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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Have you ever forgotten to pick up your child from school?

139 replies

Ellerehj · 04/03/2022 16:14

DSD has now forgotten to pick up our son 3 times.

I live closer to his school than he does and luckily I've been on hand each time to go get him otherwise he would have been sat there for another 20 minutes or so.

He said he just lost track of time because he's working at home. I don't think that's a good enough excuse?! AIBU to be totally pissed off.

OP posts:
Horst · 04/03/2022 17:18

Never have I forgotten or been late for a pick up.

If you are a forgetful person you set alarms and have plans in place. He just isn’t that bothered.

Maverickess · 04/03/2022 17:20

I haven't forgotten, but I have overslept twice when working a run of consecutive nights and had the phone call because I've slept through my alarm, luckily I lived close and could get there pretty quickly and school was on the DND list, knew I worked nights and did the pick up so limited sleep anyway, so would ring me and they were actually really good about it, which they didn't have to be.

Possibly the sight of me arriving with whatever I had managed to throw on and with my eyeballs hanging out was why!

Ex forgot her a few times, which meant I had to go, which is why I stopped asking him and used to do the school run when I'd been on nights - I was still more reliable.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 04/03/2022 17:25

DH had to be reminded a few times when we were both wfh and it was his turn. He put it in his work calendar and a reminder on his phone.

ErrolTheDragon · 04/03/2022 17:26

I once lost track of time when dd had recently started going to nursery. Fortunately she was due to be picked up at about 3 and it was open to 5 or 6pm so there were plenty of kids still there when I turned up at about 4pm - I'm not sure if DD realised anything was amiss, other than unexpectedly getting a jam sandwich.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 04/03/2022 17:27

No! But I can imagine exh doing it

neverbeenskiing · 04/03/2022 17:40

I live closer to his school than he does and luckily I've been on hand each time to go get him otherwise he would have been sat there for another 20 minutes or so.

This is why he keeps "forgetting". He knows you're there as back up.

Rememberallball · 04/03/2022 17:40

Not me as mine are too young for school but DM slept through pick up a few times when DB and I were still in infant school (way back in the 1970’s) as she worked nights as a nurse and would wait till we were at school before sleeping. On the couple of occasions I remember it happening the head teacher took us back home in her car - only a couple of minutes from school, even walking was only about 10 minute journey with little kids!

megletthesecond · 04/03/2022 17:56

Never.

Whitecushion · 04/03/2022 17:57

When I was a guide a parent forgot to pick their child up from camp. They had got the day wrong and were on holiday. She went home with our guider for the night.

GetTheStartyParted · 04/03/2022 17:59

My mum forgot my DS because she was in the pub. Never asked her again.

KittenKong · 04/03/2022 17:59

No. But I’ve had nightmares like that!

OverByYer · 04/03/2022 18:01

No never

Onlyforcake · 04/03/2022 18:05

Never forgotten. Eldest is 16, youngest 6. I have been late once because of an incident on the bus i was on involving an ambulance and a load of police officers.
Some things are important. If he has a hole in his head on this can he set an alarm to remind him? On a phone/ Alexa/ laptop/ Tele or whatever it is he does prioritise?

speakout · 04/03/2022 18:06

No

SpiderinaWingMirror · 04/03/2022 18:08

No. Neither has my husband. Once git caught in terrible traffic due to an accident closing the road I was on. But after school club had procedures in place for that.

Babdoc · 04/03/2022 18:10

I never picked them up from school in the first place. They walked the 200 yards home from the village primary with all the other kids, and they got the school bus home from secondary as it was 17 miles away. I think the nanny took them to and fro a few times in reception class, til they got used to it.

GrandTheftWalrus · 04/03/2022 18:52

When dd was at nursery it was closing at 1pm for summer holidays. I thought it was 1.30pm so double checked at 1.10pm. So was 15 mins late for her. However I had a 6 week old at the time and was shattered

Oysterbabe · 04/03/2022 18:54

My husband has once and I was FURIOUS. He was working and lost track of time.

Coyoacan · 04/03/2022 19:08

When my dgd was in Pre-School, they would hand any child whose parent was over half an hour late over to Social Services (another country). I've been neurotic about time-keeping ever since.

Hadjab · 04/03/2022 19:14

Never forgotten to do pick up, but I did forget to drop my son off at nursery. I only noticed because I turned round to get my bag off the back seat, and there he was!

Darbs76 · 04/03/2022 19:16

No, I’ve had kids in school for 24yrs and never forgot no

YukoandHiro · 04/03/2022 19:17

Three times sounds a lot like he's being deliberately shit so that you choose to all the pick ups to avoid the embarrassment/frustration of it.

Don't crack! It's not you that looks shit...

catsandquails · 04/03/2022 19:21

No. The worst was when I thought DS's after school activity finished at 4.15 (all the other activists always did and still do!) but actually it finished at 4pm so I was almost 15 minutes late. And because I was so confused, plus there were two other children also still waiting, I didn't realise I was late (until talking to DS about it on the way home) and so didn't apologise to the teacher. I felt terrible for ages!

ReceptionTA · 04/03/2022 19:21

No, I wouldn't forget or be late if I could possibly help it...my DM was often late and I wouldn't do that to my DC.

Parents who work shifts or nights sometimes sleep through their alarm and need to be telephoned to collect their child. I feel sorry for them, as they will only have gone to bed at 9:30am and then need to be up again at 3pm, so aren't getting g more than 5 1/2 hours sleep. The usual response when they pick up the phone and realise it's me is; "FUCK!" Grin

I can see how people working g from home might get engrossed in what they're doing, but they need to set an alarm for important things like school lock ups. Also, why didn't the school phone the parent first?

catsandquails · 04/03/2022 19:21

Activities not activists! 🤦‍♀️