Life On the Safe Side

Got my knickers in a right old twist yesterday when Amy was brought home from school early; a precautionary measure 'just in case' the snow fell and it became treacherous. It didn't fall, yet Amy was still brought home early. She missed another half day of school. I moaned, complained to school and said it was pathetic, ridiculous, simply not on.

Over night, the snow has fallen and we are now covered in the horrid white stuff. Yet Amy has been collected and taken to school in far worse road conditions than yesterday afternoon's. I don't get it.

Part of the reason I got my knickers in a twist was because I have a ton of work to do on the book, could really have done with a trip to the supermarket (I've got no cat food) and had a million phone calls to make, mainly regarding the cottages. So I worked on the book though couldn't do as much as I'd have liked, decided to leave the less important phone calls, and still haven't got any cat food. (Don't worry, there is a bit left and I shall be popping to the store today to stock up.) The other part of the reason why I got my knickers in a twist was because Amy has only done one and a half days at school since going back last week. She desperately needs to get into a routine; the school routine of structure, discipline and learning. We know schools close and the country grinds to a halt when it snows because a) the UK are simply never prepared, b) health and safety regulations have got to a point where we're frightened of speaking to one another, and c) it's all too easy to sue individuals and organisations these days - a slip on the driveway means a cheque for six grand and six months off school. Oh yes, we, the general public, know which buttons to press.

Let's not get carried away though, schools aren't child minding services and don't need to open their doors if they are genuinely concerned for the welfare of your child. Therefore, it is the parents' responsibility to either look after their child or find someone else to. But so many parents work from home nowadays. 'Work' is the operative word here. That means they have a job to do. They 'work'. Perhaps I'm in that fortunate position of being a 'work at home mum', but what would happen if I went out to work? When schools close and transport won't trans-port, are parents who go out to work expected to take a day off, or leave early? I have no family up here apart from my sister who is a school teacher and really, I don't have anyone I could call upon to look after Amy. Therefore, when school decide to close or the transport service decides the light dusting of snow might become a little less light, I have to down tools and say 'bugger work.' It's a damn good job I work to my own deadline because I'm really not sure how people stay employed when it's all too easy to finish early or have a day off because of a 'just in case'.