please dont judge just let me let off steam!

Scrapaholic

Hope you're feeling happier today Meri? Does sound a badly organised trip . I was meant to be going to grandsons summer fair at school today . I was pleased their mum managed to get time off to go ! I collect them from school most days . I smile at people , sometimes they smile back , sometimes not . Just accepted that no one can be bothered to make conversation and I have tried a few times . I don't get upset, well, I try not to be, when a grandchild says something mean . I know they don't really feel that way . Sometimes they aren't little angels and its not wonderful all the time being a grandparent . One day I'll not be needed in the same way . Don't know how I'll feel about that , probably very upset , so I'll try and enjoy it , the good parts , while I can .

meritaten

gingin wrote: »

lol!

I met my match on a school trip a few weeks ago. I was the only parent there, roped in at the last minute and was given a group from another class, so had no idea who the kids were and what their behavior was like and a child who I can only call Lucifer looked me in the eye and said "I don't have to do what you say, you're not my teacher" and he was true to his word. The little s** would do nothing at all.

He had this inhaler but didn't appear to be having an asthmatic episode. I was given no briefing on him using it so thought I'd better let him go ahead but after about the 8th puff and him then trying to insert it in his ear and nose I tried to take it off him but he wouldn't give it to me. He was fighting, being rude, walking off. I've never not been unable to get a situation under control in my life, even if things go wrong eventually you can get things back to normal but with him I just couldn't so I had to get 2 girls to go off and find the teacher about 500m away, which really I shouldn't have done but had no choice short of manhandling Lucifer. The teacher had to come and fetch him and have him in his group, I told the teacher that I just couldn't cope with him, I felt completely defeated by an 8 year old.

I totally get what was said about it putting you off helping on school trips but at my daughter's school they are so understaffed that if parents can't help, the children, in my opinion are at risk and when that is the case I'd rather be there to keep an eye on my daughter.

Meri, sorry you had a bad day and it's good of you to go. It's sad when you say you feel it's cliquey, because no one likes to be left out but when I think of my own situation it's hard not to form bonds and friendships with people when you see them virtually every day over a number of years and I know I always gravitate towards the same mums, so outwardly it might look cliquey, but it's not like that at all - it's just a group of friends getting together for a natter and I really can't imagine that a whole class or school of people would deliberately be offhand with you. Did you try making conversation?

gingin I have tried for TWO years, smiling and wishing everyone a good morning, commenting about the weather etc - all the usual icebreakers! hell I can hold a conversation in an empty room! you all know I never shut up! down at the other grandkids school - things are fine, other parents/nans always up for a chat.
Grandsons school is sooooo different - I've given up now - I take him in and pass the time of day with the one mum who actually speaks and smiles back (er - she doesn't talk because she cant speak English and seems embarrassed). the rest of them can stick their little cliques - I pray that DIL will get a job with different hours and SHE can take him and pick him up - it isn't a task I enjoy and I must be the only nan looking forward to school hols!

meritaten

cmace2 wrote: »

What a small world! I work in the shop you walked through to get to the garden centre. I did wonder why three coach loads of adults and kids turned up. Apparently you were at the wrong garden centre as the company has two garden centres in the area. There were a lot of you!!! I can imagine it was quite stressful!!

That isn't what the teacher told us! jeez - they couldn't organise a prayer meeting in a church!
Thanks cmace! my DIL is gonna love knowing what really happened - and I know you are telling me the truth cos I haven't mentioned how many coaches there are and you are spot on!

I did think the shop staff looked a bit bemused - but then so were the parents as we didn't know there was supposed to be tour of a 'garden centre', until we got to the car park. roflmao!

meritaten

I will go back through the thread and do 'Thanks', but, first I just want to thank you ALL for being so nice and understanding! it made me feel so much better - or was that the bottle of wine! lol it still feels like a bad day - but, I am getting it into perspective now! it isn't the end of the world - but, I still aint doing it again!

geoffky

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

He obviously got the best ones in his little group.


I always seemed to be landed with the whiners, the 'I want to go home', 'Matthew looked funny at me, Miss, Miss, Miss, Miss, Miss' or 'I don't like that, I fwitined' kids. Well, until I refused to do anymore trips - then I got a smaller number of the so called troublemaker kids. Who were always absolute sweeties, albeit with a need to be effectively called to heel every few minutes.

Actually i think the little ones were scared of me...A few years later my daughter was talking about it and said all the young lads in her class asked my daughter was i a gangster...:):)
This explains their behavior.

marisco_2

geoffky wrote: »

Actually i think the little ones were scared of me...A few years later my daughter was talking about it and said all the young lads in her class asked my daughter was i a gangster...:):)
This explains their behavior.

Got to ask, what made them think you were a gangster? Was it the car chase and shoot out arrival with your moll that gave it away?

nearlyrich

Violin case with Horse's head sandwich ?

Glad today has been better Meritatan x

meritaten

Shaved head and sunglasses?

lol - I phoned DIL and told her that we were at wrong garden centre - she gasped and said 'j*****s mum (on the PTA) said they were going to write a very strong letter to the owners!

Spendless

Hope you've enjoyed a less stressful day today meritaten. :beer:

You've reminded me why I've only ever accompanied a child's school trip once.:rotfl:

Savvy_Sue

jellyhead wrote: »

Why on earth would there be raised eyebrows about your DH going? He's his son't parent! Dads can be just as 'good' as mums, as can grandparents, as long as somebody goes. Perhaps that's why the little boy was disappointed that his mum wasn't going, because some numpty might have implied that only 'mummy helpers' are worth having!

I don't know why I got the raised eyebrows when I said I wasn't going this year, but DH was. I know it was nearly 20 years ago, when I guess there were fewer SAHDs, and maybe I was just being paranoid, that headteacher used to have me reduced to a quivering wreck at regular intervals!

Don't get me wrong, she was a fantastic head, the kids loved her, and all she cared about was the welfare of the children, but she used to put the fear of God into me at regular intervals! :rotfl:
And as you know, I'm not easily intimidated ...

I'd love to meet her now and ask if they suspected that DS1 was an Aspie (sure they did but never told me), and did they realise DS2 was a mathematical genius? I know they knew DS3 could charm the birds from the trees if he chose ...