Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Schoolgate Covidiot

53 replies

heydoggee · 19/11/2020 16:58

DC goes to a large special school. They have a lot of vulnerable and immuno compromised kids in the building. School obvs know this and are absolutely militant about bubbles, staggered drop offs and appropriate staff in PPE. It's an absolutely huge exercise to get all the kids in and out every day as many are bussed or taxied in from all over our borough. They manage it really well, for the most part.

The line for pickup is spaced and separated out by year group. Parents picking up by car wait by the car and the child is brought to the vehicle. This is obvs to minimise contact between the parents and the bubbles.

But one parent, I will call them Sal, has absolutely no understanding or appreciation of this. Prior to COVID Sal was one of the parents holding court in a bit of a posse at the gates, someone I would nod to say hello to but not stop to chat to. Sal's kid is in my kid's class.

Sal does not want to lose out on their chat time, so now Sal wanders up and down the line with the DC that has been brought out to them, chatting to all the other parents. Their kid runs up to all the kids from other classes and hugs them (not their fault, remember this is a special school and the children have little understanding of social distancing). Sal encourages this. Sal seems to have little understanding of social distancing too.

I am a car picker upper because I feel it's safer, mainly because of parents like Sal. But honestly what is the point of bubbles if Sal and their kid are all over all these other kids and their parents at pickup?

AIBU to dob Sal in, well I wouldn't name them, but to point out to the headteacher how the bubbles are being compromised right in front of our noses? Would I then be THAT parent? I hate that COVID is doing this to everyone.

OP posts:
heydoggee · 19/11/2020 17:09

Ok I'm that parent then Grin

OP posts:
GreyishDays · 19/11/2020 17:10

I’d point it out. Why not? The school doesn’t want a massive cluster of cases.

PaperTowels · 19/11/2020 17:11

I would speak to the Head.

TechnoDino · 19/11/2020 17:12

Yes, speak to the head teacher.

Moirasrose · 19/11/2020 17:12

I’d point it out. We have two parents - separate houses who walk the wrong way into the school and flount the one way system, neither wear masks nor are 2ms apart. I think we all need to do our bit where we can.

Nottherealslimshady · 19/11/2020 17:14

Definitely tell the school. And I'd name her aswell tbh.

EggysMom · 19/11/2020 17:14

I'd speak either to the Head, or to the particular Class teacher (if they are responsible for the line-up and children being brought out to parents). I wouldn't ignore the issue. But then I'm rather well known for pointing out things to the Head of my son's special school Grin

TheStripes · 19/11/2020 17:16

Yes, absolutely point it out and say who it is. Does Sal have SEN?

x2boys · 19/11/2020 17:16

Speak to school about your concerns my son also goes to a special school ,the vast majority of children are bussed in on school transport ,so this is not an issue at my son's school , fortunately my son does not have health issues ,but the other sen primary school in my town does have a lot of children on oxygen etc so I can understand the concerns of parents.

TammyTwoSawnson · 19/11/2020 17:16

Yes, you need to tell the head. Special schools tend to have kids who are clinically extremely vulnerable , so be "that" parent for their sake.

heydoggee · 19/11/2020 17:25

Sal could have SEN, lots of the parents do, which is common in a special school community.

Ok I am drafting an email to the head. I am cringing so much but I am just tired of all the idiots.

OP posts:
Russell19 · 19/11/2020 17:32

Whats the point in the school working so hard and then a parent does this?! You are definitely NBU.

Pipandmum · 19/11/2020 17:35

If the teachers are bring the kids out why arent they noticing this behaviour? But yes I'd have a word with your childs teacher.

TheStripes · 19/11/2020 17:40

@heydoggee

Sal could have SEN, lots of the parents do, which is common in a special school community.

Ok I am drafting an email to the head. I am cringing so much but I am just tired of all the idiots.

Sal having SEN was my first thought. I think the head needs to be aware of who it is because s/he will have a better idea of Sal and whether a one to one chat is better than a generalised reminder to the whole school.
AwaAnBileYerHeid · 19/11/2020 17:45

You've no reason to cringe, Sal should be the one cringing.

Mashingthecompost · 19/11/2020 17:53

Yeah, do it. I emailed a school recently because I saw a parent hawk up a massive gobber and spit it on the pavement. I apologised profusely for adding to their load, but asked whether they could maybe let parents know that that's grim as fuck a surefire way to spread covid. They might have read my email and rolled their eyes, I dunno, but I was so grossed out, I just did it. I don't think you're being that person... I might have been though!

OwlBeThere · 19/11/2020 17:59

Yes i would: either she has her own SN that means she needs to be spoken to. Or she doesn’t and she needs to be spoken to!

Petitmum · 19/11/2020 18:03

I have a child in a special school. Please tell the head!!!

FAQs · 19/11/2020 18:08

Is speak to Sal and if she ignored me I’d speak to school.

FAQs · 19/11/2020 18:08

*Id

jessstan1 · 19/11/2020 18:08

I don't understand why people don't just remind her of the regulations. That would surely be the easiest option.

CuppaZa · 19/11/2020 18:10

As a parent with a child in a very similar educational sitting, I would 100% speak to the school

TheTrashBagIsOursCmonTrashBag · 19/11/2020 18:11

This needs to be raised with the school. My child goes to school with lots of vulnerable children and I would be very unhappy about this especially as my child’s school is working so hard and compromising a lot of the things they would usually do (quite rightly) to keep everyone as safe as possible. What’s the bloody point if people are then crapping all over that?

ArcheryAnnie · 19/11/2020 18:12

Absolutely dob her in. It really isn't fair to any of the kids, or the other families, to let her carry on compromising everyone's health like that.

LoveMyKidsAndCats · 19/11/2020 18:12

Definately tell the school. Get them to speak to Sal.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.