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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to use breakfast club when I'm wfh

23 replies

Horispondle · 17/08/2021 21:13

Pre COVID our council had free open to all breakfast club available to all. Only 45 mins in the morning but great as I wfh I could be back from drop off at my desk ready for 9am calls.
Schools are back here and I've been told I'm not allowed to use breakfast club because I work from home and they are minimising numbers. Both DH and I work demanding jobs wfh where we are on 3 hr calls can be at any time of day. DC are going to paid for after school childcare where they mix with children from other schools. Im annoyed that I have to pay for childcare because the headteacher knows I wfh and if I have early calls I'll now have to drive to next village and pay for childcare because other people's children take priority. I live very very close to the school so teachers know if I'm at home or not. It's not even the cost that's bothering me it's the driving when I live next to the school and my DCs friends getting to go and have fun without them. AIBU?

OP posts:
dalrympy · 17/08/2021 21:16

What time does school start? If you live that close surely you can be back at your desk for 9?

Drop off 5 mins early and go straight home. I think using breakfast club in your situation is a bit much.

Hercisback · 17/08/2021 21:24

What time does school start?

Set up, log in, drop off and return for calls.

Tohaveandtohold · 17/08/2021 21:24

If you’re that close to the school then I can see their point as it makes sense for you to just drop them off and be back at your desk before you start work.
I use a breakfast club (paid for) as well but that’s because the school is a 15 mins drive each way and with the staggered start times due to covid and traffic, I’ll really be late to start work.

ThereWillBeFood · 17/08/2021 21:33

That would annoy me OP. I’ve always worked from home in a professional role and it’s always pissed me off that people think My life is “easy”and somehow my job is less worthwhile. I chose my job because I could work from home even though it pays less.

I’d be tempted to be petty and suddenly have to report to the office first thing

wedwewerpink · 17/08/2021 21:38

So tell them you're back in the office and say you cycle/get a lift etc

Original poster
Horispondle · 17/08/2021 21:41

Yes absolutely I am back at my desk plenty time for 9am The issue is my calls are sometimes 6-8am (Australia) or 8-9am that we have to juggle as someone has to get them up and ready and out the house. If they were in breakfast club at 8am I could start at 8am and not have to pay for as much after school care. If it was means tested then fine. But I'm being told I can't use a council service because I am too close so having to pay for a service elsewhere.

OP posts:
Hercisback · 17/08/2021 21:44

Ah that's frustrating if you can't use it for early calls. Could you say you're in the office? Or even go to the office?

Can you contact the council direct and check the policy with them?

Saz12 · 17/08/2021 21:46

I get why youre annoyed, but if they have to minimise numbers and you don’t have to use the club for childcare AND your children don’t need the club for food, then really they have to drop someone and you’d be the most obvious one.

Why is it free to use - just out of interest? Ours costs £4 for an hour (normal state primary school). Is it funded by parent volunteer type fundraising?

Drop them off 5 mins early so you’re back home got 9am.

Original poster
Horispondle · 17/08/2021 21:46

@ThereWillBeFood

That would annoy me OP. I’ve always worked from home in a professional role and it’s always pissed me off that people think My life is “easy”and somehow my job is less worthwhile. I chose my job because I could work from home even though it pays less.

I’d be tempted to be petty and suddenly have to report to the office first thing

This is a big factor too. School phone me for everything because they know I can pop by with forgotten pe kit etc. I have big chip on my shoulder about it as think they think I'm probably doing pyramid selling or something. Teacher is very patronising with me and I nearly had a breakdown about the homeschooling expectations (as I'm sure many others did too).

She knows I've no office to return to so can't even fib about it.

OP posts:
Saz12 · 17/08/2021 21:47

Cross posted! Sorry IP, in that case I’d explain to school.

Notcontent · 17/08/2021 21:47

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about what wfh actually entails - from conversations with friends and family in recent weeks, many people still think it’s “checking a few emails while doing other things and drinking coffee”. It really isn’t. That’s the op’s problem.

Mehat40 · 17/08/2021 21:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hercisback · 17/08/2021 21:48

Is the only reason you can't use it because you WFH? Surely that's wrong. You're working regardless of where you are.

5zeds · 17/08/2021 21:49

You BOTH work from home?

Original poster
Horispondle · 17/08/2021 21:56

Yes both wfh international calls with very little control over or schedules. Actually both dealing with Australia at the moment so completing to 'get' the morning slot/other takes kids to school.

Previously breatclub was open to all, no requirement to disclose if you worked or not. It's free for all schools in the whole council, not means tested. I would not be wanting to take a place away from a kid that needs fed. Not at all. But if it was a previously universal entitlement why should I have to pay for childcare elsewhere and more annoyingly have my kids mix with kids from other schools in the private childcare setting in the name of infection prevention?

OP posts:
Original poster
Horispondle · 17/08/2021 21:59

@Notcontent

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about what wfh actually entails - from conversations with friends and family in recent weeks, many people still think it’s “checking a few emails while doing other things and drinking coffee”. It really isn’t. That’s the op’s problem.
This. Thank you. Previous interaction with head teacher leads me to believe this is her impression of working from home also.
OP posts:
PumpkinPie2016 · 17/08/2021 22:08

I would complain in your shoes! Why are they still minimising numbers anyway? The vast majority of things are now 'back to normal' in terms of distancing/school bubbles etc. So there should be no reason to minimise numbers?

Also, you are not using it for the sake of it, you are actually working! Ok, you wfh but you still have actual calls/online meetings that are scheduled with people in different time zones.

Hercisback · 17/08/2021 22:10

I'd complain.
Start with HT then council if needed.

Auntycorruption · 17/08/2021 22:13

How does school staff know so much a or your life?

Forgotten PE kit etc - the simple way to avoid that is don't forget it!

Alternista · 17/08/2021 22:14

Write a letter and complain.

BookShark · 17/08/2021 22:18

My only caveat on this would be that when I was in your position last year DD knew I was working from home so would ask the office to ring me if she'd forgotten something, whereas if I were at the office she'd have had to borrow from lost property etc. So I have some sympathy with them ringing you for that stuff - school would always apologise and say DD had told them it was okay (which it was).

No sympathy for school on the clubs thing though. As the inverse to my comment above, if I couldn't make it for normal drop off, DD knew

BookShark · 17/08/2021 22:19
  • had to do clubs. That's a family decision - school don't get to decide who benefits from it - you either offer it to everyone or not at all.
Mehat40 · 18/08/2021 07:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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