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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Turned away from breakfast club! AIBU

223 replies

Mumsgotaheadache01 · 09/01/2025 19:22

So every 2 weeks I book and pay for blocks of breakfast club for my child. She goes every morning as I work. I turned up as usual at 7.50 this morning and popped her into her school reception and checked her in. Only to be told that she wasn't booked in on the list this morning. I questioned it and the receptionist said that it had been cancelled by payer. I then checked on my parentpay app and it said that my payments were cancelled! So that's obviously why it had removed my child from her bookings. I had certainly not cancelled her chilcare. I have over £50 loaded onto parentpay. So have absolutely no idea why this has happened. I was told that my little one could not come into breakfast club. So I had to sit in the car with a grumpy cold child who had had no breakfast, be late for work and wait for normal school drop off time. Am I being unreasonable to be upset by this . And wonder why parentpay would just cancel my booking like that. And to be really worried and anxious that this might happen again for no reason.

OP posts:
PickledPurplePickle · 09/01/2025 19:25

Have you spoken to ParentPay to see why it happened?

Completelyjo · 09/01/2025 19:25

I’m just stuck on the fact that you sat in the car with a primary school child for over an hour rather than taking them home or to the shop to get breakfast even when you knew you couldn’t leave them at the club.

Bearbookagainandagain · 09/01/2025 19:25

You didn't get her breakfast?!
I mean yeah you're right about the app, but I don't get why you wouldn't take her to get breakfast somewhere instead of waiting in the car...

Flittingaboutagain · 09/01/2025 19:27

Did they have no capacity? That's really unkind otherwise.

Can you clarify the error with parent pay?

biscuitsandbooks · 09/01/2025 19:31

YANBU to be annoyed, but why on earth did you sit in a freezing car instead of getting your child warm and fed?

Sassybooklover · 09/01/2025 19:31

I'm guessing you need to contact ParentPay to find out why this has happened. I'm assuming that the school are notified via ParentPay, of those children who's parents have paid, and they then collate a list of children attending? The school aren't obliged to take your child, if they've received no payment or it's been cancelled. They wouldn't know why it's been cancelled.

Judellie · 09/01/2025 19:39

I had issues with ParentPay. Not a great system imo

Zippidydoodah · 09/01/2025 19:40

Completelyjo · 09/01/2025 19:25

I’m just stuck on the fact that you sat in the car with a primary school child for over an hour rather than taking them home or to the shop to get breakfast even when you knew you couldn’t leave them at the club.

Yes, this.

Trickabrick · 09/01/2025 19:42

Completelyjo · 09/01/2025 19:25

I’m just stuck on the fact that you sat in the car with a primary school child for over an hour rather than taking them home or to the shop to get breakfast even when you knew you couldn’t leave them at the club.

Agree, that’s a really weird reaction OP!

Delatron · 09/01/2025 19:43

It sounds like a system error which is very frustrating. Hopefully you get to the bottom of it. I would have taken her somewhere for breakfast though. Even if it was to grab something from a garage/ supermarket if nowhere else open.

Or I’d have gone home and fed her, even if it meant being a little late back to school.

TartanMammy · 09/01/2025 19:44

Why didn't you get her some breakfast while you were waiting?

DreamW3aver · 09/01/2025 19:45

Why did you have to sit in the car?

Whinge · 09/01/2025 19:46

Completelyjo · 09/01/2025 19:25

I’m just stuck on the fact that you sat in the car with a primary school child for over an hour rather than taking them home or to the shop to get breakfast even when you knew you couldn’t leave them at the club.

I agree. I can't believe you didn't get her anything for breakfast. Shock

BarbaraHoward · 09/01/2025 19:49

Gah that's so annoying.

Our school are brilliant with breakfast club in fairness, I've brought DD without booking her in before and they just welcome her in and add the payment to the system. But it is fair enough not to let anyone in who hasn't booked, especially if numbers are tight or they're providing food (ours don't).

Createausername1970 · 09/01/2025 19:49

Yeah, my first reaction was why didn't you get some breakfast from somewhere? Home, Macdonalds, a local newsagent? Somewhere would have some food of some description.

Kashmiri24 · 09/01/2025 19:50

You should have taken your child to a cafe for breakfast instead of sitting in the car, fuming. Poor kid. Your dispute is with ParentPay, not the school.

Babadook76 · 09/01/2025 19:51

Absolutely no way would my school have turned a child away in that situation, whether they were technically at full capacity or not. But I’m also gobsmacked that you just sat there with a hungry child and then sent them to school with an empty belly. Her day must have been horrendous!

ToKittyornottoKitty · 09/01/2025 19:51

Parent pay is rubbish, but the cold hungry child is your fault, your car could have driven home or to a shop for breakfast and it also has heating.

comedycentral · 09/01/2025 19:54

Please tell us part 2 where you fed and warmed her up!

ohyesido · 09/01/2025 19:56

Did you sit outside in protest for an hour for any reason?

OopsyDaisie · 09/01/2025 19:58

Completelyjo · 09/01/2025 19:25

I’m just stuck on the fact that you sat in the car with a primary school child for over an hour rather than taking them home or to the shop to get breakfast even when you knew you couldn’t leave them at the club.

This!

Mumdiva99 · 09/01/2025 19:58

Why couldnt school accept her anyway and you pay after? Was the club full? I would have let a regular child in and accepted the error was an error. Goodness we use it for lunches and it does happen - usually cancelled in error by a parent. Or they book it but don't make the payment in time and it shows as cancelled by payer.

anniegun · 09/01/2025 19:59

Annoying but technical glitches happen (and user errors). Just get your poor kid some breakfast and not make her the martyr.

DurhamDurham · 09/01/2025 19:59

Very annoying for you I'm sure but to let your child go into school without breakfast isn't great. Surely you had time to go and get her something to eat somewhere, even a Greggs would have filled her up. Sitting in the car seething wasn't useful to either of you.

Blondeshavemorefun · 09/01/2025 19:59

Same as others

Why sit in the car without engine running aka being cold

Rather then go home / quick stop off for breakie

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