To be very annoyed at getting a lecture

[slugz]

I got a text at work today from dd1's school saying choir was cancelled due to sickness. We need to pick her up at 3.20 instead of 4. Dh is at home today so I phone him and pass on this message.

Later on in the afternoon I get a call from the school. 'Why hasn't your daughter been picked up? Did you not get our message?'. I explained that I had and it had been passed onto my husband, to which the snooty receptionist huffed 'That explains it then!' Dh is the most organised person I know and is never late, so don't know what that's supposed to mean.

I then apologised profusely, saying he must have forgotten (unheard of), and said I would try to contact him, if not I would leave work to come and get her, I would be ten minutes at most.

Lots more huffing and then massive speech about not using them for childcare, should be contactable at all times (I was). Really laying it on thick about how much I was taking liberties. How unacceptable it was for dd1 to be sat in the office for ten minutes. I apologised some more.

I then attempted to call dh, no answer. It was only after I ended this call that I noticed the time on the phone. 3.22!!! Come on, I've just been given grief for being 2 minutes late, at least a minute of which I was on the phone to them.

Where was dh that I couldn't contact him, in the playground of course waiting for dd1 to come out. They must have missed each other by seconds.

[booyhoo]

yanbu. I'd be having a word with the receptionsist tbh. first of all. she must have phoned you at 3.21 at teh latest. not much effort on her part making sure your DH was definitely not there before she called you. secondly, i presume you answered her call tehj first time so you weren't uncontactable at any point and thirdly she needs a a refressher in how to speak to people.

[booyhoo]

and i need to learn how to type!

[slugz]

Actually I didn't answer the phone first time because I was driving, but I pulled over to phone back and she then phoned again before I had chance to do so.

[purplepidjrobin]

So where was the teacher supervising the kids in the playground? S/he must have skived off pretty early to have already sent your DD back in to reception

[slugz]

KS2(she's 8). There isn't usually anyone. Is that normal?
I'm surprised they noticed to be honest. On the odd occasion I have been a few minutes late she's just been stood on her own in the playground. So I can only assume that they were looking specifically for the choir kids to make sure they're collected.

[purplepidjrobin]

They're leaving 5-11 year olds alone and unsupervised in a playground? Doesn't sound at all right to me! Who knows who they go home with?

[ShanahansRevenge]

Id bloody complain that they don't seem to be aware of who has arrived and who has not! As purplepudjrobin says...they are in the wrong!

THey cannot leave an 8 year old outside in the bloody winter! Any old nutcase could arrive to "pick up" a child.

[Frazzledmumwithsmudgedmascara]

I didn't realise that it's a legal requirement for all parents to have a mobile phone now? Contactable at all times? What the heck did schools do before parents had mobiles?

OP, I wouldn't be happy at being given a lecture especially as she said you shouldn't use it as free childcare. I would send a letter in to the headteacher outlining what happened and what the receptionist said, and let them know that in future you would rather be spoken to as the parent of a child and not like an actual child!

[gorionine]

YANBU!

Once a friend of mine was supposed to pick my Dd alongside with hers after a school club (I usually did the pick up but was a really rainy day and she said she'd pick both of them in her car as I do not drive). She came, picked up her Dd but forgot mine. DD went to the office to tell them , the secretary called me, explained what happenned and said "Mrs xyz (teacher in school) lives close to you, she is here for the next half an hour but can then drop your Dd on her way home, is it ok with you?"

Did I mention I LOVE my Dcs school?

"OP, I wouldn't be happy at being given a lecture especially as she said you shouldn't use it as free childcare. I would send a letter in to the headteacher outlining what happened and what the receptionist said, and let them know that in future you would rather be spoken to as the parent of a child and not like an actual child!"

yes to that!

[IloveJudgeJudy]

OP I agree, you're quite right. The receptionist should not have spoken to you.

Shanahan - what's with the hysteria about an 8 year old being left outside to be picked up. She isn't 5. At my DCs' old primary, KS2 were let out of the gate by a teacher who did stay outside with them, but did not check who was being picked up by whom. The children do have to learn some kind of responsibility at some age.

[elphabadefiesgravity]

Definately YANBU

Primary aged children should not be let out of school unsupervised. There should be someone watching the gate.

The recptionist was totally unreasonable. Of course you shouldn not use the choir as free childcare but in such last minute cases the school MUST have contingencies. My dh teaches and so would not have been able to leave work early or even answer his phone in that situation.

At our children's school if a club is cancelled last minute they allow the child to go to aftercare free of charge if a parent can't alter arrangemnts or can't be got hold of. (school is round the corner from local hospital so lots of medical parents who also can't just drop everyhting with no notice).

[MJB66]

At our primary yr's 5 & 6 are allowed to walk home on their own, all other children have to be passed to either parent or carer.

[diddl]

Well, admittedly here school doesn´t start until age six, but as far as I´m aware, from day one, last lesson, children go home.

There has never been supervision to make sure that they are collected.

And once they get to secondary school (age 10) if the last lessons are cancelled, they come home.