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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Chairs on tables

69 replies

JaggersCat · 14/12/2020 03:22

My 7 year old DD got hit in the eye by a chair at school. All the children have to put the chairs up on the tables at the end of the day and it was knocked. Headteacher said it is to make it easier to clean the floor.
AIBU to be furious that the floor seems to me more important than DD’s eye?

OP posts:

unchienandalusia · 14/12/2020 11:15

Furious!?! Do t be ridiculous OP.

SoupDragon · 14/12/2020 11:18

It was a simple accident. She will have many of them over the years.

Aprilx · 14/12/2020 11:20

YABU. I started school in 1974 and chairs on tables at the end of the day was absolutely normal.

I had a few accidents at school over the years, mainly cut and bruised knees from running and falling over. Most pupils experienced the same at times. I don’t think any parent was left “heartbroken” or demanded that there should be no more running at school.

BlusteryLake · 14/12/2020 11:23

My son got hit in the face by a football during PE. I think they should ban PE 😂😂

GazOnABender · 14/12/2020 11:23

OP, it's parents like you that are driving teachers out of the profession. Honestly, teach your small person some resilience and learn some yourself!

Heartbroken indeed!

Anoisagusaris · 14/12/2020 11:25

If every activity that caused my kids an injury was banned, everyone would be sitting at home in bed wrapped in cotton wool.

You are utterly ridiculous.

Sparklingbrook · 14/12/2020 11:25

I remember we had to do this at school, sounds like an unfortunate accident nothing to do with floors being more important than eyes.

SaintWilfred · 14/12/2020 11:25

I wouldn't be a teacher for all the money in the world. The parents would put me right off.

MotherForker · 14/12/2020 11:26

My ds had some playground toy (a wheel/tyre I think- never found out exactly what) thrown at him and he needed glueing on his forehead. He might still have a scar. I don't want them to ban the stuff they were playing with though. It was an accident, accidents happen.

You are being a drama llama

Kanaloa · 14/12/2020 11:42

It’s horrible to see your child hurt, but it really could have happened in any way. My dd got knocked into by another child coming out of the classroom and she sort of bounced off the doorframe. She had a horrible bruise, but of course it was just an accident and it could happen to anyone. If all the chairs were left out she might have tripped over one and hit her eye on a desk. These things happen with kids.

IMNOTSHOUTING · 14/12/2020 11:43

It was a random accident. If children were constantly being injured by falling chairs you'd have a point but she could just have easily bashed her eye on a door handle.

FaceForRadio1973 · 14/12/2020 11:53

To the person who suggested removing chairs, what a brilliant idea... Nobody would have been able to put a drawing pin on mine back in 1981... (Yes, Simon P. I am looking at you). As for banning PE? Heaven...

Simplyunacceptable · 14/12/2020 11:54

We always had to put chairs on the table at the end of a school day, I think most schools do. Hope your DD is ok of course but this is just standard practice in schools.

DelphineWalsh · 14/12/2020 11:56

Oh give over.

Cocomarine · 14/12/2020 11:58

You being overprotective because she’s short is going to do her no favours in building her own resilience.

Heartbroken?

Presumably it’s in the accident book? It is something that I’d mention to a class teacher tbh - not as a complaint, but possibly they need to remind the kids to lift the chairs up without swinging them about too much.

LittleMissLockdown · 14/12/2020 11:58

Im staggered you're still so furious that you started a thread when it would have been at least 3 days after the incident occurred!!!

Generalblah · 14/12/2020 12:07

Cleaners have limited time to clean multiple rooms and seeing as we’re in a pandemic surely you should be all for more time for them to actually clean classrooms to stop the spread?

Believe me, putting 32 chairs up on the tables takes a lot longer than the seconds it takes for your child to put one chair up.

LindaEllen · 14/12/2020 12:08

I don't think the headteacher is suggesting that the cleaning being easier is 'more important than your daughter's eye'. You're being a little bit dramatic here.

Accidents do and will happen, and if it's not when putting chairs on tables, it'll be at another time.

Children of that age should be able to sensibly place their chairs onto the tables. We do it in all years including reception at our school, and I cannot recall there ever having been an accident.

I hope your daughter is okay, but don't blow up over this. You will look silly.

Wherehavetheteletubbiesgone · 14/12/2020 12:16

Who would be a teacher now. The parents are the biggest issue with outrage and fuming at the smallest things. I remember along time ago if i was smacked at school i daren't tell my parents incase the punished me to make sure i gotten the message too. Parents always seemed to back up the school and rightly so as it instils discipline and respect. Nower days the parents seem to complain their children have to put chairs on the table and heaven forbid group punishment for classwide disruption.

Ginfordinner · 14/12/2020 12:19

@Generalblah

Cleaners have limited time to clean multiple rooms and seeing as we’re in a pandemic surely you should be all for more time for them to actually clean classrooms to stop the spread?

Believe me, putting 32 chairs up on the tables takes a lot longer than the seconds it takes for your child to put one chair up.

You said it better than I did.

HopeYourHighHorseBucks · 14/12/2020 12:37

Pretty standard in schools, also pretty standard for our DC to get hurt when little, not nice but not drama worthy.

NorbertMeubles · 14/12/2020 12:40

YABU. It was an accident. What do you expect to happen? Do you want Gavin Williamson to make it now illegal to put chairs on tables?

Scarby9 · 14/12/2020 12:41

Did you not put your chair on the table when you were at school OP. We did in the 60s and 70s and my classes have always had to do it as a teacher.
It was an accident. Accidents happen. It is always sad when a child gets hurt but I'm afraid she will have other accidents in future, some of which will also be at schooll, and this isno something to complain about.

WilsonandNoodles · 14/12/2020 13:04

I think you have a few options here:
1 Accept that accidents happen, your daughter will have many throughout her life and wrap her in cotton wool ( obviously with a risk of suffercation.

Complain and demand that the cleaner puts up the chairs. In the time they are doing this they will no longer be able to deep clean all surfaces, so the risk of covid and other microbial disease spread will increase. Of course the school could get rid of a teacher an employ a couple more cleaners.
Complain and demand there are no longer any chairs in the classroom. The kids don't need them anyway. They can sit on the clean floor.
Have a little think about if you are being a tad over the top and maybe mention to your daughter that its a good idea to pick up her stuff off the floor before the chairs are picked up do she doesn't have her head below chair height when they are on the table. The teacher and head teacher will have reminded the class about safety because they will feel bad about anyone being injured when in their care, even in the case of an accident.

Nanny0gg · 14/12/2020 14:21

@JaggersCat

It was bleeding and now she got bruising too. Broke my heart to see her hurt. She little for her age.

Schools have done this since forever. It was an heaccident. I'm sure she'll be ok soon

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