To send a slightly snarky message on a WhatsApp group full of people I don’t know?

[Idontcareifyourestuckatthegate]

I have DC at nursery. To get on the grounds of the nursery you have to press a bell at the gate and be buzzed in.

Each parent or pair of parents has a private WhatsApp group with the nursery phone so we can send and receive messages that are just to do with our own DC. There is also a big WhatsApp group for all parents of children at the nursery with over 100 people in, that was originally created so that the nursery could contact us all at once with important updates.

Except now people use it to let the nursery staff know when they’re standing at the gate waiting to be let in. At least a dozen times a day from Monday to Friday. I’m sick to death of seeing a bunch of notifications from the WhatsApp group on my phone every damn day and thinking something important must have happened, but no it’s just a bunch of people who are waiting at the fucking gate! Do all 100+ of us need to know this? No!! I know I could mute the group but then I wouldn’t get notified about things I actually do need to know.

AIBU to send a message asking all those fucking gate people to just message the nursery directly (like I do) if they’re waiting to be let in? It’s doing my head in!

I would never have the guts to do it, but this would drive me bonkers too.

Can you ask the nursery to make it so that only admin (ie their staff) can send messages?

It doesn’t have to be a snarky message.

Something like “I have a favour to ask - please could everyone waiting to be let in contact the nursery using the private chat? I’m finding all the notifications quite distracting and it’s making it difficult to see if there’s anything important”

This - ask the nursery to change the group so it’s just for them to post notices on.

Just mute the group and check it each day in case you need to know anything. I do this with a group I’m on for for some kids activities as half the parents treat it like their social group.

Also if the nursery have a bell, why are people WhatsApping them to be let in? Seems like a rubbish system.

Just mute the chat.

Just ask the nursery to speak to parents themselves.

Although, I'd be pissed off if my children's nursery were spending this much time on WhatsApp.

Phone numbers are classed as personal data, so they're covered under GDPR. And everyone in the WhatsApp group can see every other member's phone number. Have nursery got a GDPR policy and asked for permission to share your phone number in this way?

Might be a bulldozer way of dealing with it but potentially the group could get closed down if you use the above excuse, and they can go back to sending news the same way most other nurseries do, letters, emails etc.

Send the sarky message to the nursery who should be moderating the whatsapp group.

They don’t always hear it.

PM the nursery & ask them to post it as a request on the group (or better, set group to posts by admin only).

As PP have said, the nursery need to change the group settings so only they can post. Massive groups with people who don't know each other are a recipe for disaster if everyone can post.

This would drive me insane!
you’ll probably find at least half the group at thinking the same thing and probably back you up.
if you don’t want to do it yourself, then ask the nursery if they will post

ask the nursery to send the message

I have several muted groups and just check in every now and again.

I'd tell the nursery too and and then like it when it was sent

I am interested in why it might not be a good idea to send the message yourself? As long as it’s polite why not just send it. Just curious.

You clearly don’t have much going on if this bothers you.
Just mute the chat.

Nursery should be able to set up a broadcast messaging via what's app. It goes direct to each person without everyone seeing who else is getting the same message. Protects people's numbers and avoids irritating use of the massive group chat. It means you can see the message from nursery, and they still only have to write it out once.
I'd have a word with them to see if they can improve the system, and as above quote GDPR if necessary, especially if they haven't asked if your details can be used in a what's app group.

Maybe say after every one 'I think you meant to put this on your private WhatsApp hun' (actually not the hun, I've never 'hunned' anyone!
Surely people would get the message then??

If the school set up a WhatsApp community then they can post updates, but no one can post on the group.

It's a great way for the school to communicate, without numerous responses

This is good!!

Of you don't care if people think you're a dick do it. A more normal approach would be to ask the nursery staff to do it I'd imagine.

Phone numbers are classed as personal data, so they're covered under GDPR. And everyone in the WhatsApp group can see every other member's phone number. Have nursery got a GDPR policy and asked for permission to share your phone number in this way?

Surely people have to agree to be part of the group? Plus not everyone has WhatsApp. It seems an unlikely scenario that the nursery just added everyone regardless and didn’t even check if all parents had access to WhatsApp.