School office lost my son's school bag

[Liglig]

AIBU to feel annoyed about a staff member misplacing my son's schoolbag? Unfortunately we got to school and realised we forgot my son's school bag at home, so as I live close by I popped home and dropped my son's school bag into the office to pass it on to his classroom for us, this is not usually a problem and we very rarely do it.

This time the bag didn't make it to the classroom and the lady who took it up went home early so we had to wait days for her to come in again as she does not work everyday.

When she finally turns up the office says the lady cannot remember where she took my son's bag to. We waited days just to get this reply. AIBU to think they could of phoned her up and asked her on the day the bag went missing where she put it? Maybe she would've known and remembered while it was fresh in her mind, but instead they waited days until she forgot.

I went to the head teacher and they just keep saying they'll look out for it and that there is nothing else they can really do. I describe the bag as blue and black everyday and still each time office staff as if it's blue and yellow, they don't take note of what I say.

AIBU that this person who lost my son's schoolbag is not being held accountable. I feel like I'm just being fobbed off, not even had any apologies or anything, his bag had a PE kit and his reading record in there which would've been nice to keep as it is his last year there. I am not financially well off as now I have to buy another bag and a set of PE clothes just for the last 2 months he has at this school and the reading records I usually like to keep for keepsake.

Sorry this is so long I don't know how to type in a nutshell and end up typing a novel.

Surely you don't have to buy new PE clothes for 2 months. Just send him in with appropriate sports clothes and the school will have to make an exception until the bag is found. How big is the school? Surely there can't be too many places for her to have taken it?

The school is a primary school and has about 600 kids in it I think, he's in year 6.

I think it's the fact that an adult has lost it that bothers me most.

So you’ve never lost something since becoming an adult?

I must have missed being issued my ability to keep track of all things when I turned 18 🤣

She probably walked it straight down to a classroom which is why she doesn't remember doing it. People often don't remember what they did on autopilot.

Problem is, if she took it to the wrong class by accident, she won't remember which class.

I'd ask your child to get permission to look in the other classrooms at breaktime.

Explain to the school that your child won't be in uniform for PE as his kit was misplaced by staff and you aren't buying new or you could ask to have a dip in lost property.

There is always the chance that another children has taken the bag which is why it can't be found.

Goodness don’t buy a new bag or PE kit for the last 6 weeks. Send him in appropriate clothes to do PE, but if they complain point out that it was them who lost it in the first place

Yes check the actual lost property plus his classroom.
Does he also have a name that another child in a different class could have that's the same or very similar.
It could be it got dropped off in the classroom of Joe Smith in Year 2 instead of Joey Smith of Year 6.

yup, check pegs - all of them. start with his class and work out. don't just have him check his peg as if anything like mine they wouldn't see it if it was right in front of them.

If they have little benches check underneath those as well.
Lost property
Is there a tub of spare clothes that are worn for pe? could it be in that?

Your right to be pissed of but unreasonable to expect them to ring her at home

Don't buy a new PE kit for 6 weeks, jogging bottoms and a tnshirt will be fine if they question it explain why. Whilst at the moment you think the reading record is a nice keepsake I promise in a few years time you would be throwing it out.

Thank you for your replies and suggestions, we have already checked other classrooms and all lost property places too. They have said they will check during the half term holidays when the school closes I just hope they don't forget to check and fob me off again when the kids return to school. Btw my son's name is wrote on the straps of the missing bag and his name is quite unusual/different so it won't be a mistaken identity issue. He has an Indonesian first name and Irish surname.

If you hadn't forgotten it in the first place then it wouldn't have happened. Why is ok for you to forget something but not the member of staff?

This!

surely it’s her son who forgot it, not the mum?

he’s more than old enough to be responsible for his own bag!

Yes you are correct and I am always reminding him that he is responsible for remembering his bag and not to rely on me, but as I live right near the school I handed the bag in afterwards from home, well I certainly won't be doing that again after this happening and I have told him this too that any forgotten items will stay at home in future. One lesson from this is that in big school I cannot come to his rescue if he forgets things but to be fair he has only ever forgotten his bag 3 times in all the years he has been at the school.

Yabu expecting a member of staff to be called at home or held 'accountable'

It's just a bag....which has likely gone home or hot muddled with another kids?

They won't be searching the place for it at half term! As you say, nobody is bothered, it's just a bag unfortunately they will see this kind of thing all the time

But when it comes to parents missing or forgetting something the staff are very quick to jump on us too, so can go both ways. At the end of the day I would expect them to be responsible with children's belongings too. My work would not let me hear the end of it if I were to misplace a child's belongings. I don't like the victim blaming here, yes it's our own fault the bag got forgotten but we didn't deserve to have this happen and to just be "okay" with it. It's the lack of care that they lost the bag that gets me, they just smile at you and brush you off.

In my experience, if it's clearly (externally) labelled with his name then it will turn up in time.

You are blaming the office staff..... you don't even know they are responsible!

Actually the office staff have confirmed the bag didn't go to the right classroom as the bag never made it to my son's classroom at all, of course they are responsible they even named the person who passed the bag on.

Op it's just a bag!

Someone was trying to fix your mistake.

Lol at the "victim blaming" - you're a victim of your own/your son's forgetfulness. Learn a lesson.