Children who are always late for school

[RoadArt]

OK, I am following on from the holiday in term time post and a valid point that someone has just raised about the message we are portraying to our kids that its ok to take time out of school and how this will affect their mind set when they are older and they will think its ok when they are working.

On this point, I am amazed at the number of parents who allow their children to be late to school, some every day, others maybe once/twice a week. It tends to be the same parents, the same excuses and the children get marked in the late register every day.

Isn't this just as bad? Its disruptive for the teacher/class when a child walks in late, and it teaches the child that its ok to be late, so as they get older, they never meet their friends on time, they get a job but dont arrive on time - because mum said was ok when they were little.

Timekeeping is really important, so why do parents think its ok for their children to be late to school on a regular basis?

There is no excuse for a child to be late for school. Everyone knows the starting time.

As a teacher of a year one class I can honestly say that it is very disruptive to the class. I start my morning everyday with a 15 minute phonic session. Everyday the same child is 15 minutes late. I either repeat what I have done - which eats into my next lesson - or the same child misses the phonics input which is very important.
I manage to drop both my DD's off at school at half past seven (we are overseas so start early) and get to my classroom to start my lessons on time!

Perhaps making children afraid of being late for school will make them feel that school is like a prison - you do your time and no excuses?????

Cant beleive the judgemental attitudes on here atm!

fgs!!!!

We couldn't leave the house until ds had done a poo. Honestly. He had "issues", and if we tried to hurry the morning dump he'd become constipated and eventually soil himself. Not good.

This meant that quite often sometimes we'd be late.

The teachers understood, thankfully, and didn't judge. I'd say before judging other parents, consider that maybe they have legitimate reasons for imperfect timekeeping.

It would seem to me that people fall into broadly 3 groups:

1. Those who have some very compelling reasons why they are sometimes/often late for school (primarily DCs with complex disabilities.)

1. Those who have no excuse other than their own inability to be organised and effective.(And if any of you are on this thread and don't wear a watch then - WHY NOT?? It really pisses me off when friends of mine say they are late 'because they didn't know what time it was'....and they don't wear a watch.)

1. Those who have chaotic homes dues to some sort of destructive/addictive behaviour.

I have obvious sympathy for the first group, pretty much none for the second, and perhaps a modicum of sympathy for the third (although frankly, I have a lot more sympathy for their children.)

I am not a teacher, but can only imagine that is disruptive, and annoying to have children coming in late. If I knew about the reasons (i.e ill siblings/parents with serious illness) the I would hope I would be a lot less judgemental.

I'd be mortified to see more than maybe one late a year for exceptional circumstances.

WOW

1. I have MUCH more important things to be mortified about than if I happen to be later twice a year for me there is 5 children (I collect 2 every day) to take into account so stuff happens

2. you clearly do not live in the middle of the country where suddenly one day there can be flooding or a road thats has suddenly got roadworks on it (happened this morning we had no warning so had no idea) or a tractor (2 days ago on the way to pick up) or horses (regularly both being ridden on and twice with no riders) or my personal favourite about 10 pigs in the middle of the road (only happened once) on your school run.
   Those have all happened in this last year as have a child throwing up on the school run (we stopped dealt with the child that was sick then got the others to school and sick child home.

it called life.. it happens and its not something to be mortified about.

I do think most of this thread is quite self congratulatory. My children are more often than not on school on time but if they are not honestly just like my dh's boss and just like my class on Saturday whom had to put up w trains being down and my having a unexpected longer journey you have to put up with it at times.

Plenty of jobs where meetings run over and you are late for the next because of it and plenty of jobs where yu are on flexi time so the argument that bosses will mind imo is supjective to where you work.

I used to not think too much about the people that were constantly late for class until my DD described one day how the lesson had to go back to the beginning every single day when the late child arrived 20-30 minutes in. Not to mention the stress it was adding to the teacher's morning which then affected them all.

Now I think being continually late for school without good reason is pretty antisocial.

Personally, I hate being late, I get nervous, therefore I mostly try to do everything in plenty of time and appear to have a pretty boring life in comparison to what I read here.

We leave the house at ca. 8.40 (5-10 min walk) are at school in time for DS (5) and DD (2) to have a run around the field with friends, DS goes in when doors open - every day! Boring but it suits me fine.

Wow, we were late this morning. not that uncommon, this is today's story:

I went skating for many hours yesterday and was dog-tired last night, asleep by 9:30pm.
Yet I suffer from insomnia and awake with that from 1:30-6:30am.
I started to fall asleep again after the 7:05 alarm went, luckily one of the DC woke me.
Blundering around with very foggy head, got DS1 off to his school then found I just couldn't get my brain in gear and was 5 minutes late leaving with the other DC.
Would have been fine, but 6yo (fine up until this moment) had a sudden strop because 9yo was walking quickly away just as he was saying something.
I told the 9yo to go up to school alone just so at least she wouldn't be late (I'm sure that's the sort of thing many would like report me to SS for), and 6yo continued to strop, shout, tantrum and walk as slowly as he knew how for the next 15 minutes.
So we were 5 minutes late in the end.

