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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

or am I just a pedant?

43 replies

pookamoo · 21/01/2011 13:22

DD's nursery can't seem to spell her name right.

It is not a difficult name, and it was fine for the first 10 months she was there, but for the last 2 months, it keeps being written down wrong.

Say DD's name is Susan (it isn't). They spell it Susen. Not even a real name, so not as if they are making a slight change and calling her Susanna or something.

Last week, they even wrote "Susen ate all his dinner" FGS they must have changed her nappy three times, they know she's a girl!

I did mention it before Christmas, and they said they would look into it, but even her paintings are coming home with the wrong spelling!

To be honest I was originally a bit put off the nursery by the poor spelling in the brochure that they sent out. Then I went to look at it, decided that it was more important that she would be looked after by nice, caring people in a lovely setting. They aren't going to be teaching her to read and write, so I thought I would overlook it.

Now I am fed up with it. I know that not everybody is good at spelling, (I'm not always perfect myself, I know) but I think I need to put this in writing to them. Should I also mention the fact that there were many spelling mistakes and punctuation errors all over their brochure, which they send out to prospective parents? Probably not.

AIBU though, to think they ought to get my DD's name right?

Oh, and it seems to be ALL the staff, not just one.

OP posts:

Chil1234 · 21/01/2011 13:24

YANBU... put them right about the name because it's a name. V tempting though it is to put red circles round the mistakes in the brochure and 'see me' at the bottom... resist :)

philmassive · 21/01/2011 13:26

YANBU - basic manners and quite apart from anything else, even if they are not 'teaching' her to read or write she will be learning to recognise her own name.

You need to speak to them and ask them to be more careful, or get her one of those 70's tee-shirts with her name on it so they have something to copy!

RealityIsKnockedUp · 21/01/2011 13:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AgentZigzag · 21/01/2011 13:28

I can't stand it when people are being pedantic, but I don't think this is the case when it's your DCs name.

You're not bothered about the other spelling mistakes, so just ignore that and concentrate on them writing your DDs name right (plus gettng the fact she's a girl right too ).

If they keep doing it, keep telling them, because presumably they'll get her to write her name down at some point so you don't want her learning the wrong spelling.

scurryfunge · 21/01/2011 13:28

It seems sloppy that they have not checked documents that go out to customers and it seems they cannot be bothered to check your child's name or gender. I would ask what other aspects are they sloppy about?

Keep correcting them.

bubblewrapped · 21/01/2011 13:30

YANBU. Multiple spelling errors and typos in a brochure would make me think they were shoddy and not professional. That could extend into any of their practice then.

pascoe28 · 21/01/2011 13:31

Lack of attention to detail over things like spelling may be an indication of other (more serious) areas that are overlooked, so should not be belittled.

Or it indicates ignorant and/or poorly educated staff.

Either way, YANBU.

ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 21/01/2011 13:33

YANBU it is her name she will come to recognise it if they spell it right each time, it's setting her up for a fall to keep spelling it wrong - also, when she looks back at the stuff you keep (assuming you do LOL) she'll either wonder why they were so thick or be upset they got it wrong!

As for the brochure - you do wonder how these things get as far as being printed with so many errors on them!

I do agree though that 'good care' is better than 'good spelling' and they wont be teaching her to spell, so anything that comes home to the parents I'd ignore. However if it was on display in the classroom I'd probably ask them to change it so the children don't pick it up incorrectly - I guess it depends how old the kids are though. I wouldn't want them to be anging their 'Cotes' up for example!

ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 21/01/2011 13:34

Sorry laptop is in it's final throws and keeps missing letters - that would be hanging not anging!

TrillianAstra · 21/01/2011 13:35

YANBU at all. It doesn't exactly speak of individual care and attention for the children in the nursery does it?

Offer your services (at a very reasonable fee) as proofreader for their next brochure - if they want to look professional they need to have good spelling.

Original poster

pookamoo · 21/01/2011 13:40

Thanks, I knew a few other pedants would agree with me on this.

I think I will write them a note, as having a word didn't seem to make any difference. I think they had it wrong on a register one day and it just stuck.

