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.

I used to be a really poor timekeeper. Then I had a problem with a new boss at work and I was in her sights. The only thing wrong with my work performance was that I was usually late. So I stopped. It's quite hard at first. I sometimes used to get taxis - actually quite fun when I would step out of a taxi and meet her going in to work.

Like any bad habit, lateness can be broken if you want to do it. Now I am generally punctual or early or late within a 10-minute window either way. It's a revelation and I recommend it. It's so liberating.

If you are a good worker then you eliminate at a stroke any complaint about your work with minimal effort by the simple virtue of getting in on time - stupid people admire that; you notice the people who used to say they were early when what they meant was that they were a few minutes' earlier than you getting twitchy about the new you; then there are the ones who turn up 30 minutes early but spend 45 minutes having a coffee in the canteen and then doing their make up in the loos; best of all, I no longer rush in trying to avoid anyone seeing me and start working like a mad thing for three hours to try to justify my existence.

Being punctual is brilliant and so easy. I wish I'd discovered it sooner. But I'd never rub it in.