head teacher asks parents not to use phones at school pick up - what a great idea

[Crumpetdisappointment]

East Sussex: Head teacher urges parents to put their phones away - BBC News

i couldnt find a thread on this, but good for him

i remember years ago walking home behind a man with two children permanently talking on his mobile, while his kids were ignored

Or leave people to manage their own time and relationships with their children. What about children that never get picked up from school by a parent? Oh yeah.. there's probably another time in the day when they can chat.

I wouldn't have wanted to do this, far less disruptive to pop out as part of an informal agreement on the understanding I'd be available to take a call if needed.

It's a bit sanctimonious to me. While I don't use my phone whilst walking my children home different families are going to have different times of the day where their kids are more likely to open up and talk.

I also agree that kids don't need 24/7 attention, they often do the mum, mum, mum thing and then don't actually want anything. If I'm busy doing something like cooking or heaven forbid decompressing over a cup of tea they'll be told to go and find something to do.

Mmmmm.

Ideally yes.

But corporate life doesn't work like that. Everyone is an adult and compromises with the other adults. We don't go running to HR to make demands.

Usually I do block it, but sometimes it isn't possible.

As an adult, I just make sensible choices

They also do the mum ,mum,mum thing while you actually reply to them, but they just keep going on autopilot until you do shout the "whaaat?".

I imagine when many of us were at school mobiles didn't exist, certainly not to the extent they do today. And gosh people managed to be uncontactable! Of course work was more office based, and if you were doing the school run or whatever, you were not working at that time.
I think 'I need to be available to the office' is a poor excuse. No one is that indispensable.
However, I don't think the school can tell parents what to do outside school gates.

that's right, but @mondaytosunday at the school gates was the simple request.

@mondaytosunday back in my day (the 80s) barely anyone was collected from school by a parent beyond the Infants (ie age 7).
You can't really compare how lives used to be compared to now.

remember when you weren't allowed to use mobile phones in hospitals.!

Yes it was horrible

Didn't they say that was due to the signals or something may affect the machines?

IIRR it was only for a short time though. I had, and was allowed, to use a phone during my stay in hospital early 2010, so it can't have been a big thing for long.

And now, obviously, there is patient WiFi, etc all available.

Saves on spending a fortune in those TV and phone cards you had to get!

Times were also very different though.
It was often only one parent working full time.

Someone, usually mum but not always, collecting from the school gates. Though usually a big group of parents all talking together - there were always children waiting around for a parents conversation to finish iirr, so still not always focused entirely in the child all the time.

People tended to work closer to home, in their local area, with less commuting happening.

Work hours were often more structured, with less emphasis on being available when not in work - I guess as no phones and computers to access files and documents at home. Less expectation to work longer and longer hours and work out of hours.

You didn't have to be waiting for a call from delivery companies, call centres, GPs, etc with no specific time frame - now it's often, we will call you in this day between 8am and 8pm, rather than being told what time to be near your home phone,

It's just not comparable really as so much has changed.

We were asked the same. Our school will not release the kids to you if you are on your phone.

how is that going?

No issues that I know about. I think it makes sense. It's common courtesy. The teaches can tell parents any issues without waiting for them to get off the phones. It also means that parents actually engage with their kids. Obviously, there is always parents that are on the phone seconds after collection but you can't police that.

They can't control what goes on with parents in the playground either, they can only ask.

@Greatmate I wonder how many parents are actually on their phone though but listening through discrete ear pods 🤔

I leave my phone in the car at school pick up. But if my dc’s school thought they could start judging and dictating to me, I’d start taking it with me.

Greet your child with a smile, not a screen.

Fantastic idea.

No idea. Im sure some are.

@Greatmate exactly. So the rule is a bit pointless really.

Well done for understanding you can't impose your opinion on other people. Seems like some people cant get their head around it.

Not the point but I'm quite impressed at the people who can walk along while scrolling social media. I'd probably walk into a lamp or something.

I can relate.