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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 1 minute isn't late?

332 replies

AnArrowToTheKnee · 07/02/2017 12:02

DS1 starts school at 8.50, we got there at 8.51 and were told we had to sign in at the office. AIBU to think that we weren't actually late?

OP posts:
NinjaPosse · 07/02/2017 13:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gandalf456 · 07/02/2017 13:40

ConfusedHmmNo, I just think this thread is nuts

Graphista · 07/02/2017 13:40

1 min late is still late.

I was raised in a military family

Military saying "5 mins early is late 10 mins early is on time" in other words be there in time to faff before getting on with the job!

850 start time means that's when they start the school day NOT rush in at 849 stressing out your child disrupting others. Not saying we were NEVER late, shit happens, but certainly not regularly or even frequently. There are people who are frequently/regularly late, it shows a distinct lack of organisation and consideration for others. If bell goes at 850 you should be aiming to be there for 840, that way you have 10 mins leeway (depending how far you have to travel and how far you're travelling although I find people that live very near school/work are often late through underestimating how long it ACTUALLY takes them to get there).

carabos · 07/02/2017 13:41

I bloody love these threads. OP - AIBU? MN - yes. OP - no I'm not, disappears. Grin

gandalf456 · 07/02/2017 13:42

I didn't say aibu yes. I said yanbu

Sirzy · 07/02/2017 13:42

I don't get the "our gates shut at 9" comments: that's great that's your school and 9.01 would be late.

The school in the op starts at a different time therefore that cut off is earlier!

gandalf456 · 07/02/2017 13:43

Our school starts at 8.50 but the gate shuts at 9. Theres no bloody way they'd shut the gates at 8.51 unless they want 30 kids going through the office.

Gileswithachainsaw · 07/02/2017 13:43

Yy sirzy

I don't get why 1 minute at 851 is any different to 1 minute at 901.

It's still one minute does it matter where abouts it is.

Crunchymum · 07/02/2017 13:46

I love the train analogy!

If a train was due at 8.50 then you'd have missed it. Urm no, most likely if a train was due at 8.50, you would still be waiting for it at 9.05 Grin

But OP I concur with the majority here and yes you were late and ABU!

gandalf456 · 07/02/2017 13:46

It's eleven minutes actually which would be quite late. 1 minute is a tiny fraction not taking into account the vagaries of peoples timepieces. I can't believe I am discussing this. IT'S ONE MINUTE!!!

redcaryellowcar · 07/02/2017 13:47

At university (teacher training) the following phrase was drilled into us 'fjve minutes early is on time, on time is late'

AliceInUnderpants · 07/02/2017 13:51

I bloody love these threads. OP - AIBU? MN - yes. OP - no I'm not, disappears.

Sorry, OP is still getting her child ready for school Grin

trinketsofgold · 07/02/2017 13:58

awaits medal as has never been late for school..

gandalf456 · 07/02/2017 13:59

Haha

Gottagetmoving · 07/02/2017 14:02

1 minute after a deadline time is late.
If you want to be late it is up to you but don't try to claim you are not late....when you are.
You can't change facts to suit yourself.

Gileswithachainsaw · 07/02/2017 14:02

Still puzzled as to why they would need the 19 mins befire though gandalf

Perhaps if they were harsher with the cut off people would stop taking the piss and turning up 10 mins Late to your school.

Not sure the answer to the problem.of people being late is to give them more time to be late in Hmm

Gileswithachainsaw · 07/02/2017 14:03

10 mins before

gandalf456 · 07/02/2017 14:14

The fact is, people are late so the Head would not want to create extra work for the office staff and piss them off or deal with pissed off parents who insist it's still 8.49 by their watch. Slamming the door shut at 8.51 won't mean people won't be 1 minute late. It's just pragmatic, innit? There should be a cut off but, no, not 8.51, come on, be serious, realistic etc etc

ForAllWeKnow · 07/02/2017 14:17

I don't understand what your point is, gandalf?

If they set the deadline at 9.00, there will be those who turn up at 9.01 anyway. What should they do? Leave the doors open and unlocked all day?

One school I worked in at CCTV and didn't actually lock the gate until 9.30. The thinking behind it was that, it meant that people who were persistently late didn't interrupt the office staff continually.

The outcome: some people turned up at 9.31 thinking it was unfair that the gates had been locked!

There has to be a cut off at some point and all cut off times will appear arbitrary to someone.

Sirzy · 07/02/2017 14:18

So basically the head hasn't got the guts to actually tackle the problem so will facilitiate it instead!

Poor kids are in for a shock when they get to secondary school then!

ForAllWeKnow · 07/02/2017 14:18

They also tend to not slam the doors shut at any time.

Floggingmolly · 07/02/2017 14:18

Your school's Head allows kids to swan in when they please without remarking on it in case doing so would cause extra work for admin staff, gandalf??
How very... unusual Hmm

gandalf456 · 07/02/2017 14:20

Ok. I give up

dowhatnow · 07/02/2017 14:23

The other children had gone in, therefore you were late and missed the start of day! One minute or 10 minutes you still missed them going in.

Ricekrispiesquare · 07/02/2017 14:24

My child's school does this.

Play ground drop off it from 8:30, bell rings at 8:40 and you have a few seconds to get into the playground otherwise you have to sign in. It seems OTT yes but it does appear to have massively stopped habitually late children