Long Vent about unattended children!
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Teresa · 08-26-2008, 06:58 AM

Background:
The girls go to a private school, 3yr. old to grade 12. The 3yr. old to grade 3 building is about a mile and half away from the other 2 buildings, which share a campus. The campus is where my kids are - one in each building. When I can't pick them up on time, Kathryn (grade 10) can rattle about the HS and just "hang" with no problem. Lauren (grade 5) must go to after school care (at $5/hour) until I get her - Kathryn can't pick her up and just take her to the school library.

The situation:
Yesterday I go to pick up Lauren, and there are 2 little boys running through the halls. N. and H. are the brothers of one of Lauren's classmates. They are in grade 1 and 4-yr. old programs. They attend the OTHER building. They are running about the grade 4 to grade 7 building with no supervision, making quite a ruckus. There was a HS volleyball game going on, plus a middle school soccer game outside (the MS houses the only gym for the school - and the soccer and lacrosse fields are right there - but people are coming in to watch the OTHER school play also). The mother of H. and N. is in a meeting, in a room, with no idea what her baby boys are doing. This is not the first, second, or hundreth time this has happened.

My problem:
I HAVE to pay for Lauren to sit in a room and do her homework. Yesterday, she couldn't even to that, because N. and H. were making so much noise the person who was watching Lauren's group told them to never mind trying to study. (the care-givers told me that!). These boys SHOULD have been in child-care, but weren't, since their mother picked them up from the other building to come to her meeting. N. and H.'s parents are huge contributors to the school, very active in every aspect, and on the board. They seem to feel that they aren't held under the same rules the rest of us are. I do actually like the mother - she is a very sweet, but highly naive person.

So - do I say something? TO her or to the school administration?

lukeandbrookesmom · 08-26-2008, 07:35 AM

I would absolutely say something to the administration! You are paying for your child to be there and she should not be disrupted in this way. That parent is inconsiderate.

emtpej · 08-26-2008, 07:49 AM

So she must think that someone else is responsible for her children's safety because she and her family are so important? Sounds like a political situation... I am not all that good at that kind of thing...

**HiddenMickey** · 08-26-2008, 07:50 AM

I also would say something to the administration. Rules should be followed by everyone. If the mother had a meeting, then she should not have picked up the kids until it was over. Because she didn't follow rules, other children suffered.

Planetnicole · 08-26-2008, 08:09 AM

I would say something to the administration, not the mother. She may take offense if you speak to her, personally. If you are paying for your child to be in a quiet environment to study and do homework, someone else's kids should not be running around like wild animals. Who knows what could happen to these little boys, if there is no one watching them! I'm suprised that none of the staff have thought to mention this.

Good luck!

oldmom · 08-26-2008, 08:13 AM

Speak to the administrator but maybe couch it in terms of child safety/school liability. Since there are so many at the school, the children are unsafe. What if one is injured?

**Colexis Mom** · 08-26-2008, 08:35 AM

GATechGal · 08-26-2008, 08:59 AM

If they are big contributers, then I bet speaking to the administration would not net you any action. I'd speak to the mother directly. Not in an ugly way, but a did you realize that your kids were acting this way and there IS care available. I might mention that you were worried about the kid's safety (even if you weren't) with all the strangers at the building watching the sports events.

Disneydiana · 08-26-2008, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GATechGal

If they are big contributers, then I bet speaking to the administration would not net you any action. I'd speak to the mother directly. Not in an ugly way, but a did you realize that your kids were acting this way and there IS care available. I might mention that you were worried about the kid's safety (even if you weren't) with all the strangers at the building watching the sports events.

This sounds like a great idea. I'm sure the administration won't really care. They may just blow it off. If you talk to the mother and mention their safety, that may change the situation.

cmhand30 · 08-26-2008, 09:14 AM

Talk to administration.

Tigger71 · 08-26-2008, 10:26 AM

Administration will probably play the political line and do nothing. Money talks remember? I would approach Mrs Naive and take the safety/security tact - 'Anyone could have taken them....' Oh dear! Then as a side note I would complain to her about the high cost of after school supervision vs what your child actually does there. Best wishes for a smooth result.
PS I only wish my kids' school had an after school homework session. My eldest is turning 12yrs in November and will no longer be able to go to after school care with his sister. My youngest is in long day care the two days we use ASC. So that leaves me with a 12yr old in a private school too far from home to use public transport and too old for A/S program but not allowed to hang around library, school, church or care buildings - where do I leave him until DH finishes work? Woe is me - thanks for reading, sorry to hijack your post.

**rescuesk** · 08-26-2008, 11:14 AM

stretch2864 · 08-26-2008, 01:05 PM

That is a sticky situation either way. I always look at it from a safety perspective as young children need someone to watch over them and be accountable for them. It isn't really their fault as they just doing what children do if nobody is watching them. If I had seen them running, I probably would have said something to the kids and would have marched them back to their mother-meeting or not. She ultimately IS responsible for them.