But I'm sure that's all quite pathetic, "no excuse" etc.

Well ragged....I for one completely give a total shit about your lateness, and how it impacts on my child's education, as well as feeling a nice glow of self satisfaction that we made it on time this morning....but then I'm not a lazy, disrespectful, bad mannered loser like you. I am a GOOD mother.

Or something....

laughs Ragged Ive had mornings similar to that

as I said life happens..

like John Lennon said

Life is what happens to you whilst your busy making other plans

I used to be really punctual and get quite anxious about being late - but ds started getting very grumpy about going to school so he'd walk at a snail's pace and rather than jolly him along I'd get annoyed with him because I really wanted him to be on time - so he'd have a full on tantrum and refuse to go in and then he was seriously late - so I learned a lesson - a child is better late and happy that on time and miserable. I wish he could control his moods more but he can't - he's just not a morning bod.

I'm not a morning person, either. It's a frigging MIRACLE that I get them to school on time (most days).

I tend to be on time...but since I am the class teacher, people might start mentioning it if I wasn't!

I reckon teachers can tell in the end, if it's due to genuine unpredictable circumstances, or due to lazyarsedness.

I so agree about it often being the nearest residents who are late! My friend in secondary lived soooo near and was always last in.

One of DD's preschool friends is always the last to be picked up. Always. All the other parents are called in at once, and this girl doesn't even bother looking up because her mum won't be there, and she doesn't look sad about it any more, I think she's used to it. It's not like her mum doesn't care, she's just not so good with the time keeping, but she lives closer than us! There is never an apology for being late though

TBH I'm quite glad we don't have a car (we are pretty much the only family at that preschool without one) as it means we HAVE to leave by a particular time, depending on whether we are walking or getting the bus.

Tbh, I would have thought that occasional lateness (like what could be caused by tractors/ floods etc) I think the OP was directed at lateness that happens frequently, which is harder to justify. If someone who worked for me was late frequently, then unless it improved then they would be looking for a new job (with a reference that mentioned their timekeeping.) this whole 'life gets in the way' thing doesn't really cut much ice unless it us an occasional disaster.

That should read 'occasional lateness is OK.'

What notyummy said. If you feel it's important enough, you get there (obv some people, as has been mentioned, have special circumstances). I agree with the OP, and I don't mark about three kids "away" on the register, as they generally rock up at about 9.35. With reasons such as "It was a bit hectic in our house this morning, and the alarm didn't go off" or somesuch. And then fuss with their child's book bag plus hug plus kiss plus see you later, darling, for about 5 minutes. During my lesson. And breathe.

Persistant latecomers at my school often have parents who had a bad time when they were at school and dont hold in in regard, or are wary of authority, so don't bother showing up at all!

It is the same children each time and they are falling further and further behind

Friendships AND learning are compromised

Sometimes DD1 and DD2 both need a really long poo at about 8.45am.

You can't really argue with that.

Is there any teacher on here who doesnt have any regular latecomers?

We've had the long poo problem, too!

Wouldn't have thought so - this is my third school and there've always been a few!

poo prob here too! I just sigh and put the kettle on again.

We are often late, for all manner of reasons. Not good, but shit happens, or not

I don't really get it. Most schools have some sort of activity that effectively acts as a buffer for latecomers and you'd have to be really late to miss out on so much of a lesson that it all needed to be explained to you again.

I don't get why people are up in arms at all. Latecomers at our school (and it's true that i do seem to see the same faces on my way out, having dropped off DC's and had a good chat with other mums before ;eaving the playground) don't seem to make any difference whatsoever (and I help on some days).

I can see though that it could present problems at secondary school, however the child is by then responsible for getting themselves to school.

I was frequently late either dropping off or picking up my dc's at pre-school and everyone laughed long and hard about how much trouble we'd be in at primary school for our tardiness. This is year 3 and we're yet to be late.

At pre-school it really doesn't matter, it's not compulsory. At primary etc. I believe you should try to be there on time and orm good habits but really... what difference does it make?

And as for taking children out during term time, in the summer term DP and I are planning to do just that. In primary school surely it's experiences that count and any educator would be hard pushed to argue that my DC's would learn more in school a few weeks away from the summer holidays than they would on holiday (and before any of you say why not change your holiday, the tour de france doesn't move at the request of 1 mum).

Some rules are well meant but ultimately a bit ridiculous. Obviously it's trying to get maximum attendence but my DC's are hanging round chips shops or playing slot machines, or whatever it is children who truant do, so I'll be the juge of whether they should be in school or not.

It may be the case at your child's school they have put activities in place knowing that children will be late and miss out on teaching if lessons start when the should at the beginning of the school day.
As a teacher I can assure you it does make a difference if I've spent 20 mins teaching only for a child to walk in just as I'm sending the rest of the class off to work independently. For the child who arrives every morning (in time for lunch) and never gets taught so struggles along behind their class mates it makes a difference