Say it with me, "Communication is key."
By Phyrre
@phyrre (2317)
United States
September 3, 2015 8:03am CST
I was taught this from a very young age, but it seems some people don't get this. For example, my daughter's school. Which is apparently, inexplicably, closed today. Of course, I would've liked to have known this, being that I make a 20-minute drive every morning to bring her (40-minute round trip) and could have spent those 40 minutes I wasted doing something productive. I still have no idea why it's closed. I'll be sure to ask tomorrow at the meeting, though.
OK, to be fair, they do communicate about some things, like when my daughter bumped her nose and got a bloody nose. They did call, which was nice but unnecessary. They had it taken care of. There wasn't anything for me to do, so I could've just been informed when I picked her up (it's neither the first nor last time this has happened/will happen), but I really do appreciate the communication there.
Still, it's horribly frustrating! I always make sure, whether it be professional or personal life, to let people know that communication is the key to everything. I learned it from a young age. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." "Use your words, not your fists." "How do you feel?" But I feel like people forget this sometimes because communication isn't always easy.
Do you remember to communicate about things? Do you get frustrated when other people fail to communicate with you?
8 people like this
8 responses
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
3 Sep 15
When my 9 year old was in preschool he apparently forgot to get off the bus when it got to school. He rode up to the bus garage before he was discovered and they brought him back to school.
When he got home he informed me that he'd gone to the middle school that day, which is next to the bus garage. I thought perhaps the class had taken a trip, so I had to ask for more information. He was 4 and couldn't really explain what had happened.. but with the right questions I managed to figure out what had happened.
I called the school and the bus garage, I was livid that this had happened and that I hadn't been notified. Their answer was that he was only 10 minutes late to class, no harm done. Yes, when I hear of this from my 4 year old, that is harm done.. to me! Why couldn't I have gotten a phone call from the garage telling me what had happened??
2 people like this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
4 Sep 15
@phyrre That's what I tried to tell them. Like your school.. they call me when one of my 12 year olds gets a bump.. but they didn't bother to tell me my 4 year old was missing for 10 minutes? Then I got into this huge ordeal with them about why they can't check the bus before they leave the school to head back to the garage and all she says is "We're only required the check the bus before leaving it at the garage". Well wouldn't it make sense to check it at the school just in case? It's like the bus garage really doesn't care about our kids.
2 people like this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
4 Sep 15
@katsmeow1213 I don't know, that's just weird and backwards to me. They may not be *required* to check it before taking it back to the garage, but why wouldn't you? There was a time or two during my school career when I fell asleep on the bus, but thankfully my bus driver always made sure to check that everyone was off before leaving the school. I don't see why you wouldn't, as it seems like a better policy than checking when you're back at the garage when you potentially might need to make a trip back to the school.
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
3 Sep 15
That would definitely upset me. I mean, if they were older, yeah, things were taken care of, no harm done. But at four? That's pretty young. Not to mention that my school growing up and my daughter's now both have a policy to call you if your child isn't present at attendance just to be sure, and what would've happened if he was more than just 10 minutes late and you got that call? Something like that is just common courtesy just to let you know it happened but it was taken care of!
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
3 Sep 15
Does this communication have to be verbal?
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
3 Sep 15
@phyrre You know that I would not even think of using my middle finger, because Nana will whack me with her cane if she finds out.
The other options, though, cannot be ruled out.
The other options, though, cannot be ruled out.2 people like this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
3 Sep 15
@purplealabaster You know she means serious business when she gets out her cane.
1 person likes this
@dashboardc33 (314)
•
3 Sep 15
Yep! That is so true. Without communication there can be a lot of miscommunication.
1 person likes this
@Carmelanirel2 (8084)
• United States
4 Sep 15
Wow, I am surprised that the school doesn't have a call option for anything like that. I am signed up for my son's school and though I get ones that are not important (like about basketball camp when my son does not play the game) we do get calls for delays or early dismissals. Like today, I know my son is going to be home an hour early because of the heat and his school doesn't have A/C.
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
4 Sep 15
They do, though! They've always called previously when something happened, so that's why I was confused. But that's awesome that your son's school is so communicative! Ours tries to be, but it's a small Head Start, and there are lots of kids and parents and not so much staff. They've done a good job in the past (this is my daughter's second year) so maybe that's why I was so surprised/annoyed? I've been spoiled rotten.
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
4 Sep 15
I wonder how some of the other parents cope. I mean, I'm a work-from-home mother, so it's really not a huge deal if school is closed since I'm home and don't have to come up with alternatives. But I can't imagine working outside of the home, heading to drop my daughter off at school, only to find that it's closed. Then what? I have to get to work and have no other arrangements. D:
1 person likes this
@owstalaga (4707)
• Philippines
8 Sep 15
Yeah I hate it when people just ignore you instead of telling you what's wrong. It also feels bad if it's the people you somehow consider friends who does it. But heck if they don't tell me anything then it's not my fault if I keep doing something they don't like (that I don't know of) in front of them. 
It's not my loss.
It's not my loss.