FWIW I do trust them with other aspects, they have just had an excellent OFSTED report, and as I said, once I had been round to have a look, I was prepared to overlook the spelling errors.

I couldn't resist pointing out that they had an obvious error on the front page of their new website when they proudly launched it, and they did change it immediately.

Chil I am often tempted to get out a red pen. If I were a teacher, I probably would! I think the written info all comes from one "source" iyswim, so it's mainly one person who gets it wrong, but it's that person typing everything that goes out from the nursery.

Don't get me started on the apostrophes!

Thankfully I haven't seen any bad spellings on the classroom displays (apart from poor old Susen's name!)

OP posts:

Eglu · 21/01/2011 13:45

I don't think it is being a pedant at all to expect your childs name to be written correctly.

Both of my DC regualarly get their names written incorrectly on swimming certificates. Since I am also paying for those certificates I take them back and ask for a new one.

AgentZigzag · 21/01/2011 13:49

I don't think it's being a pedant either because that's a focus on trivial stuff, and a DCs name is important.

Both my DDs names have been spelt numerous different ways by friends and family, but we're not bothered at all.

Nursery and school would be completely different and they should have it with the correct spelling.

Quenelle · 21/01/2011 13:53

YANBU It's not being pedantic at all.

And it's always rude to consistently get someone's name wrong, whether it's an adult or a toddler.

Caron1968 · 21/01/2011 14:45

YANBU
A name is an important part of ones identity. I think that it is incredibly important to be able to spell and pronounce someones name correctly.
My name is John, it is not Jonathan or Jon or Jonny.

imustbemadasaboxoffrogs · 21/01/2011 14:50

YANBU

I too would be itching to get the red pen out

Original poster

pookamoo · 24/01/2011 10:32

Well I have mentioned it this morning, and have also sent an email.

I have offered my proof reading services for free

OP posts:

muddleduck · 24/01/2011 10:36

Just be aware that there is a significant chance that you are dealing with someone with dyslexia.

KangarooCaught · 24/01/2011 10:41

Dh itches to correct his own school's communication and dcs' primary school newsletter, but can't see an offer to do it going down too well! Letters are spell-checked but sentence construction is tortuous and often tautologous.

TheVisitor · 24/01/2011 10:45

It would bug me. When the triplets were in reception, their teacher kept adding an E on the end of our surname and the kids WERE learning to write their name. I may have got quite cross.

BuzzLightBeer · 24/01/2011 10:48

We used to get the daily report book from nursery and it was pretty much unreadable, the young woman who wrote it was almost functionally illiterate. It would say things like

Jonh was veery good 2day he did somes puzles and some plaing put him cote on self and they all was out side in the befor break.

Just awful.

purplepidjin · 24/01/2011 10:49

Muddleduck, I work as a carer and have colleagues with dyslexia, and English as a second language. Without exception, all the people with dyslexia I have worked with have asked a colleague to check any writing going to parents, other professionals, or the public to make sure that it was correct - because they know they might get it wrong and are over-aware, iyswim.

OP, YANBU! Names are important

Teachermumof3 · 24/01/2011 11:04

Yuck-I would have to say something!

I corrected a horrible mistake in a letter from my DC's nursery last week. It was a form that I had to fill in and return and my pen seemed to correct it without me thinking about it. DH was horrified!

They probably hate me, but I know if it was me sending out a letter (it was something that each new child would get) I would much rather be told about any glaring errors!

Actually, I'm not sure I could bring myself to send my child to a nursery with multiple errors in their prospectus!!

Blatherskite · 24/01/2011 11:06

I had friends with a very precocious child who could recongnise his own name while at Nursery. One day the staff were trying to teach him to write it. Child knew his name was Rhys but the staff memeber was trying to convince him to spell it Reece despite his protestations. They even wrote a note home in his book!

The parents had to go in and back him up - at 3!!

echt · 24/01/2011 11:16

YANBU.

They are paid to get it right. Possibly not enough, but that's not your problem.

Go and tell them.

Dyslexia is not an excuse in these circumstances.

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