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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Teacher’s got our surname wrong

39 replies

NewSchoolNewName · 15/03/2019 01:27

DC have just started a new school.

They’ve had their first reading books sent home today with reading record books.

DC1’s reading record has the wrong surname written in it. As in a completely different first syllable. I’m not sure what’s happened there as we filled out all the forms with the surname spelt correctly, and DC1 is 7, and old enough to know his surname.

WIBU to bring it up? I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with DC1’s new teacher, but at the same time it’s surely a fairly important thing to get right?

OP posts:
Emelene · 15/03/2019 01:37

YANBU - just mention it I'm a friendly way?

BusterGonad · 15/03/2019 01:49

I'm a bit baffled why you need Mumsnet help on this one, just kindly stick a post it note on the reading record saying the name is spelt incorrectly or if you see the teacher/TA then casually mention it. No biggie. No one will be offended.

Jozen · 15/03/2019 01:57

I'm with BusterGonad on this. It's a non issue. Just correct them.

The usual spelling of our family name has an 'e' on the end. We don't.
A few bits of school stuff (and work things of mine) has the added 'e'.
DH has copped it all his life. We know that all important documents, enrollment forms etc have the right spelling so it's an oversight.
Either my kids or myself corrects them, job done.

MidniteScribbler · 15/03/2019 02:16

Teacher makes a typo.

Parent goes to MN because they are so upset by it.

No wonder teachers are quitting.

Original poster
NewSchoolNewName · 15/03/2019 02:23

More like

Parent’s gone to MN because parent is worried about teacher thinking the parent is being an unreasonably demanding nightmare of a parent if they correct a teacher’s mistake in their DC’s first week at a new school.

OP posts:
Original poster
NewSchoolNewName · 15/03/2019 02:24

And okay, I’m probably overthinking this.

OP posts:
FinnegansWhiskers · 15/03/2019 02:27

YABU. Just let the teacher know the correct spelling of your surname. Job done!

ElizabethMainwaring · 15/03/2019 02:41

Hi Op. I think that you realise that you've got to mention it, but you are not sure how? I'd just wait until you are chatting to the teacher about something else and mention it as an aside. Don't start a conversation with the name thing. Don't worry about it either. It will get sorted in time. I'm sure the teacher does know the correct name, they just made a mistake. If you're in doubt about this (ie your name being wrong in the register etc) you could always ask one of the admin staff to check.

BusterGonad · 15/03/2019 02:41

NewSchool teachers are human beings, believe it or not they are normal people. No one will think you're a problem parent for correcting the mistake in a polite and normal fashion. Is there more to this Op? Have you moved schools due to a problem with teachers?

ElizabethMainwaring · 15/03/2019 02:44

Or your son could mention it to the teacher! I'm sure that the teacher wouldn't mind that! They are used to kids finding fault!

Monty27 · 15/03/2019 03:10

Wow. You just clarify the spelling. It's not all about you Confused

Luckingfovely · 15/03/2019 03:20

This might be the most pathetic post I've ever seen on MN.

Just tell them they've spelt it wrong, politely of course.

Done.

Mumsymumphy · 15/03/2019 03:30

I'm a teacher. I'll let you into a trade secret - we are human and we make mistakes! It will get spotted soon enough. Yes it will be recorded correctly on registration forms and on the register. Just a friendly note in the reading record will be fine and no, the teacher won't think you're 'that parent' 👍🏼

OwlBeThere · 15/03/2019 04:11

Just let them know, Im a speech and language therapist in schools and the worst brain fart I’ve done when writing pupils names was to write my own child’s name on their work Blush in my defence they shared a first name and I think I just went into automatic mode or something.
They won’t think anything of it, don’t worry yourself.

paisho · 15/03/2019 04:27

OP do you generally worry about every small thing? I just find it baffling that you're here fretting about such a non-issue, that's all.

CurlyWurlyTwirly · 15/03/2019 05:11

Why is everyone giving the OP such a hard time?
I know you’re all up in the middle of the nigh5 but there’s no need to vent at the OP.
People post anything on here. Leave her be.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 15/03/2019 05:46

I actually think the op is trying to be considerate.

The op is worried becasuse she doesn't want to cause the teacher trouble and understands that teachers make mistakes therefore doesn't want to make a fuss over what so many of you have called a non issue. But her childs name is wrong and shes asking how she can go about correcting it without seeming like she's mithering the teacher, making the teacher feel bad for what is obviously a genuine mistake .

BlackCatSleeping · 15/03/2019 06:06

Yes, she's being considerate but it's such a small thing. Most people would just mention it casually the next day at drop-off without even thinking twice about it.

caughtinanet · 15/03/2019 06:08

There's considerate and there's making a mountain out of a molehill, obviously the teacher has made a mistake, obviously you politely point it out or correct it yourself.

TeenTimesTwo · 15/03/2019 06:09

OP. As they've just started I would actually also double check at the school office that the name has been transcribed correctly onto the main database. It's a 1 minute thing for the staff to check.

LiGlitterBug · 15/03/2019 07:33

I’ve had the issue from the teacher end. Had a child whose surname was totally different on my class list (e.g down as Stephenson and she was actually Anderson). The parents had filled it all in correctly, but it had been done wrong on the county council end and so all our ‘official’ records were incorrect. (Annoyingly it happens a lot more than we’d expect!)
I was not upset with the Mum when she (politely and rightly) mentioned it. I was apologetic and got it sorted straight away with the school office.

LegitimateShite · 15/03/2019 07:42

Why would the teacher have a problem with you mentioning it? It’s not like you’re being overly demanding to politely draw her attention to an incorrect name! It’s either that or let your child be known by a different name just in case correcting it somehow inexplicably causes offence.

KidLorneRoll · 15/03/2019 08:46

Just change your surname to match. That's clearly the easiest thing to do.

ArmchairTraveller · 15/03/2019 08:55

Do you really think teachers are as delicate and easily offended as many parents? They aren’t, and this is a perfectly reasonable point that needs to be made as early as possible. The teacher will want to check book labels and records are all correct too.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 15/03/2019 20:51

Its everyone else thats makimg a mountin out of a mole hill tuat indeed is what op is trying not to do