Dear Plumpy,
I’m having a big problem with my friend. We’ve got a club and our meetings are every Wednesday and Friday at 4:30. There are five of us in the club, and four of us are always on time – everyone except my friend. I’m not sure what to do – sometimes she’s almost twenty minutes late! Our meetings only run for half an hour, so twenty minutes is a lot. I’ve tried reminding her, but it doesn’t seem to matter –she’s NEVER on time. Our other friends want to kick her out of the club, but I don’t think that’s fair. What should we do?
- Never Late
Dear NL,
I’ve had a similar problem in the past with my best friend Wiggles. Wiggles was usually late, unless we happened to be going someplace together (in which case, I always reminded him and made sure we were out the door in plenty of time).
The problem was that Wiggles would often lose track of time. So, if he was working on a design for a new room or making lunch or just watching TV, he’d misjudge the amount of time he would need to actually get where he was going. After missing a meeting with a client who wanted him to makeover their kitchen, Wiggles realized he needed to make some changes. Here’s what we did to help him get to where he had to go on time:
1. Write everything down – Wiggles has a planner so he knows exactly what time everything starts.
2. Tell yourself to be early – Even now, Wiggles tells himself to be at his destination 10 minutes early (so, if something starts at 6:00, he’ll tell himself he HAS to be there at 5:50).
3. Have a friend remind you – If Wiggles and I are meeting for a coffee, I’ll always call him earlier in the day to remind him where and when we’ll be meeting. He says it helps.
4. Think about others – Wiggles didn’t realize how much it bothered me that he was always late until we missed the beginning of one of my favorite plays because he was late picking me up. I was so upset! After that, he always thought about how being late makes others feel.
Sometimes you’re late for reasons you can’t help (bad weather, homework, chores), but try to be as prompt as possible as often as possible – and make sure to encourage your friend to do so too!
Love,
Plumpy
I can’t belive Moonstar hasn’t commented yet! She’s so fast! Plumpy, you rock, girl!
Plumpy, you’re awesome.
I am habitually late. And I don’t like it! I am late to church, late for lunches, late for meetings, late to pick up friends, late to meet friends in WW, and late to the doctor and dentist. I am almost always LATE! I don’t mean to be rude, I just lose track of time. Also, I assume it will take less time to get ready or travel than it really does. I am sorry it bothers my friends. I want to be prompt. The list you gave was full of good ideas for me. I never mind it when friends call to remind me about something as I have usually forgotten about it! I wish they would call more often. I guess I will ask them to help me out.
Thank you Plumpy for the good advice and a reminder that it bothers those around me.
Just pretend that the thing you need to be at starts 15 mins before the actual time…or set your clock 10 mins ahead to sort of trick yourself into thinking its later than it is…works for me. In the morning getting ready for school, we always use the clock on the stove so I set it 5 mins ahead and now we’re always on time. Good Luck! :)
Same here!!! The clock in my bathroom is like, 5 or 6 min ahead, so i use that 1 since i take forever doing my hair :) Good advice!!
i have a watch that’s 20 minutes ahead, and it really helps me!
NIce room kira!!! bye!!!
LOL i am NEVER on time!!!!!!rofl at my school, u r suppost 2 b there at 8:30 but i am always there either 8:40 or 8:35!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice room Kira!!! and it’s so facanating!!!!! thanks for your time… goodbye!!!
How do I tell my problems to Plumpy?
you go to that one place, then you click on that tab, and then you click on that other thing……..and thats how you tell your problems to plumpy =P
AWESOME ADVICE PLUMPY OMG I’M CAPS. Their we go much better so now where was I oh yeah! awesome advice me and 6 other of my friends are also in a club and one of the girls teacher always gives them alot of homework everyday so she is always late because her mom won’t let her go anywhere if her homework is not completed so now instead of going home rght away and plaaying with her friendsand doing homeowrk last she starts it right away so now she is NEVER late for any club meetings.
Bye!
As someone who IS ALWAYS LATE, I will take your helpful suggestions to heart. They may help one can hope.
Not to go off talk but I was wondering if ANYONE WON A ZUM BUDDY?
my whole family got tee’s–
I also wanted to let ALL know the big prize at the carnival–Makes it worth doing–
I WON A floating balloon of the yellow dude.
Thanks Ganz
I won a shirt too.
You got the balloon? Which game did you get it on?
Plumpy, that’s GREAT advice, you should really have your own show called “The worlds problems, With Plumpy Hippo, Don’t ya’ think?
haha yeah like a talk show! where people go on with their problems and then she tells them the solution!! :) awesome idea scoobydfan27!
I am starting a club but… This girl’s named Janna and she’s 7 now but 8 in a few… She thinks she can be mean all the time and also trying to fit in with the big kids and I am almost 10 years old and I am 9 now… She thinks she’s little miss perfect… I bacicly think that’s rude… gotta go here… bye!!!
I think that is pretty good advice and my firiend Janna thinks she’s so perfect… she wants to join the croud…
Then they could FINALLY have something new on the Webkinz tv!
i dunno, i dont agree with plumpy on this thing, a planner won’t help because they wont look at it, reminding them wont help b/c hey will forget. i say tell them things start ten minutes before they really do, that way they will be a little closer on time.