Getting Kids from School
My French Black Friday, Every Day
I want you to picture Black Friday. Everyone cutting in front of everyone and pushing everyone out of the way. Now imagine adding children into the mix. Can you imagine Black Friday shopping with children? Well now I can thanks to the procedures in place to get children from school.First off the street is too small. So anyone trying to walk on the street at 4pm has to dodge mothers, au pairs, children, strollers, razor scooters, and bikes. Many people choose to dodge traffic rather than dealing with the wrath of a mother that got bumped into. All of us stand outside waiting as each class takes it's turn to release the children. But they just crack the doors and the teachers release the children one by one, checking to make sure they recognize the parent or nanny that the student is going with. I appreciate the fact that they are making sure no stranger is taking the kids. I won't complain about that. Inside is organized, but not outside.
So what do the parents and au pairs do? They rush the doors like its Black Friday. The second the doors open everybody rushes to the front to grab their appropriate children. Even one pregnant woman who seems like she is about to pop pushes her way in there. (Update: she had the baby, so now she pushes her way in with a stroller.) Me and a few other girls realized that it's easier to just let the others in front and pushing and just wait until they are finished to get the the kids. That way the kids don't accidentally take a backpack in the face. I swear I break a toe nail every week because I get squashed by some bike, or stiller, or even a high heel. Yes all the mothers are in high heels because I am working in the rich part.
Why they don't line up, I don't know. It would be a lot easier that way and a lot less dangerous. But I guess everyone is in such a hurry that they think that pushing around will take less time. And the school insists that they drop off be in the street and that absolutely no one enters the school, even when it's pouring rain. I've talked with a few other girls and they say that their school is not as bad as the one that I get the kids from, but only because there is much more room on the street. And I swear every time reminds me of Black Friday in the USA.
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