacher puts one in and the parent does the other. Looks like they are making the problem you’re not. ∼ HB
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