You have a drs appt at drop off time

[cjt110]

Do you

A) take child with you and they are late for school;
B) organise for a friend to take them;
C) Rearrange your appointment.

I ask because on a few visits for early morning appts I see children sat in the waiting room - alone/with sibling at say 9am and the parents come out of the appt and off they go.

I know not everyone has a big support network but like AM , I needed to see the GP and aware they might run behind, I asked a friend would she mind my son going with her and her son to school today. As it was, I was finished by 8.45 so we would have been OK anyway but I just wondered if you don't have someone who can walk your child to school/childcare, do you just have your child be late?

Sorry didn't mean to enable the voting

If it's an urgent appointment what other choice do you have if you don't have any help?

I’d ask a friend but if that wasn’t possible you’d have to take them surely? What’s the other option?

B or C if no one could.
Some people don’t care about being late for school though

@NerrSnerr I don't know. That's why I'm asking. I assume you would just call school and tell them that you have appt and the child will be late?

If you haven't got anyone to help out then they would have to go in late. Rearranging an appointment is not really possible in many surgeries - if you need to be seen urgently you take what's available, otherwise you could be waiting weeks for an appointment at a convenient time.

C.

Whatever is most appropriate

If I don't have a friend to watch the kids, I'll take them with me and they can be a bit late 🤷‍♂️

B or C.

I would generally try and get an appointment after the school run time though to avoid needing to arrange for someone else to get them to school.

I guess I would choose C, but because when I call my doctor's office to make an appointment, I tell them when I can't make it and they give me a time that fits with that.

Failing that, I'd probably get my brother to take her to school. He lives around the corner from me and my niece goes to the same school as my daughter, so it's easy for one of us to pick the other one's daughter up and take her if necessary.

Oh rearrange appointment, I see how that would work in some places but they’re like gold dust sounds most of the country (not here thank god) but you just have to read a few threads and see once you get an appt you go no matter what

Would school mark this down as late or an authorised absence?

I was thinking this AM what would I do if my friend hadn't said she would take my son. And if he'd get marked late or something if it was an appoint for me, as opposed to him.

I'd never book an appt for me for drop off time.

I'd explain to surgery about school drop off and ask if there were any other appointments available. If not and I needed to be seen that day then I'd ask a friend if my DC could join them on their way to school and if not then I'd take my DC to the breakfast club that most schools run.
Only in exceptional circumstances would I take my DC with me.

@TheDarkPassenger My surgery is awful for appointments. On the day you can only get morning ones usually from 8.30-9.30 and they're like hens teeth so the one you pick could be gone by the time you've finished clicking yes on the app. And booking in advance... it's a month away.

I just wondered if I/my son would be in bother if next time, i took him with me rather than rely on someone else

Missing one registration and say 30 mins isn't exactly a massive issue though, is it. Unless it's happening frequently.
Sometimes it's unavoidable. I had a fasting glucose test that had to be done first thing. I was able to take DS to school after the first bit, then came back for the second part

@PhilomenaChristmasPie Mine only do between 8.30 and 9.30 on the day appointments and I start work at 9. So sometimes it may be the only option. And if they're running late...

B or C or drop child at school early for breakfast club (if the school offers that)

My school would mark it as a late.

I hate being late for anything and as such i wouldn't even think about taking him in late... I wondered if my thought process on this was off

If I am desperate enough to take an appt that conflicts with drop off or pick up, DH rearranges work and takes care of our child.

If you don't have anyone to take them you have to balance up the importance. If you need an urgent Dr appointment then they just have to be late. Sometimes there is nothing you can do

This happened to me today. Offered an Appt at 0835hrs which I had to turn down and go to the walk in surgery and take pot luck.

Yes of course. If it's an urgent appointment and no one else can take the kids what do you think people do? It's hardly the end of the world for kids to miss the first half hour of school in those circumstances.

Given you were able to arrange family/friends to help out I'm not really sure what your concern is.

@Cohle Because I can't always arrange help. I have 1 friend who I could ask, and fortunately she could. If she was unable, I would have to take him with me or rearrange