to think if you are chronically late, your kids will grow up that way too?

[PoppyPopcorn]

Or does it send them the other way?

I live very close to a school. My street appears to be the unofficial drop off zone for parents so I see the same people every day.

Every morning, without fail at 9.01 am a woman sreeches up in a silver Nissan Juke, throws her child out of the car to run down the path into the playground shouting "go! go! you'll be late!!" Poor kid has to leg it into the school playground, sometimes she makes it before the door closes, other times the door is shut and she has to walk through the main entrance and get a late mark.

Every morning.

So this poor child is going to grow up thinking that cutting it fine or arriving late is just what you do, and perfectly normal. And it's her mother who is teaching her this.

I cannot abide poor punctuality and the only time I've ever had to sack someone was for consistent poor time-keeping. Being on time MATTERS - is this child going to be late when it comes to things like sitting her exams or turning up for her driving test?

Disclaimer: on these threads there are always replies from people who have six autistic children to get out in the morning, don't drive, have to hike ten miles over the moors to school so it's understandable if they're 5 minutes late. But I know people who know this mother and none of that applies - she is just shit at getting her kid to school by the time the first bell goes at 8.57am.

Friend of DC is always a few minutes late. He hates it. He isn't there when the kids pair up at tennis, or chose their reading book at school, or pick their seats at dinner... so gets what nobody else wanted and has all eyes on him when entering any room. I have a feeling he'll do it differently when he grows up.

I actually think this can work the other way: I know people who are terrified of being late because they hated the reaction when their parents were eternally tardy.

It's not the greatest parenting, but it's by far and away not the worst either. I'm not sure it's really thread-worthy to be honest.

To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is unacceptable.

How ridiculous. My time is money Sayyouwill. I turn up when the contract tells me to. With some inflexible employers that means that I've had to turn up early. But that also means that I left on the dot. They were stealing 10 minutes of my time and that's why I sought sensible employers.

I'm paid from 9am,and although I am nearly always in earlier than that, I often don't turn my computer on until 9. We've queried it and requested setting up time, but they won't pay us and have said it's fine as long as you walk in the door by 9.

I tell my mum meet you at 2 if i really mean 3 and she will arrive 3.10 and still think nothings wrong.

Trouble is, you've not started, or are only ten minutes in, so she's no reason to think anything is wrong. You need to have dished up and left hers to go cold on the side, or to have already gone out.

How ridiculous. My time is money Sayyouwill. I turn up when the contract tells me to. With some inflexible employers that means that I've had to turn up early. But that also means that I left on the dot. They were stealing 10 minutes of my time and that's why I sought sensible employers.

So you walk through the door at the last possible moment?
Would not fly in my industry.

@Miracle33 totally agree.
I'm always on time for work but my friends/family and I are all on the same page when it comes to meeting up.

Do you think it works one way Saywhatyouwill? It's okay to steal employees' time but not employers'? IME a business runs best when both sides have mutual respect.

My mother was always late as I grew up (and now actually but it rarely affects me). I am now always punctual or early and I make damned sure my child is not the last one left at parties or school pick up.

I'm never late, and hate it when other people are (without good reason). I find it disrespectful. I put it down to the fact that growing up we always used public transport - and that went without you if you weren't on time.

Parents of my DC's friend are routinely late. We refer to them as lastminute.com.

Nan was usually late, mum is late,me? Early coz I have anxiety and can't walk into a place if I'm late (e.g. classes or lectures) but can if I'm meeting a friend and I let them know.
DH has a good system. He usually errs on either early or late depending but he's become much better since he set his phone clock 13 minutes ahead (I dont know why 13 minutes it just is)

I'm kind of the opposite, DeadDoorpost. In the same way that you can't walk in late, I feel dreadful if I'm early. I have to lurk outside the room being unnoticeable until half the people have turned up, and the thought of being the first person to arrive for something actually makes me feel sick.

I come from a long line of early people!
But unlike my forebearers I don't have the organisation to go with it, so although I'm always early there's always a panic at the last minute (except it's not the last minute iyswim!)

My husband is often late for domestic things but strangely is never late to meet his boss or drinks with the boys [hmmm]

It was the opposite for me. My dad is desperately relaxed about time keeping and it always put me on edge as a child. I am embarrassingly early most of the time as a result.

Lol I was thinking this just today, I can judge the time and how early/late we are by who I see on the school run. I like to get there as the gate opens, anything after that I consider late! Every day I see the same woman walking down the road to school as I'm on my way home but tbf she has double the number of children I do to get ready

Funnily enough, it's my DD who makes us late for things in the morning, I hate it.
I can't stand being late, but in the mornings my time's taken up with helping my youngest get ready and getting myself ready. I expect my oldest to be able to dress herself, brush teeth and hair etc and put her own shoes on in good time. But she drifts along, faffing about.
I'm seriously considering just leaving her behind some mornings, it's so frustrating that everyone else is late because of one person.

I can't abide lateness. It is so disrespectful. I am always early and will wait in my car so I am on time. It's like their time is more important than yours.

I don't like being late, principally because it has real consequences - you miss trains or planes. I also don't like it because of the dreary disapproval of people who congratulate themselves on the easy virtue of turning up on time, or more realistically, turning up just before the person who turns up the latest.

It's not hard to turn up late or early. It's a skill to judge your time in order to be punctual. That's what I do.

We always used to be the last to be collected by my mum and I hated that feeling. She considers it a waste of time to be early for anything. I am chronically late unfortunately, but I do try and have a more conscientious attitude about it. I am aware that mornings with DS tend to be a bit stressy and I'm trying to be more organised so we don't end up in these situations. I am never late to collect him and I've had time sensitive jobs so I know I can do it.

Worked the other way for me.
My dm is always late. Because of that I hate being late and will tend to arrive too early and hang about outside. I'd rather wait when I've got there than be late. However dsis is the same as dm.

No not at all. My entire family are chronically late.

I am always, always on time.

Broomstick I can't be the first in either and will wait for a second person. I just can't walk in with everyone else in there...

My DM is the kind of person that if you want to be on time have to lie and say you need to be there half an hour early. Even then she'll be five minutes late.

I'm the kind of person that gets an earlier train in case the train that would get me there on time is late