People who are late for school every day or almost every day.

[MrsJAlfredPrufrock]

Why don't you just get up 15 mins earlier?

Because I got up on time, LEFT on time, got to the bus stop on time. And then the bus was 40 minutes late. When they are meant to be every 10 minutes. Some days I get to school 30 minutes early, some 10 minutes late. Fuck all I can do about it.

And I got up at 6.30am, to leave at 8.10am, to be at the bus stop (literally just across the road) at 8.15am. It takes less than 1 minute to get to the bus stop, but I add 'wriggle room' into the schedule too. Still doesn't change the fact that I can't get on a bus that isn't there.

I DO get everything ready the night before. And due to having two dc with Autism, my morning schedule is literally minute-by-minute. Still doesn't change the fact that I can't get on a bus that isn't there.

I have never got round to doing everything the night before. I really should, and plan to if I go full time - it takes more to get me ready than DD due to needing lunch etc (DD on school dinners)

When DD started school we banned TV in the morning and it makes a big difference compared to when she had early starts in nursery and would be glued to peppa or whatever. Even on weekends now there is no screen time until 9am, we just stick classic fm on. Much gentler start to the day and easier to get the DCs ready as they aren't distracted. :)

I remember having to bring my ds into nursery late every morning to avoid his behavioural problems in the playground, had a few looks but at that point I didnt really care. Head teacher suggested it.

HuntyCat - For a bus route with six scheduled buses per hour to have no buses for 40 minutes, must happen only very rarely. But if you are regularly arriving at school late, you need to catch an earlier bus.

I agree about not making generalisations about lateness because there are all sorts of valid reasons why it might occur.

However, what I do know is that there was a regular series of latecomers at my dcs's primary school who were late because they had the same attitude as forces. In other words, they didn't give a fuck because clearly, their time was more important than than anyone else's. And then there were the downright dippy ones. Like the friend of mine who always lives in a parallel timezone. She (rather like my mother) was a great believer in drastically under-estimating the known time it took to walk to school. So she'd start a 10 minute journey with only 2 minutes to complete it in. Quite where she thought the other 8 minutes would disappear to I don't know.

I wasn't a saint. Sometimes we just squeaked in on time but my dcs absolutely hated being late and seeing them getting stressed about the possibility was a horrible start to the day. And that's before the disruption you know you are causing to their teacher/classmates.

I also worked but no matter how tired the night before, I did get us all prepared then. Not that it came naturally. I doubt that getting up 15 minutes earlier would have helped though. Because both me and the dcs could have squandered that easily and I found that, conversely, the less time you had, the more efficient you were with it.

Basically what folkgirl said.

I'm always just in the nick of time whether I get up at 8am or 6am.

Not often late though. If I was late everyday and getting my children into trouble, I would set alarms and all sorts to get there 'just in the nick of time'.

He has a sleep test booked in to test him for sleep aponea at the end of Feb so hopefully we will get some answers then. Dd2 is seeing the school nurse about her sleep issues soon (the child is just never tired. She will not sleep before 11pm and is still up and raring to go at 7am)

We've been getting a bit more support from the school now that dd2's behaviour issues have also been noted in class. They now have a punctuality chart for her and the more stickers she gets on it, the more prizes she gets. She hasn't managed to win any prizes yet, but it is getting easier to bring her out of one of her tantrums/get her out of the bathroom and get her to school without having to fireman carry her kicking and screaming all the way there. We are on time more often than we are late, atm.

my dd hates being late for anything, but i'm still there at the bottom of the stairs every morning shouting, 'come on!'

I used to see one mum every day hurtling towards school, very late, her older son was dd1's age and the younger would be in the pushchair. She was always late. Always and like the OP I would think how?.
I don't see her anymore bceause the summer before the younger son started school she was diagnosed with a brain tumour which killed her at Christmas that year.
So know I know - there are worse things than being late.

OP - yabu.

Northernlurker that is zoo incredibly

- so not zoo! Sorry!

