AIBU?

[pinkbutterfly]

I had a day off this week and dared to do my own things ... went shopping to the local supermarket to get some food and I left my mobile at home (shop is only 5 minute walk away). A parent tried to ring me then (nothing serious) and I said oh I just popped out to the shop. I returned the call once I realised as I thought it might have been urgent. All she said she is shocked I leave phone at home as the school may want to ring me if there is an emergency. I thought ... my day off ... just want to do shopping in peace. AIBU? Do I really have to be reachable at all times even though nobody pays me for that?
Also this very same parent keeps texting me during the day to remind me to collect her child and expects a text back to confirm. I find this quite insulting. I am an adult this is my job I know how do do it and do not need to be reminded. I hardly ever reply as most of the time I am busy with the little ones and just don't hear when the texts come.
Also ... another thing she said I must get a coat hanger to put in my hall as her child needs to have their stuff hanged. I accept I have no hanger but this is because my hall is tiny and if I put anything on the wall it will stop the door from opening fully and I won't be able to get the pushchair in. I usually put stuff on my radiator (which is never on).
These are little niggles and I don't want to change anything just because she says so. AIBU?

[Pipsqueak]

I had a day off this week and dared to do my own things ... went shopping to the local supermarket to get some food and I left my mobile at home (shop is only 5 minute walk away). A parent tried to ring me then (nothing serious) and I said oh I just popped out to the shop. I returned the call once I realised as I thought it might have been urgent. All she said she is shocked I leave phone at home as the school may want to ring me if there is an emergency. I thought ... my day off ... just want to do shopping in peace. AIBU? Do I really have to be reachable at all times even though nobody pays me for that?
Also this very same parent keeps texting me during the day to remind me to collect her child and expects a text back to confirm. I find this quite insulting. I am an adult this is my job I know how do do it and do not need to be reminded. I hardly ever reply as most of the time I am busy with the little ones and just don't hear when the texts come.
Also ... another thing she said I must get a coat hanger to put in my hall as her child needs to have their stuff hanged. I accept I have no hanger but this is because my hall is tiny and if I put anything on the wall it will stop the door from opening fully and I won't be able to get the pushchair in. I usually put stuff on my radiator (which is never on).
These are little niggles and I don't want to change anything just because she says so. AIBU?

Why on earth are you worrying about what someone has said to you like this?
If you feel comfy leaving your phone at home then that is personal preference... I am sure that we are all so techie obsessed that we think the world is going to end if we don;t have our phone/pda/ipod etc on us at all times

With regards the texts - I would just say once and for all - in a nice way - yes I DO know i when I have to pick up children and then ignore the texts.

with regards to the coat hanger - if you provide adequate hanging hooks or whatever... again just smile and nod


AIBU??? No you aren't but I wouldn't bother yourself too much !!!

[blue bear]

Pip is right stop worrying, this parent pesters you because you let her.
Stop answering the texts ever and she will stop sending them. Although parents can put you down as emergency contact for school but if they are nit paying you for this service it's just z favour which you are not obliged to do and so do not need to be contactable at all times. If age brings it up again say, oh I didn't realise you needed me on call I charge x for that sort of service.

[Heaven Scent]

I took a look at this thread to find out what AIBU stands for - having read the whole thing I still have no idea what AIBU stands for :mad::(:( LOL!!

With regard to the content of your thread - No you flippin well do not have to take your phone out with you on your day off - I would have told her that the number you have given to her is for work only and you do not take it out unless you are being paid - explain that it would be the same as if her employer expected her take work calls at home in the evenings and week-ends or have calls re-directed to her personal mobile while she's on holiday.

I've had a parent txt me today asking for copies of invoices for tax credits - I'm not doing a thing about it till Wednesday and if she txts or emails me again over the week-end I will continue to ignore her and I'll tell her that I told her D.H, told me to rest this week-end and I turned off the phone as I have another one for personal use - I don't but she doesn't know that - well I do have another one but don't use it because its a faff using 2 phones.

If she wants you to be the first point of call by the school then she has to pay you to be that you are only answerable to her for the hours that she pays you and no more.

Do you have a fees policy or information pack where it says this - if you haven't make sure you have.

