Anyone else hate the school run?

Nara

Aye its a funny world at the school gates.

My DD is 5 and in Year 1. I have managed to make friends with 1 mum well enough that we have been on a couple of child free evenings out which is nice.

The rest tho i don't really have the time or effort for. I am working more hours now and feel like its always the 'stay at home mums' vs 'the working mums'
Some of the mums drone on about how they made this school play outfit or baked these cakes etc, whereas i buy mine from the shops lol.

If I turn up dressed up to the school gates i get evils, if i turn up scruffy i get ignored. Luckily I don't give a damn :-) but yes i understand how !!!!!y and pathetic some parents are, like its a big compeition when really children should be able to be children and not live up to their parents expectations.

Bumpmakesfour

Nara wrote: »

Some of the mums drone on about how they made this school play outfit or baked these cakes etc, whereas i buy mine from the shops lol.

.

Haa I hear you.I'm a rare breed then..because I'm a SAHM and STILL buy the cakes we give to cake stalls etc from the shops :p Trust me it's in the best interests of everyone who may eat them that I don't bake them myself and let's face it just because you stay at home and don't work doesn't automatically make you Mary Poppins!:rotfl:

pinkclouds

This thread is very bemusing.

What exactly is wrong with going to Costa/Starbucks, making friends with people who happen to have kids at the same school as your child, talking about your own kids, driving any car that suits your circumstances, wearing any type of clothing that decently covers you up, forgetting someone's face that you haven't seen in a while, making polite small talk to someone you don't know very well, doing the school run on a regular basis... or anything else mentioned?

It is entirely your prerogative *not* to make friends with anyone you choose. If the parents at your child's school are so horrible that you can't even bear to make small talk with them, then I feel very sorry for you and your child. Everyone at my kids' schools is perfectly polite. No one cares what car you drive or whether you wear makeup. Certainly, no one is bothered by how frequently you do the school run yourself - there is a mixture of SAHM, WAHM, working mothers, dads, nannies/childminders, etc. Obviously, not every single parent is an actual friend of mine but everyone is "friendly". It costs nothing to smile/nod and make the occasional small talk. If all else fails, there is always the weather. What on earth do you do at work? Refuse to talk to anyone there too? Complain that they're being snide if they ask if you're planning any vacations next year or if they mention they haven't seen you in a while? What do you do when your child is invited to parties? Do you refuse to talk to any of the parents there? Or do you refuse to allow your child to attend any schoolmates' parties?

You don't have to "like" the other parents - that's not something anyone can force. But I think life would be a lot easier and pleasanter if you could treat each other civilly and indulge in some conversational pleasantries - even just a "good morning/afternoon" nod. Failing to do so will affect your child in the long run. I certainly wouldn't ask another mom to set up a playdate - even if our kids really, really liked each other - if I thought for one moment that she disliked me or, worse, despised me in some way.

Cherry_Bomb

There's obviously quite a few school run haters here

Pinkclouds I think pretty much everything you have asked I've already answered so I won't bother repeating myself. As for the what I do at work when someone speaks to me well that's stupid. Hating the school run because of some parents means I don't like talking to people full stop? LOL

DS goes to the parties I just don't go with him. He's dropped off, present handed over, oooh happy birthday Ben or whoever and then it's I'll pick him in a couple of hours. No drama really is it! Not all parents stay at kids parties.
Why the hell would I want to sit in a hall for 2 hours listening to screaming kids when I could be getting other bits done whilst I'm child free for the afternoon?

adamantine

im just back from the school run and i was ignored again as were the fathers who collected their kids and the couple grandmas who came for grandkids.

the rest said how cold it was and the weather was forecast snow today lol

Bumpmakesfour

ohhhhhh snow??really??:j(I loooove snow!!)

raven83

Loving this thread! I too am a school run hater, infact i would go as far to say that its probably the worst thing about motherhood for me i loathe it with a passion. And its not because i am not sociable or friendly person because i am i just hate making pointless mind numbing convos with snotty mums that think they are it- no interest whatsoever to be totally honest!

Cherry_Bomb

Atleast snow keeps the conversation going for a bit longer than the usual -

''ooooh it's cold today isn't it''
'Yeah I saw on the weather this morning it's meant to get worse this weekend''
''Oh is it really I missed that?''
''yeah apparently so''...................

Nothing like an awkward silence to break up the small talk

adamantine

Cherry_Bomb wrote: »

Atleast snow keeps the conversation going for a bit longer than the usual -

''ooooh it's cold today isn't it''
'Yeah I saw on the weather this morning it's meant to get worse this weekend''
''Oh is it really I missed that?''
''yeah apparently so''...................

Nothing like an awkward silence to break up the small talk

continuation of the convo

"takeaway for tea tonight?"
"yeah saves cooking"
"got anything planned for the strike on wednesday"
"naa"
riiiiiiiing (thats the school bell btw:rotfl:)

raven83

think i would rather stick pins in my eyes than stand in the playground, i just feel so akward, funny thing is i hated school as a kid and the feeling hasnt changed! i must admit i hate anything to do with schools even assmemblys and parents evenings can be quite daunting i just try and slip in unoticed, dont think it works thou lol!