The key for me was to change my thinking about what time I wanted to arrive. When you are aiming at 9am (latest drop off at our school), arriving at 9.15 means DC are late. Now I aim to get to school 15 minutes before doors open, ie 8.30am. When last minute toilet stops / lost shoes screw me up, and I'm 15 minutes late it means I'm still there on time.

I have reasonably willing children though.

Getting up earlier does not work.

Getting up earlier always make us late for school.

Getting up LATER ensure that we all go CHOP CHOP Hurry UP! And as the children dont have time to turn on the tv, start looking at books, etc, there is no scope for being late.

HuntyCat - we used to suffer from that when I was at secondary school - there was one bus - the school bus - and it would get us there just on time (good day) or late (most days). My best friend was in the same class and on the same bus - one term I recall she was marked as late ~5 times and I was marked as late ~40 times - because I was in the middle of the alphabet and she was at the end

Im often late with dd1 (just a couple of mins) but there are often different reasons most days. This morning for example we left the house a 9am on the dot and that was because 1 of the twins had a dirty nappy and i wasnt gonna leave it till we got back, yesterday the buggy had a puncture and had to take the car (walking is quicker).

Other reasons are
dd refuses to go till she has finished breakfast (that she started eating at 8.30)
cant find her shoes/jacket/head
twins have undressed themselves
dd has wet the bed and needs a bath
twins have been teething and we slept in after they finally went to sleep
my battery on my phone died and my alarm didnt go off

I hate being late but since having the twins i seem to be late alot more often

The earlier bus won't let buggies on. So I can't. And it also takes a longer route, going through the industrial estate, as it is the 'rush hour commuter bus'. Which actually GETS to the school AFTER the bus that I catch. When it is on time, that is. And it happens at least twice a week, that the bus is late. Basically every time it rains, more people take their cars to do the school run instead of walking. Which means more traffic. Which means later buses. Can I fix that? NO.

The problem with judging is that you don't know what the situation is.

With both dds at infant school they were usually on the premises 15 minutes early, often the first arrivals.

With ds if he arrives early he starts playing, gets very excited and struggles to calm down for the first half hour. He struggles with the noise as he has glue ear, also if it's windy he goes into school really wound up, so the shorter time he's outside the better. So we aim to arrive at the bell. This means if anything comes up, we can be late. We do this after discussion with the teachers and deciding that being up to 5, very occasionally 10 minutes, late into class and settling immediately, is hugely preferable to not settling for 30 minutes.

YABU - I've not been late to school with the DC so far but I have noticed that quite often when I get up a bit earlier and have that luxurious feeling of extra time we're usually rushing out of the door in a mad panic because things get a little too relaxed. Maybe the answer is to get up 15 mins later instead?

And I can't leave before 8am due to the fact that 13yo DD needs my help to organise HER, and get HER out of the door, due to her SN. The primary school are, thankfully, understanding.

I always try to be bang on time, ie as the class line is starting to walk into the building. Sometimes this works, other days we are late or early as the teachers come out to the playground to collect the children any time between 10 to and 10 past nine. Quite a fluctuation, I think and quite disrespectful to the parents and children who are forced to wait around outside.

I arrive just before nine and I might have a tedious wait or a quick exit or have to ring the bell to get my child into the building. Who knows? Everyday brings a surprise

I have been doing the school run for over twenty years now and let's face it, it is extremely boring. I support the school, send him to school clean, tidy, fed and rested, with all the notes signed, equipment provided and homework done. He doesn't care if he is late and nor do I.

Imagine if the teacher arrived late for school every day? Teachers have to get there, on time, no matter how many children, dodgy bus routes, horrendous traffic etc.

Slightly off tangent, but I wish they did ?timekeeping certificates? as well as attendance certificates.

DD is in year 2 and has never been late (although admittedly we have been pretty close a couple of times).

She has however missed time off school with quite serious illnesses, which were beyond her control.

Being on time, at age 7 is something that she can help take responsibility for. She can help make sure that she dresses in good time, does not dawdle, concentrates and does not get distracted, eats breakfast sensibly.

I understand that there will be children who can not be held responsible at all for their timekeeping ? but I would love it if schools recognised timekeeping effort, rather than attendance.