Children of Staff

I was wondering if anyone has a view on this or indeed has had this issue?

Two of our staff bring their kids in every parade night both are under age of joining one of them isnt that bad but the other is very immature and annoying not just to myself but the cadets. They join in with pretty much everything including drill and parades.

Anyone else have this issue?

We had a Sgt for a while who often had to bring her young daughter with her due to the shift patterns of her and her husband.
She was a sweet little girl (maybe 5 or so?), but it didn’t make for a very constructive evening when you’ve got a little’un taking up already limited desk space with her drawing and colouring in, and naturally wanting Mammy’s attention.

I sympathise with the difficulties of fitting ATC around home life, but personally I don’t think it works when children are brought along.

[quote=“zinggy” post=7475]I was wondering if anyone has a view on this or indeed has had this issue?

Two of our staff bring their kids in every parade night both are under age of joining one of them isnt that bad but the other is very immature and annoying not just to myself but the cadets. They join in with pretty much everything including drill and parades.

Anyone else have this issue?[/quote]

I haven’t experienced this issue - one of my instructors has daughter who is actually an enrolled cadet, but that is different. What I would point out is that if a “cadet” who is not actually eligible for enrolment is injured during training they may not be eligible for any compensation.

[quote=“talon” post=7483][quote=“zinggy” post=7475]I was wondering if anyone has a view on this or indeed has had this issue?

Two of our staff bring their kids in every parade night both are under age of joining one of them isnt that bad but the other is very immature and annoying not just to myself but the cadets. They join in with pretty much everything including drill and parades.

Anyone else have this issue?[/quote]

I haven’t experienced this issue - one of my instructors has daughter who is actually an enrolled cadet, but that is different. What I would point out is that if a “cadet” who is not actually eligible for enrolment is injured during training they may not be eligible for any compensation.[/quote]

I would imagine they probably would get compensation, simply for the fact the OC has allowed this person/s to take part in the activities, the OC would be in serious trouble, but the ACO would most likely have to settle a claim like this.

[color=#bb0000][Snipped][/color]

I’ve known a staff member take his daughter down. She usually sits quietly in a corner and either gets on with some homework, plays the flight simulator (if its not in use) or had one of those childrens sites open with the various games on. No problem to anyone, didn’t get in the way, and was actively scarce when necessary.

I’ve known of others that have taken kids down, and had them sleeping on the floor of the office on an airbed. Again, no hassle or problem.

Having them joining in with drill etc isn’t great, but if they do it properly, then no massive issue - unless they show the other cadets up by being better than them :wink:

Anything that is likely to have a risk of injury - fieldcraft, shooting, sports etc would be a no-go, but sitting in the office shouldn’t be an issue.

I did forget to mention that this member of staffs other half is at home so its not like the kid is being brought because they have no choice infact its seen as a “treat” for him to come along.

He is treated like a cadet but obviously he is not one I had to put my foot down the other day when they tried to give him greens to wear

You’ve really got a thing about lawyers haven’t you…? Daily Mail reader by any chance?

If I had half as much money and half as much legal power as people think I’d be running the country!!

Perry Not really, i have a problem with the entire justice system allowing a criminal to claim compensation when they hurt themselves whilst breaking the law. I just chose the lawyers cashing in on it as my target today.

And no, i dont read the Daily Mail :blink:

Why not? Just because someone is breaking the law, doesn’t mean that they don’t still have rights. As long as the injury wasn’t directly connected to their law-breaking, I’m not really sure what the problem is.

Sorry Matt i do not think i made myself very clear, I did mean that the injury was directly connected to the law breaking.

A bit like a burglar falling through a roof light and hurting himself whilst trying to break into the house. He managed to get compensation.

I’ve seen this a few times and I agree that such individuals can be a pain! The thing is, they shouldn’t be there, regardless of whose offspring they may be.

Visits to Sqns seem to be attracting attention. We have been told that unless currently serving cadets get prior approval from both OCs, ‘drive by’ visits by their mates from other Sqns are forbidden as they are not at their ‘normal duty Sqn’, so I imagine that something like this would definitely be off the agenda.

[quote=“petechesh” post=7494]Sorry Matt i do not think i made myself very clear, I did mean that the injury was directly connected to the law breaking.

