Parents that don't bundle up their children when neccesary!

[linsaa fdc]

Hi Scottish Joan,
Wow, it blows me away how random people think they have the right to but their noses in to where they don't belong.
It's good that the school has the same policy for the children wearing their jackets.
Linsaa fdc

[Scottish Joan]

Yep, I am still annoyed at this parent but didn't want to cause a scene/shouting match at gate but me and daddy have told Rhona that she must only obey me or school teacher and ignore others.

Poor girl was upset when she got home because a) she thought I was angry at her (which I wasn't) and b) she felt bad that she had ignored me.

Anyway, a couple of wee updates.

1) She is now getting up at 0745 but she takes a while to fully wake up, she gets up at 0750 but is still half asleep until about 0800/0810 so can get a bit narky for a while.

2) She has had a lot of treats because she has been putting on and doing up her jacket when asked, today was only a minor blip I hope.

[Lorina]

So, it seems like Rhona is able to follow the school policy just not yours... very frustrating! Besides what the other parent said, Rhona still chose to ignore you didn't she. After the parent put her 2 cents in at school on the way home I'm sure you told Rhona to put her jacket on which she still ignored. Since you've already spoken to Rhona about the incident just leave it and hopefully the next time will go better!

,
Lorina

[Scottish Joan]

So, it seems like Rhona is able to follow the school policy just not yours... very frustrating! Besides what the other parent said, Rhona still chose to ignore you didn't she. After the parent put her 2 cents in at school on the way home I'm sure you told Rhona to put her jacket on which she still ignored. Since you've already spoken to Rhona about the incident just leave it and hopefully the next time will go better!

,
Lorina

Yeah, I told her very firmly a couple of times to get her jacket on but she was to busy talking to her friends to even hear me say it the couple of times.

She was same today though , I asked her to put her jacket on before going out of the front door but she narked at me by moaning that "the other parent says that I don't need my jacket on so it stays off", so I was very firm with her and said "you either put on AND zip that jacket and until you do so, you don't get out that door and if that makes you late then so be it", Rhona thought I was joking though so ignored me but she quickly realised that I was serious so after 5mins, followed my order.

So, because of one parent, my girl now thinks that a) she can challenge my instructions and b) she doesn't need to wear a jacket.

What annoyed me even more was, the child of the parent that told Rhona to ignore me is 11yrs old so doesn't feel cold as much as Rhona who is 7. The parent had another child that was 4 and had only a t-shirt on and was crying and complaining that he was "cold" but parent just told him "shut up, you chose to leave your jacket at home so now you'll face consequence of that choice", I felt so sorry for that little boy .

[Lorina]

Seriously that parent has no right to question you while you are talking to your daughter! I still can't believe she butted in and said that. If she has the nerve to do it again make sure you address it then and there! Seriously, not on... How would she like it if you "parented" her little boy... They could of brought a jacket for him to wear home! Argh! Sometimes it's hard to swallow what we hear some parents say to their child....

,
Lorina

[Scottish Joan]

Seriously that parent has no right to question you while you are talking to your daughter! I still can't believe she butted in and said that. If she has the nerve to do it again make sure you address it then and there! Seriously, not on... How would she like it if you "parented" her little boy... They could of brought a jacket for him to wear home! Argh! Sometimes it's hard to swallow what we hear some parents say to their child....

,
Lorina

The parent lives just down the road from me so today I said to Rhona, "give your jacket to me for a few minutes, I know its pouring down with rain (as it has been for a few days now), you'll get your jacket on in a few minutes" and walked down the road to where this parent lives, handed jacket to Rhona and said "ok you can put it on now" which she did, I zipped it up for her though as I didn't want to be late, parent was leaving her house as soon as I handed the jacket to Rhona and said to me "when I saw her with no jacket I thought you had decided to agree with what I had said the other day but I was wrong", I then said to Rhona "were you cold without your jacket" to which she replied "yeah and also very wet" so my response to parent was "see, I knew my child didn't like being cold/soaking wet which is why I gave her the jacket so that makes me a GOOD PARENT" then I walked Rhona hand in hand to School.

The lady was in shock that I had answered her the way in which I did then handed her boy a jacket and said to him "that lady is right, I think you better take a jacket, Sophie go in and get Damien's jacket please", she came back outside with her jacket on and fastened and with her little brothers jacket which she put on and fastened for him.

When Rhona got to the school gate I turned round to leave when the 11yr old girl said to me "you were right what you said to my mum, she had no right to speak to you about your parenting, Rhona is such a nice/sweet girl".

[Lorina]

Good on you! You did the right thing! I bet it felt good to get that off your chest. I bet that's the last time she will say anything to you like that! Also, that parent's daughter is such a sweetie herself, telling you that her mum shouldn't have said that... That would of put a smile on your face!

,
Lorina

[linsaa fdc]

Yay....happy for you

[Scottish Joan]

I am so worried about kids not being bundled up that I will now even ask Rhona's friends to bundle up when they are at ours.

