Anyone else hate the school run?

Felicity

Wow, some massive judgements flying around here.

It amazes me that people need to look down on others because they want to wear make up every day (I do most times) or drive a 4 x 4 (used to) or a cheaper car (now do) for the school run.

I used to hate it when we first started and I didn't know any Mums, I didn't feel comfortable with small talk at all and would feel awkward. BUT I made myself chat and smile and now I love the school run, have made some excellent friends. Always have a good chat & catch up.

All the Mums I know go out of their way to make the newer Mums welcome and fit in. It's a lovely environment. Yes there are a few Mums who just put their heads down and dont really talk, maybe they are just shy, maybe they are always busy, maybe they think we are a clique and judge us based on make up / cars / conversation topics etc.

I dont care, I will always be friendly and my son and I get a lot out of the experience.

*Jelly_Tots*

Nicki wrote: »

Crikey, there are some REALLY unpleasant people out there.

I don't tell the other mums in the playground what I have bought for the teacher's Christmas present, and it is brought in wrapped up and delivered as discreetly as I can so as not to draw attention to it. But I do try and get something nice particularly for DD's teachers and Teaching Assistants as she has severe special needs and they work very hard with her in what is a demanding job. I tend to go down the route of a really nice, luxury box of chocolate, from eg Thorntons or Hotel Chocolat. It makes me feel a bit sick to be honest, that said teachers might be !!!!!ing behind my back that I am trying to show oneupmanship in the playground, rather than making a genuine effort to show how much they are appreciated

Clearly the school playground is a far bigger minefield than I thought. In my innocence I thought you pitched up twice a day, chatted with whoever was there at the time, and any interactions between you and the teacher stayed between you and the teacher. And I was far happier for that approach. I now know, thanks to this thread, that there is a group of disgruntled mums !!!!!ing in the background about what I wear, drive and talk about, and that the teachers are likely to be joining in. I think to be honest I prefer my version of the world, and will continue to believe it exists for my own happiness and mental health!

Well said - how sweetly put. I so agree. I always get a nice present for my child's teacher. It never crosses my mind that the teacher might think anything other than 'Oh that's a nice present'. And it's always wrapped and in a bag so the other parents don't know what it is. I get enjoyment out of being generous to the poor teachers who have to put up with 30+ little cherubs all year. I really appreciate their hard work.
Nicki - don't let a few negative people spoil your sunny view of the world. Haters gonna hate, but most people are nice (although this thread is a bit depressing).

poet123

Person_one wrote: »

Heels are awful for your feet and back if they're higher than about an inch and a half. Won't do you any harm if its a couple of times a week for a few hours, but always? Not a great idea.

Not had a back problem up to now, but then I do go barefoot in the house. I have always worn approx 3" heels for daytime and sometimes marginally higher for evenings.

Gillyx

*Jelly_Tots* wrote: »

Well said - how sweetly put. I so agree. I always get a nice present for my child's teacher. It never crosses my mind that the teacher might think anything other than 'Oh that's a nice present'. And it's always wrapped and in a bag so the other parents don't know what it is. I get enjoyment out of being generous to the poor teachers who have to put up with 30+ little cherubs all year. I really appreciate their hard work.
Nicki - don't let a few negative people spoil your sunny view of the world. Haters gonna hate, but most people are nice (although this thread is a bit depressing).

I'm not hating, and I'm hardly negative I do think teachers appreciate the gifts they receive at Christmas, christ my parents always sent something in too.

My friend right now has a child who is continually throwing chairs across the room and stabbing other children with pencils and whatever else he can get his hands on, he stood on a table and fly kicked the teaching assistant in the face.

So they do deserve it, as I said a choice few parents tend to go a bit OTT. In my opinion you give a present to say thanks for the work you've done since August/September. That to me doesn't equate to £50+ maybe to others it does, I suppose it's all relative on how much you spend on Christmas. I know parents who spend £1000+ on each of their children, so maybe from them it's normal.

Nicki

It might also be a question of what kind of gift the parent would be given at work to say thank you for a job well done, or as a Christmas gift. When I was still working, I often got given bottles of champagne, and expensive bouquets. I'd say 4 or 5 times a year from clients or my boss, and at Christmas would frequently get bottles of champagne or nice meals out. If that is your every day experience, it would follow that you might not think it extreme to do the same for someone else as a workplace gift.

Gillyx

I actually feel bad now, and don't want to put people off buying things for teachers. I feel like that's how I've come across when it's not intentional.

All I'm saying is it made my friend feel uncomfortable, especially when it comes to disciplining, picking pupils for specific things.

She had hundreds of chocolates, bottles of wine, scarves, plants, mugs etc, and then a bottle of moet and a massive bouquet of flowers, big difference.

LudaMusser

When I was at first school I was walked their by my mum or sometimes by my gran. The walk was probably half a mile. When I went to middle school all the kids from my village got a bus to the school which was about three miles away. Secondary school a bus again, roughly eight miles away..

I`d love to know how many of the people on here who take their kids to school by car/4x4 could actually put the kid on a bus or walk them there. Left foot forwards followed by the right and repeat

:wall:

*Jelly_Tots*

LudaMusser wrote: »

When I was at first school I was walked their by my mum or sometimes by my gran. The walk was probably half a mile. When I went to middle school all the kids from my village got a bus to the school which was about three miles away. Secondary school a bus again, roughly eight miles away..

I`d love to know how many of the people on here who take their kids to school by car/4x4 could actually put the kid on a bus or walk them there. Left foot forwards followed by the right and repeat

:wall:

Of course walking to school is the ideal. I'm quite lucky that I get the chance to walk my child to school, but a lot of full-time working mums don't have the luxury of a nice stroll to school. They have jobs to rush to and most jobs aren't child-friendly enough to allow you to take your time on a morning. I don't know what your family circumstances were, but more and more people these days have to work full-time just to survive financially (and not everyone can rely on grans/relatives to walk their kids to school).

Gillyx

I always walked myself to school, well apart from Primary 1, my brother was in Primary 7 at the time I'd walk with him. My aunt looked after us after school but she had other children too, that went to different schools so couldn't pick us all up. Was about half a mile there, half a mile back everyday I can't imagine allowing my children to do that now, it's quite sad really

Cat501

I hated the school run, I would exchange small talk briefly with some of the mums but felt so shy and awkward. And I felt I didn't fit in with anyone, not the mumsy ones, the career women, or (and I'm desperately trying to find a better word here but can't) the "neds". I thought they'd all sneer at me, for different reasons! But I'm aware that was MY problem, my self esteem issues to blame, not them....I'm sure most of them were perfectly nice.:o

Still, I'm glad it's all over!