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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To expect it to be straightforward and easy to book a place for DS at breakfast club?

7 replies

Caligula · 20/03/2007 11:22

OK I know the answer is probably yes of course I'm unreasonable, because to expect any communications with school to be easy, straightforward and effective is absurd beyond all contemplation but FFS.

To book a place at breakfast club, I have to speak to the breakfast club person. She is only available between 8AM and 8.45AM and she is not reachable by phone, fax or e-mail, only in person.

So if you are a parent who has to be at work by 9, and you live about an hour's commute from home, you may never communicate with this person. It cannot be done via the school because communications between school and breakfast club are apparantly impossible. Never mind the existence of e-mail, phone, fax and flying pigeon, joined up communications are non-existent. Thus you will find it impossible to ever book a place for the wonderful wraparound care the government tells us is its gift to working parents.

I threw a spanner in the works this morning and said "I can't get to the school between those times, how else can I get in touch to book a place for next week?" Consternation, hassle, organisation - anyone would think I'd demanded they move the time and venue of breakfast club the way they carried on.

I know, it won't change. The idea that schools and their breakfast clubs should be able to communicate and parents should be able to book a place without actually presenting themselves at the breakfast club at a certain time, in an era of modern telecommunications, is probably me demanding golden elephants, isn't it?

Am thinking of just not bothering...

OP posts:
prettybird · 20/03/2007 11:52

... just to make you jealous, ds' breakfast club is both free and runs on a drop-in basis! Runs from 8.15 to 8.45.

Caligula · 20/03/2007 13:18

Damn you Prettybird!

Mind you, tbh it doesn't sound very useful to me. 8.15 is too late to be setting off for work if you need ot be there by 9...

OP posts:
SHOSHAlee · 20/03/2007 13:34

Sounds as if you could do with a CM Caligua, nuch more flexible. (and yes I am one , always flogging the cause)

Loshad · 20/03/2007 13:36

bloomin ridiculous caligula - not at all unreasonable. wtf no phone?, is there no mobile there for emergencies???

prettybird · 20/03/2007 13:36

So no use to you then! Still, I'm not comlaining - it's a great free service, which ds chooses to go to (dh works from home, so could drop him off at 9 - but ds likes going to the breakfast club).

Doesn't help your problem though. Seems crazy that she is only avaialble in person at those times - the whole point of a breakfast club is that the parent is not around at those times!

peacemakeruk · 20/03/2007 15:20

Our breakfast club charge £30 a month and there is a 2 year waiting list. Also it doesn't open until 8 which is when I'm supposed to be starting work - subsequently I'm 15-20 minutes late everyday

bundle · 20/03/2007 15:28

we don't have a breakfast club, though dd1 goes to after school club which is pretty good. we too have to communicate with them mainly after school (from 3.30-6) and the number I tried to call them on just rang/messages were never answered. I guess they're run on a shoestring and the people who work there aren't paid for any admin time etc.

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