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AIBU?

Both schools and nursery fucking closed because of 2 inches of fucking snow!

71 replies

SickOfBeingSoScared · 05/12/2012 10:49

EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE. I am ranting!!

Neither school informed parents until after 8.15am when I had already left home early to get there on time. Therefore I wasted over an hour and a half as the traffic was ridiculous, we are talking moving at 3mph ffs. What is wrong with people that they cannot drive in a bit of slush!??

It snowed between 5.00 and 6.00am (I was up with DS3 watching it [anger]) not icy just slush. Has not snowed since and it immediately started thawing. The school no more than half a mile away from the DSs is open as usual Hmm.

Been told by DS3's nursery which he attends 3 afternoons a week and which I scrape the money together for, that they are only open to 'working parents' as they don't have enough staff and parents who get the funded hours or who are not going to work cannot take their DC in but I still have to pay for the session anyway! They can fuck right off! Again the nursery less than a mile away from that one is fully open!

AIBU to think the staff probably can't be arsed to go in and I should not have to pay for that?

Really fuming as I had an important appointment this afternoon which I now have to cancel!!

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SickOfBeingSoScared · 05/12/2012 10:51

It snowed between 5.00 and 6.00am (I was up with DS3 watching it Xmas Angry as he had me up at 4.30am!)

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kilmuir · 05/12/2012 10:52

Ridiculous isn't it

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BarryShitpeas · 05/12/2012 10:54

I would take your son to nursery.

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threesocksfullofchocs · 05/12/2012 10:55

yanbu to be angry that the nursery are discriminating

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RooneyMara · 05/12/2012 10:55

I very much doubt it's a case of 'can't be bothered'

It's really dreadful trying to drive in it this morning - not so much the slow people as the nutters trying to go at a normal speed - but then we've had a LOT and it settled and got icy very fast here.

I expect everyone is doing their best but it does cause hassle and communication breakdown.

Calm down...you're not going to make it any better by losing the plot Smile

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SickOfBeingSoScared · 05/12/2012 10:57

It is now bright sun and the snow is melting fast!

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teaguzzler · 05/12/2012 11:00

I know schools often close because on snowy days lots of parents keep their children at home and ofsted do not take this into account when analysing attendance figures. Completely agree that closing seems to be the default response of some schools though. They can't possibly turn your dc away then charge you for it surely!

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RooneyMara · 05/12/2012 11:00

Well lucky you! Can you ring them and ask if it's Ok to bring in your child now?

I imagine they have staff that can't get in because it's worse in outlying areas, or something. and they may not be allowed to have that many children if the ratios are up iyswim

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OneLittleToddlingTerror · 05/12/2012 11:00

Sorry you are being very unreasonable. Just a little inconvenience for you isn't it? Imagine those who aren't going to get paid today because school is closed and they can't get alternative childcare?

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OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 05/12/2012 11:08

YABU about the school, but not about the nursery.

It's outrageous that they are able to open but are going to pick and choose which parents to provide for and then still charge you! Surely if you have an important meeting, you count as a parent who is working? It would probably make no difference if you still have your other child at home, but still, i think the nursery are behaving appallingly. Either way, you shouldn't have to pay for a service they are not providing, they are free to tell their staff they won't be paid if they don't turn up due to snow.

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VoiceofUnreason · 05/12/2012 11:11

What Outraged said

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breatheslowly · 05/12/2012 11:12

By this afternoon the nursery staff should have been able to get in, except those with school children at home. I would definitely be taking the little one to nursery.

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ooer · 05/12/2012 11:12

Is not the real problem that our economic set-up seems to require us to drive? Big distances to get to work, big distances to get to school. A little bit of snow, and, kaput!

YANBU to be annoyed and YADNBU about the nursery. Do you have a working OH? Take em in on his ticket!

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IvanaHumpalot · 05/12/2012 11:20

I would challenge the nursery with regards to not allowing the children of non-working carers and funded places in today.

If you self fund but don't work, you have paid for a service which you are not getting. Ask to see the nursery policy which stipulates the 'hierachy' of payments from types of parents. I doubt there is one and even if they do have this I doubt it could be enforced. Either the nursery is open to all or closed.

If you are funded, ask to see the regulations/section of legislation which refers to this circumstance. Again, I doubt this exists.

Do this in writing. It is not for the parents to sort out the staffing levels for the children, which I presume is the problem.

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FlaminNoraImPregnantPanda · 05/12/2012 11:26

Driving in winter conditions with summer tyres is incredibly dangerous. I wouldn't even attempt it. It's like going ice-skating in your slippers: madness. So on that basis YABU.

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AlienRefluxLooksLikeSnow · 05/12/2012 11:29

The school should have rang before 8.15

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SickOfBeingSoScared · 05/12/2012 11:29

That is what has outraged me, the fact the nursery insisted I still had to pay. I doubt they will pay staff who can't get in. I shall speak to them about it tomorrow.

OneToddlingTerror I wish I was in a position where I had a job that I had to take unpaid time off, from I really do! One of the reason's I put DS in nursery was so I could attend interviews and study at home to increase my chances of getting a job.

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Glitterknickaz · 05/12/2012 11:30

If the nursery cannot provide your child care then you should not be charged. It's their operating decision that means your DC cannot attend, not your issue and therefore you shouldn't pay.

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RooneyMara · 05/12/2012 11:31

Yes I agree totally that you should not have to pay but it always makes the best of situations if you imagine the other people concerned are trying their best

rather than getting yourself into a state and convinced they are out to get you by being lazy, stupid etc

they probably just cobbled together something on the spur of the moment and realise it's not ideal

I wouldn't pay though if it wasn't being provided.

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GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 05/12/2012 11:37

YANBU - we have a similar amount of snow to you and my DD is at school and DS is at nursery. It looked like most of DD's class were already there when we arrived. I would be especially cross about the nursery and would refuse to pay for the session or take DC anyway.

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RooneyMara · 05/12/2012 11:41

But they might not have the required number of staff so it wouldn't be safe,

best just not to pay I think
or call and ask if there is room for her

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GreenEggsAndNichts · 05/12/2012 11:45

You should not have to pay for a service you are not receiving. They are the ones unable to provide the service. Fair enough if staff haven't been able to make it in (tbf, most staff at my son's nursery have children his age or older, so if the local schools are closed they are possibly forced to take the day off, hence the shortage). Definitely speak to them about it. At the very least, perhaps they'll take him on a different afternoon, or some other arrangement which would make it so that you're making use of the hours you've paid for.

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We3bunniesOfOrientAre · 05/12/2012 11:48

Well if you are preparing for job interviews / applying then that is working. I have worked all morning at home while ds was in preschool, it is none of their business though what sort of work you are doing. If they say that you have your other dc so you can't work tell them that the older dc can be plonked in front of a DVD, but you need someone to take the younger one, and as you are PAYING them, they are the ones who will take them.

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wonkylegs · 05/12/2012 11:49

That's ridiculous. When we had several feet of snow two years ago DS's nursery stayed open for the whole period bar 2 days. Most of the schools stayed open and only closed if there was an issue such as the boiler broke down (it was -12)
I drove to work every day.
Driving in a few inches of snow is not difficult if you drive appropriately to the conditions.

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OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 05/12/2012 11:59

If they haven't got the staff then I think it would be fine for them to appeal to parents to keep children at home if hey possibly can, or at least bring them in later in the day. But they can't tell parents that their custom only matters if they are going to do paid work.

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