to think this woman is either badly organised or bone idle?

[Rosieeo]

My eldest went back to school yesterday, to reception class. She attended the nursery last year. A woman whose eldest child is in the year above my DC was complaining to us at the gates.

Last year this woman, who has three DC, was consistently late for school. At the earliest running up as the bell went (fair enough) but more often than not 10-15 minutes late. In the end the school gave her a bollocking (they're very hot on timekeeping), wrote to her, had meetings, but it never made a lot of difference.

Yesterday (first day) they were just over 5 minutes late and she said that the teacher had already pulled her up on her timekeeping. She felt that the teacher was out of order and that no one appreciated how difficult it was to get to school for 8.50am with three DC. Her younger ones are about 3 and 1.

I don't have a lot of sympathy, I'm afraid. I know it can be difficult and frustrating getting out of the house in the morning, I honestly do! Plus, I only have two kids. But at the risk of sounding like Miss Smug, I have NO problems getting to school for 8.50am (we're normally up at 6.30/7am) and when I have to be at work we're out the door at 7.45am. That's hard work, but still! This woman lives a ten minute walk from school and doesn't work. I'm not trying to start a SAHM/WOHM debate, just saying that she doesn't then have to get somewhere else.

I didn't say anything, because I don't really know her that well, but AIBU to think that she's either badly organised or bone idle and totally unfair to her son who gets into bother almost every day because of such bad timekeeping?

Fucking hell MrsDoofenshmirtz, if you think the OPs BU just say so, there's really no need to go on and on about how she's got no right to say anything at all (on an internet forum you are also using) about how she feels about something.

The OP can start any thread she likes.

You keep saying she's being judgemental, but I think if there was a competion on that front I recon you'd win first prize.

I have to ask, are you alright MrsD? Because you don't seem to be going on what you've written.

Hmmm, I have 3 under 6 and am pg.

I manage to get the kids to school by *:45am (starts at 9am) and I have a 30 minute walk.

But I imagine we WILL be late some days due to lost shoes/tantrums/misplaced reading books and so forth, but I think schools do accomodate for the rare late day, but on the whole I think she just needs to get organised!

"mama I get my DC up at 6 o'bloody clock in the morning so that we can get to school for 9am."

Well I am clearly more organised than you then because I don't need three hours to make it to school
I agree she needs to change but it simply isn't happening at the moment.
Luckily her school are a lot less concerned than some of yours. No doubt they'll kick her up the bum at some point but for now nobody is bothered, bigger fish to fry I guess.

There really is no need to swear, I'm fine thank you. She can indeed start any thread she likes.

I have a dear friend who is late for everything, all the time. She too gets upset if called on it, but not because she feels bad/has difficult circumstances/is depressed. She gets arsey because she doesn't see why she should be on time, or why you're giving her a hard time. Some people are just egocentric.

mama I get up at 5.45 so I can have a coffee before I get ds up and ready to leave at 7.45, in the winter it will be 7.30 we have to leave also need to make sure dd2 is ready before we leave.

Ah borderlass, I get up before i've gone to bed ....

ROFL at 'not morning people'. That goes down a storm at work when you regularly rock up 20 minutes late

I have to wake my DS up most of the time too. If you can get to school for 9am, you can get there for 8.45. It's rude and inconsiderate to be consistently late. I hate repeated lateness - there's no excuse

Blimey, are you saying you disapprove of the swearing in my post MrsD?? Get your red pen out, you can mark me on my grammar and spelling as well.

If you're not keen on what's on MN why are you here?

There is no excuse IMO. Yes it is bloody hard, but you just have to get up and do it.

I know people who complain that they will have to leave home at 8.10 to get to school to 9.00 because they want to drive rather than walk the 10 mins.

Sometimes things happen... but my one goal is to make sure my kids are on time every day unless something completely out of the ordinary happens.

Oh I was joking for goodness sake.

mama can't wait until he finishes next year will be blooming heaven

ROFL at 'not morning people'. That goes down a storm at work when you regularly rock up 20 minutes late

Plenty of people don't work 9-5 for exactly that reason.
Personally i have a child not a programmable robot, she'll learn in her own sweet time or she'll arrange her life to suit her own style either way it's not for me to give her 11 years of hell whilst she's educated.

my kids are major owls. so are we!

that's too bad during school years, isn't it?

when they're 16 they can get jobs that don't start early in the morning.

i have a dear friend whose first degree is in early childhood education. after 4 years as a nursery teacher, she went back to college to become a nurse because she's a night owl and cannot hack early mornings. she's not really on until about 3PM.

this way she can make a living and work swing and night shifts to her heart's content.

How about homeschooling, mama? That might work better for your family.

Chickenshavenoeyebrows - I agree, people who are consistently and proudly late are indeed egocentric (like the example I gave of Jane Asher) as they are implying that their time is much more valuable than anyone else's.

Oh, right.

I think I was going on your other posts in thinking you were not a very funny person, apologies.

some people are just prone to being late, I was terrible for it at school. In fact my proudest moment on my last day of secondary school was receiving a certificate and a standing ovation for having the most late marks EVER in the history of the school.

Expat The older two are perfectly happy with their routine and love their school and she will get it in the end without the need for a big drama.

You lot - all bar chickens and probably Doof - are being hideously narrow minded.

Great that you can all achieve what this woman, me and chicken's mate cannot.

How can you then know what it is to be inexplicably incapable of such stellar punctuality?

Are any of you overweight? Have you tried not eating so much then....dyswim?

I am sooooo not a morning person - but there are times when you have to just cope with it.

Like school.

Or catching a plane.

DH could never understand how I could get up for a 6am flight when normally he is the one who has to do everything in the morning. I kept trying to explain to him that "I might be up. I might even drive to the airport. But there is NOBODY IN"

Just pig ignorant dosent care about any disruption caused in the classroom due to their late arrival.

We can all get up 20 mins earlier if it is needed

I agree prettybird - people who are knowingly consistently late for everything have a sort of arrogance that says it's ok for them to keep everyone else waiting but they must never have their time wasted waiting for anyone else.

I don't think that this woman in the OP's case is doing that, (I think she's just woefully disorganised) but I do know people like that and they are infuriating.

I think Expay got it it right in that schools should involve Social Services if children are consistently late - in case there is some sort of support required.

Otherwise the kids involved will continue to disrupt the education of their peers. :(