Late picking up DD from nursery

[hellomynameissuzy]

I was 10 minutes late picking up my DD from nursery today. The educator that did hand over was not happy at all! She didn’t say a word to me, not even hello or goodbye to my 2 year old DD. She didn’t say anything when I apologised for being late so I couldn’t explain my reason for being late.
The nursery closes at 3pm, I arrived at 3.10pm.
I couldn’t ring ahead and let them know as my phone is broken atm.
AIBU to be upset about the educator being like this towards me? She has only been at this nursery since November. It makes me not want to send her back.

She should have been more professional yes but you should have been there on time. Were there late fees? Will that staff member get paid for staying later?

Ideal world, she might have been more polite, but potentially you have now made both her, and the other member of staff who had to stay late, late for picking up their own dc from somewhere.
Or late for a medical appt
Or missing a train that only runs hourly
Or 101 other things that might have ruined their days.

YABU. Late to pickup is a big no-no. It’s up to you to update them (surely someone around you had a phone!), and also, at least in the daycares and preschool I’ve used, parents make arrangements with another parent to wait with their kid if they are running late.

They are human and I agree, you might have ruined their day for some specific reason. They might have let someone down who was sick or been late to pick their own kid up.

As a one-off I’d move on from it. If they are arsey every pick up or regularly, that’s different.

She shouldn't have been rude, but you are eating into her personal time (which is possibly unpaid). I wouldn't have been pleased either. Why were you late?

Can't believe everyone else's responses, it's 10 minutes... she shouldn't have been so rude to you OP.

This is ridiculous, she’s totally ignored you so definitely complain. It’s not good role modelling for a child is it?
Sometimes parents are late and you apologised. No excuse not to speak to you with civility. Totally passive aggressive, no wonder your upset.

Then don’t be late picking up your child. I’m not sure what country you’re in but it’s really a no no here in the uk.

She should not have been rude no but on another note if your phone is broken how can they contact you if there is an emergency?

You have hugely inconvenienced her. She may be late to collect her own child now, miss a bus, miss seeing an elderly parent, have to rush her errands. You may think it's just one day but consider everyone in that position doing it just once and they're working an extra hour a week. Your phone being broken sounds like a terrible excuse for not contacting them. You'll find this situation in every nursery. They just won't want to know you and you can expect to be fined at least a pound a minute, probably more.

Now you know.

And make sure you have a working phone. How are they supposed to tell you if your child has a need that goes beyond their remit? Do you not realise you're supposed to be contactable?

YABU. Where were you travelling from? Don’t you have a home or work phone? What plan is in place for if they need to call you in an emergency whilst you’re phone is broken?

We don't know that she was hugely inconvenienced do we? Not good OP, but it happens sometimes unfortunately. It may be that she is late to collect her child, so I wonder if she will get the same treatment?

You are judging yourself by your intentions....I meant to get there on time/ I wanted to phone but I couldn't
Whereas other people judge you on your actions.....arriving 10 mins after closing/ didn't even warn by phone.

Sounds like you didn't have to pay though so that's a bonus. I think 10 mins late = £50 at my DS' nursery.

Is it not possible that the child has a DF and he can be contacted in an emergency?

She shouldn't be rude. But you can't expect a handover in this situation. You also need to sort the phone so they can contact you in an emergency.

I mean it's "only 10 minutes" but without any notice at all - if you'd rang ahead it probably would have been different.

Yes she should ahve probably been more professional but she's only han and was obviously inconvenienced by you being late.

Also how on earth do they get hold of you if you don't have a working phone??

Actually YANBU. Silent treatment is not something that your child's nursery should be teaching them is acceptable.

Maybe they would contact the child's father in an emergency??

Only 10 minutes late, could mean she was late on doing something she had planned with picking her own children up. I hope nursery has other contact details if your phone is broke.

Which isn't much use if the OPs meant to be collecting, how is the father meant to contact the OP. She would have turned up and then been cross the child wasn't there if the father had, had to go and collect them and couldn't let her know.

A working phone is pretty essential when you have a child in childcare.

She’s unreasonable and rude.
if nursery finishes at 3 there is no way the person locking up has an anticipation of leaving at 3pm. Not many jobs you can just down tools on the dot of closing! I’d pick up time is 3 it’s going to take a few minutes to hand the children over. There’s usually an extortionate charge for being late which should of course go to the nursery worker.
the problem with stopping to call the nursery if you’re only going to be 10 mins late is that by the time you’ve stopped somewhere safely and called you’ve added another 5 minutes on to the lateness!

I worked in a nursery for a year and this happened every single night (we were open 7am- 6pm) so although it's possibly a one off to you, I guarantee this is a constant pain for the worker. It will also be unpaid so she is right to be annoyed at having to stay late and face whatever consequence this makes for her (such as being late for collecting her own kids...)