I am even contemplating becoming a volunteer/leader at Brownies for when they go off camping because I've had lots of parents of Rhona's Brownie friends complaining to me that their kids come home complaining about being cold/frozen whilst at camp, I just say "well, I hope Rhona isn't because I have specifically asked that Rhona has a hat on to protect her ears, gloves to protect her wee hands and a jacket on AND zipped to the top to protect her body" so if they aren't following that instruction (which they aren't, much to my annoyance and disgust) then I am going to become a volunteer, so I will check and make sure your child is warm.

[linsaa fdc]

Hi, I agree with you 100%. I had a new little girl start last june. Nearly 2 and always sick, coughing, runny nose. Mum arrives in the cold all rugged up and at 7am the girl comes bare feet and a tshirt. This year enough is enough. I said she has to wear a singlet+ shirt and have a jacket in her bag in case it gets cold so she can still play outside. I also wants socks on her feet at all times and shoes in her bag. Well mum has listened and she arrives at 7am as I require, but she puts it on her in the car before they come in, which menas she has been running around bare feet all morning. That is her business of coarse but when the little girl is giving everyone else in my care colds then it becomes my business. What annoys the hell out of me is that as soon as mum arrives at 4:30 to pick her up, the nearly 3 year old cries and carries on till mum lets her take off her socks and shirt, even though its winter now and its cold at that time. On friday I said, it has taken me all this time for her to not be sick and you shouldn't let her take it off because she whinges, and mum won't like it if I have to call her at work to pick her daughter up because she is sick again. It makes me mad, anyway that is my whinge for the day. I have just finished 5 hours of paperwork on a Sunday and am going to put my feet up because I start work at 5:30am tomorrow. Have a great week Scottish Joan. I will because I only have 5 more days then two weeks off.......yay.... I so so need it.
Linsaa fdc

[Scottish Joan]

Yeah, that is what the leaders at Brownies tell me, they say "we do ask Rhona to zip her jacket" but she tells them "I want it left open though" so I say to them "look, I have asked you to make sure Rhona zips her jacket so thats what I expect", it is not up to Rhona, she does feel cold especially at nights and can get narky with everyone including the leaders.

It is really poor that the leaders are ignoring my instructions just to Rhona moaning, they give up to quickly!

[Lorina]

It's frustrating trying to get others to try and get on board with what you're trying to do... Some do and some don't...

,
Lorina

[Scottish Joan]

Yeah but the Brownies are totally wrong. I gave them strict instructions which I expect to be followed so I have no option but to become a leader.

Next camp they go on, Rhona AND every other girl will have jackets on at all times and at night time when weather is a lot colder, they will ALL fasten them up, if they like it or not.

[Scottish Joan]

Well, that is me and a couple of friends now become Brownie leaders with a couple of others, including the head leader now resigning with another leader now the head leader and first thing me and the two other new leaders said to the new head is "well done on your new position, now go and show your better than the previous head, 1st thing we advise is make sure you keep these brownies warm and bundled up", this lady said in response "don't worry, I will, I hate seeing cold/miserable kids".

Well, thats exactly what the new head did when the Brownies went outside to play hockey and volleyball, all the girls were asked to put on their jackets, which they did but none of the girls had fastened them so next the head said "girls, fasten up your jackets, its early evening and temp is dropping (it was 8C)".

[Lorina]

Well that's good to hear! You've got a Brownie leader that actually listens to you and understands that the girls need to fasten up their jackets! That's one less worry!

,
Lorina

[Scottish Joan]

We are currently on our brownie summer camp where weather is very unseasonal, lots and lots of rain and high winds.

Yet nearly every one of the girls apart from Rhona is battling us on the jacket fastening, we are getting comments like "I don't want my jacket zipped up" or "my mummy/daddy let me keep our jackets open even in snow", our reply is very firm "what you do at home is up to you but out here at camp, you follow OUR instructions, one of which is that at all times you WILL fasten up your jackets!".

[Lorina]

Well good to hear that Rhona is not giving you any trouble!

,
Lorina

[linsaa fdc]

Hi Scottish Joan,
You must be so happy that the jacket thing is not a problem anymore. As far as the other children, I don't think there is a child out there that doesn't try to get away with things when they are with someone else or even between parents. As you said, I say, if you are allowed to do that at home that is ok, but when I am looking after you you need to listen to me.
Hope you had fun despite the weather.
Linsaa fdc

[Scottish Joan]

I got a lot of complaints from grumpy parents that were asking "why are you and your leaders so fixated on my child zipping their jackets, if my child is cold, they'll zip their jacket without needing asked!", I just replied by saying "well, there are 2 reasons; 1) It is rule of the leader that when its wet/cold, jackets MUST be zipped, what you do at home is your business but at Brownies, your child WILL follow rules, if they like it or not and 2) it looks good if all girls wear their Brownie jackets zipped up (its a yellow regatta waterproof jacket with Brownie logo on back).

I really can't understand all these complaints over a zipped jacket .

[linsaa fdc]

Hi Scottish Joan,
I wonder what everyone would say if all the children came home sick because the rule was not enforced.
You can't please everyone. My sister in law told me how cold it gets over there, maybe everyone is used to the cold there?
Linsaa fdc