To be surprised they didn't call?

[UndertheCedartree]

On a Saturday I take my DD to gymnastics and her dad picks her up. I suddenly get a call from him half an hour after she should have been picked up to say he forgot but was now on his way. I tried ringing gymnastics but noone picked up so I sent an email in case they would see that. He picked her up 45 minutes late.

AIBU to be surprised they didn't phone when she hadn't been picked up. They have mine and her dad's number. Of course this is entirely his fault - I'm not blaming them but if they'd rung she would have been picked up sooner.

It depends. Saturdays at these sort of things are busy so she may have been able to sit and wait on the side and watch, or even stay for another class.

Our club technically charges for late pick up but we only usually do it of we have to pay staff to wait with the child after hours. Generally if the child is ok to stay we’ll keep an eye out in some manner until parent shows.

If it’s saturday classes it may have been a case of sit and watch and we’ll call in the break between hourly classes if no one turns up.

Do they have other classes on afterwards? And also how old is she? She maybe just stood to the side and watched whilst waiting and they didn't notice she hadn't been collected.

What did they do for the 45 minutes she was there????? That's crazy!!!

Hmmmmmmm im in 2 minds. How old is she?

In the clubs I have experience of once you leave the gym/floor and go to the changing rooms and out the club staff cant see you, and their busy teaching the next class.

I run activity and usually call after fifteen minutes. But if I was busy with next section might not be exact in timing. If several parents late and one had said traffic /accident nearby etc I don't call as don't want to increase risk people answering phone driving.

Older child with phone would ask them to call themselves

How old is she?

I'd be very surprised that they didn't call after such a delay in collection. Was she sat waiting for you with them or did they not actually know she hadn't been collected? If the latter depending on her age I'd be asking what the policy is to prevent children leaving unaccompanied.

Depends. If other classes are running they probably popped her at the side to watch sp they could keep an eye. They wouldn't have time to go find your number and ring you as they would be taking a class

It really depends if they have other classes after your DD's and how old she is, how many other kids and families are hanging around.

Depends how old she is. If she's over 8, she could leave the class by herself, and they wouldn't even have known.

At the gymnastics club DD goes to, they have a constant stream of classes. It wouldn’t be any real issue for a child to sit at the side and wait while the next class got underway, and I doubt the teachers have any time to make calls. The child wouldn’t be in any danger, it’s not like it’s the end of the school day and everyone else was going home.

They knew she hadn't been collected as someone stands at the door making sure they go with a parent. She is 9. She was in the gym watching but her dad said she was crying when he got there. I'm sure they were keeping an eye on her. It could have been that they didn't have a chance as had more classes to teach and I guess that was why they didn't answer the phone. I've made her dad set a reoccurring alarm so it doesn't happen again.

It sounds like they were just too busy to find a phone number, but kept her safe at the same time.

The gym did the right thing. Kept her safe but didn't interrupt the next class to sort it all out.
I assume her tears were because she didn't know what was going on?
As soon as my dc got to 8, and I knew they'd just be let out of activities, I made sure they knew that I'd be there, but there might be a possibility I was late, and just to wait if so. I actually loved the liberation and flexibility that accompanied my dc turning 8, as I felt I could trust them to wait somewhere for me.

Did they call her Dad?

I’m surprised they didn’t phone one of you. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t call you if they knew he was collecting her.

They should have a policy for late collections.