Ehhh...this is one of those things where you have to pick the lesser of evils. It's a lot of work and can be difficult to manage a handful of toddlers in a parking lot/street and they can be at increased risk when trying to do this in a hurry. At the same time, leaving kids in a car isn't ideal. Sadly many kids have come to harm even when left in eye sight...I read it in the news often enough. That said, locking the van is a big improvement over those that leave it running and/or unlocked!

My main question is...would the parents be comfortable with what they see if they happened to be outside the school one day when you went for pick up? You need to be ready to explain yourself should they question you.

School pick ups and bus runs are really inconvenient for home daycare providers. From what I read here many refuse to do them, and many started out doing them to ultimately realize it just isn't feasible. But, when it is a child of your own that needs picking up it means you have to tough it out, or find someone else to bring your child home for you.

Do you think it is possible to find a older student at the school to walk your son to your car? Pay them a few bucks per day. The school likely has many walkers that could easily do this before they head home. Might be the easiest solution!