what the most hilarious and groundless parental complaint you've ever fielded?

(317 Posts)
HanneHolm Wed 06-Feb-13 18:02:01


Ruprekt Wed 06-Feb-13 18:06:11

That the crisps that were served at a FREE (FREE) family day - Did I say they were free? - were not Walkers crisps.

We had a letter from one mother. It contained a list of star signs - only children who were born under those star signs were permitted to sit next to PFB.

PFB was 15.

HanneHolm Wed 06-Feb-13 18:10:50

OH MY GOD! that is brilliant.

I want sometimes to say to parents "Imagine saying this to mates at the pub, would they take the piss"' if the answer is YES then step away from the keyboard.

this is taking up time we COULD be using to raise achievement.

thefirstmrsrochester Wed 06-Feb-13 18:13:08

Parent forgot that the photographer was coming in to photograph the P1 class. Parent sent dc to school with polo top and jumper (not shirt & tie).
School laid our spare shirts & ties specifically for this reason. Child in question refused to change into shirt & tie so pic was taken in polo top & jumper.
Parent raged to office staff and then the head teacher for allowing this as now she didn't get a school pic of her dc in shirt & tie.
Maybe the dc should have been manhandled into a shirt & tie hmm
And subsequently she may not have made a complaint hmm

HanneHolm Wed 06-Feb-13 18:15:10

I think most schools have a designated hair brusher dont they?

CheerfulYank Wed 06-Feb-13 18:35:09

When I was an aide a boy was goofing around on a piece of playground equipment (as kids do) and it got rough and he fell. (He maintained that someone pushed him, which is possible...there was a lot of rough housing going on) He complained of a hurt foot. The nurse examined it, then gave him an ice pack.

His parents took him to two doctors, both of whom said there was nothing wrong. A third doctor finally said it might be a deep bruise or something. His parents gave him a cane to bring to school, then crutches, then finally brought a wheel chair and demanded the teacher push him in it for "long distances"...like down the hall for music. hmm

When the teacher questioned if the wheelchair was necessary for a bruise, they called a meeting with her and the Principal. They wanted to know what the Principal was going to do about the teacher not taking their son's "very painful injury" seriously, and how to address the terrible safety on the playground, and if they could speak to the child they believed pushed him to let him know how much time and money his actions had cost them.

The Principal sorted it all out and soothed them...I sort of wish it'd happened a few years later. We have a new Principal who is all about results and has no time for nonsense. He'd have told them to do one. grin

We had a request once that we maintain the pretence that a child had blue hair. He didn't, it was ginger, but so he 'didn't get a complex' mum told him it was blue.. When we asked her what colour he thought the sky was she just said 'its a different shade of blue'. We declined her request and she complained to ofsted under every child matters...!

2madboys Wed 06-Feb-13 18:45:19

Working at a swimming pool: 'DS is clearly being discriminated because all the other children in his group have got their badge' - er maybe he isn't good enough?
'There is a parent nit-combing their child in the (communal) showers' - perfectly justified complaint but still pretty funny
'There is a turd on the floor in one of the changing cubicles' - upon investigation by the lifeguards, this turned out to be a twix! grin

wakeupandsmellthecoffee Wed 06-Feb-13 18:45:57

Cheerful. That is so bizarre that it almost sounds to far fetched to be true .

HanneHolm Wed 06-Feb-13 18:47:58

i agree re indulging. We had a non attender who was indulged until school gave up and parents were found guilty in court or not ensuring attendance.

HumphreyCobbler Wed 06-Feb-13 18:48:00

some of these are amazing shock grin

my worst was the father who came storming in to class because his son was doing nothing all day. He took is five year old son's answer to what he did that day at school to be absolute, gospel truth grin

HanneHolm Wed 06-Feb-13 18:48:44

i think the wheelchair thing sounds SO likely.

peachypips Wed 06-Feb-13 18:50:38

On ringing round questioning a parent on their year 9's serial non-attendance:
'Where you aware that Kirsty wasn't at school today Mrs X?'
'Oh, yes, she couldn't come in today as her trousers were wet'.

CheerfulYank Wed 06-Feb-13 18:54:20

I swear by all that is holy, WakeUp, it's true! Shocking isn't it?

I worked in the same classroom (with the teacher and boy) with another student who had ASD. I tried to hint to him every now and then that "oh, I know it's sore, but I think if you walk a bit you'll feel better" and he'd refuse. The poor teacher was in knots about the meeting. sad

HanneHolm Wed 06-Feb-13 18:55:45

we once had a complaint about the girls having those ( god what is it.. ?) cervical cancer innoculations (something like that)

Mum called in
" she aint having that, its not fair, none of the boys have to have 'em"

HanneHolm Wed 06-Feb-13 18:56:19

we have had non attendance as " she has to get her nails done'
oh yes

CheerfulYank Wed 06-Feb-13 19:05:53

Gardasil? That's what it is here. smile

bamboostalks Wed 06-Feb-13 19:08:11

Parent wanted child to sit only at lunch table where children were not consuming meat.

bamboostalks Wed 06-Feb-13 19:09:24

Also parent having deliveries directed to school as he knew we were always in. Became incensed when he was told it wasn't possible. Complained to LA.

Lafaminute Wed 06-Feb-13 19:12:49

Haha Bamboostalks - I went to a school where that was an option! Otherwise I think it's really worrying that our future population is being raised by nutjobs!!!!

JustinMumsnot Wed 06-Feb-13 19:13:55

Parent complained that a teacher (not me) had been seen smoking a cigarette at nine o'clock on a Saturday night in a town 20 miles from the school and this was setting a bad example.

HanneHolm Wed 06-Feb-13 19:15:11

bamboo - what like parcels?

I used to work at an opticians where a 4yo girl once said, when describing how her new glasses felt, that they felt a bit too round.. grin Her Dad was very annoyed that I couldn't give him a reason for why they would feel too round and asked for a second opinion shock AND he was a doctor.

Sorry I realise that wasn't in school.. But seemed relevant...blush

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