With regard to the constant txts - send her a txt to explain that you do not answer the phone to withheld numbers and unimportant messages when caring for the children as it poses a risk to them - you give the children 100% of your attention as much as you can - also you turn it to silent when they are resting so it doesn't disturb them. At the same time reassure her that you know when and where you collect every child as you take you job seriously and approach it as a professional - be too sweet to be wholesome.

[tammys-tots]

I dont understand why childminders are put down as emergency contacts. I have explained to parents that if their children are ill or have an accident at school then I cannot collect them. The only time i would collect a child if the school needed to close for some reason!

[cathtee]

Hi,

I agree with the other replys, its your day off and if you are not the emergency contact for the whole week then you are not at the beck and call of the parents.:mad:

I would ignore the comments and enjoy your days off, mobile free if you wish :laughing::laughing:

[jayjay1963]

AIBU means am I being unreasonable:thumbsup:

Jacqui

[Chimps Childminding]

AIBU means am I being unreasonable:thumbsup:

Jacqui

Thanks, I wondered what it stood for too :blush:

I am not emergency contact for schoolies either. If they are too ill to remain at school, they are too ill to come to mine :rolleyes: Parents know that if school closes due to flood, boiler break down etc. they can contact me and if possible I will collect the children from school, but I don't pick up if they are sick or injured, thats up to parents/grandparents.

I am always forgetting to take my phone out with me :blush:

[Heaven Scent]

Thanks my aged brain worked it out after I posted but so nice to have it confirmed that I'd guessed correctly LOL.

Anyway whose to say that your phone doesn't lose it signal when you are out and about on a work day - I have a Blackberry and it turns off the connection to the orange network from tie to time - its the second of this type of Blackberry I've had that does this - I sent the other one back.

If you have a mobile phone policy or some sort of policy where you state that you will take you mobile phone out with you during working hours - make sure it reads that you will endeavour to do so and that you cannot guarantee that you will always have full signal as that is out of your control - technology has a habit of failing and there is not much we can do about it.

[PixiePetal]

funnily enough when I started CMing mobile phones were non existent - well I never had one! and believe it or not, we survived quite well :rolleyes:

[Heaven Scent]

funnily enough when I started CMing mobile phones were non existent - well I never had one! and believe it or not, we survived quite well :rolleyes:

Although I did have one last time round I didn't ever use it - I was one of very very few people to have 1 and none of the parents had my number.

MY husband got it for me because we had just moved house to a new house in a building site and I was 8mths pregnant and he often worked abroad at the drop of a hat so it was so that I'd have it with me in case I went into labour. He had to do everything to set it up for me added my contacts etc etc and as far as I can remember there was no such thing as texting LOL!! That was nearly 15 years ago now.

[PixiePetal]

Although I did have one last time round I didn't ever use it - I was one of very very few people to have 1 and none of the parents had my number.

MY husband got it for me because we had just moved house to a new house in a building site and I was 8mths pregnant and he often worked abroad at the drop of a hat so it was so that I'd have it with me in case I went into labour. He had to do everything to set it up for me added my contacts etc etc and as far as I can remember there was no such thing as texting LOL!! That was nearly 15 years ago now.

when I was pregnant with DD I hired a pager from an ad in a baby magazine as DH would be out on the farm and hard to contact if I went into labour. I used it to tell him to get shopping from Tesco as I could write a few words in a scrolling message - how times have changed :laughing: she is now 18

I think by the time I had DS who is now 15 we both had a basic phone and could even write text messages - just a few words anyway!

[Pipsqueak]

when I was pregnant with DD I hired a pager from an ad in a baby magazine as DH would be out on the farm and hard to contact if I went into labour. I used it to tell him to get shopping from Tesco as I could write a few words in a scrolling message - how times have changed :laughing: she is now 18

I think by the time I had DS who is now 15 we both had a basic phone and could even write text messages - just a few words anyway!

oh gosh, when I was up duff with first child we hired a pager too (as OH worked in the middle of a forest and his mobile signal was not great)!!!

[md0u0131]

I'd be lost without my mobile!!! But I still wouldn't expect to be the beck and call of parents on my day off.

[babs]

ok my parents know if child is ill or injuried at school its up to them to collect not me, i only collect if school has to close for one reason or another .. if it was your day off its up to ypu what you do and how you do it ..