A bit like a burglar falling through a roof light and hurting himself whilst trying to break into the house. He managed to get compensation.[/quote]

Dont read everything you see in the tabloids :wink:

I have snipped a few posts – if you want to discuss ‘Litigation in the UK’, then do it in the Crew Room (politely).

Stay on topic.

[quote=“cygnus maximus” post=7495][quote=“zinggy” post=7475]
Two of our staff bring their kids in every parade night both are under age of joining one of them isnt that bad but the other is very immature and annoying not just to myself but the cadets. They join in with pretty much everything including drill and parades.
[/quote]

I’ve seen this a few times and I agree that such individuals can be a pain! The thing is, they shouldn’t be there, regardless of whose offspring they may be.[/quote]

This is my feeling exactly! im not sure what to do about it though I suppose I could have a word with the boss but im not sure if it would do anything

[quote=“zinggy” post=7512][quote=“cygnus maximus” post=7495][quote=“zinggy” post=7475]
Two of our staff bring their kids in every parade night both are under age of joining one of them isnt that bad but the other is very immature and annoying not just to myself but the cadets. They join in with pretty much everything including drill and parades.
[/quote]

I’ve seen this a few times and I agree that such individuals can be a pain! The thing is, they shouldn’t be there, regardless of whose offspring they may be.[/quote]

This is my feeling exactly! im not sure what to do about it though I suppose I could have a word with the boss but im not sure if it would do anything[/quote]

I wouldn’t worry, someone has probably already reported your post to him :lol:

Just have a word. Do other staff feel the same? The other option is to confine the children to the office and not let them join in with the activities you are running.

My dad has been in the Corps for over 40 years, starting out as a cadet and now as a Flt Lt running his third squadron.

When I was really young, I used to be taken to cadets if my mum was working and no alternative arrangements could be made, and I’d sit in my dad’s office doing homework (unless he had a private meeting, in which case I’d be with another member of staff for the short period of time).

I was 10 when he moved to his current squadron, and I started going down almost every Friday night. I was always with the probationers, doing whatever they had planned for the night (drill, lessons, etc.) I had learnt the basics of drill by the age of 11 and by the time I joined at 13, I had already gone through the probationer syllabus at least five times. As a Flt Sgt then CWO, I was placed in charge of teaching probationers as even by then I still knew everything like the back of my hand.

The one condition my dad placed upon this was that if I was childish or misbehaved, then I was to be afforded no special favours by the staff or NCOs and disciplined, even though I wasn’t actually a cadet. I admit I acted my age once or twice, but I took the dressing down from the NCOs (and once even from the SWO!) on the chin and moved on.

None of the staff ever showed frustration or resentment at my being involved and treated me like I was just another cadet - and, I have to say, sometimes I was more mature and behaved better than the cadets I saw pass through probationary training during those three years!

The issue I have with it is they are not Cadets and should wait till they are old enough just like the rest of the kids.

I have a Fg Off and a Sgt both with 2 young children. They occasionally attend with one or the other, but never both at the same time. And this is only when I really really need them to be there - to drive a bus, for example.

Some staff seem to find this weird. I simply weigh up the benefits of having them their against not, and it becomes simple for me. I don’t mind their children at all, and can’t really see what the fuss is about if they’re out of the way and not interfering.

[quote=“pEp” post=7805]I have a Fg Off and a Sgt both with 2 young children. They occasionally attend with one or the other, but never both at the same time. And this is only when I really really need them to be there - to drive a bus, for example.

Some staff seem to find this weird. I simply weigh up the benefits of having them their against not, and it becomes simple for me. I don’t mind their children at all, and can’t really see what the fuss is about if they’re out of the way and not interfering.[/quote]

The real problem isn’t the quiet out of the way ones, it’s the noisy disruptive little ones, like those of a fellow member of staff that I was be bothered by in the last millenia (sadly they then joined). ‘Daddy’ would rarely look after the little PITBs himself, and try to palm the brats off onto the rest of us. He’d then take umbridge if I kicked them out of my class because they were dusruptive. If they had been quiet, I wouldn’t have been too fussed about their presence.

When I was a cadet in the early 60s, the adjutant used to bring his teenage daughter along. This was amazing as most of us had not spoken to a girl since primary school!

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