To think that school mums (you know) who don't smile or say hello and look past you as if you are invisible..

[queensansastark]

......are actually rude?! Or is that just me? Am I expecting too much or is that just modern manners these days?

[18yearstooold]

Busy
Depressed
Nervous

???

[Storm15]

I think quite a few of the ones that don't smile / say hello are just really shy.
The ones that look past you like you're invisible are rude.

[motherofallaunts]

Poor eyesight?
Morning fug?

Or yes, bad manners. You're probably NBU about at least some of them.

I try to paste a constant grin on my face for the entirity of the school run in case of being one of "those mums" you speak of.

[Storm15]

I stand corrected, rude or busy! I know my mind is often racing with what I have to do next once I've dropped the kids off.

[Nationalmust]

Are they not just thinking of work, things to do, the forgotten or kit rather than deliberately blanking you. I am cheery and chatty some days and wouldn't notice if I passed Joan Collins on other mornings.

[CantBeBotheredThinking]

I use the school run as a time to mentally plan the day so if I look straight past you it is because I am totally distracted with my thoughts.

[fredfredsausagehead1]

I completely agree it's very rude to walk past people and its ve4u easy to fake a cheery hello/good morning

But some of the mornings I have had, I have not been in this world , or in a terrible terrible mood

Or just couldn't be arsed to say hello
Or was on the verge of tears so couldn't open my mouth
Etc etc

[queensansastark]

This wasn't a school run scenario. It was a group of sporty mums sat down watching a football match.

[RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime]

YANBU. There are some parents I see on the preschool run daily who I don't think would recognise me. It's not shyness as I see them chatting to the mothers they know. I'm not very socially confident but always make eye contact and smile at the other parents in passing.

[queensansastark]

And it was two incidents where I thought we'd catch eyes ( both looking at each other's direction) and I'd say a quick hello or exchange a smile....but it seemed like I caught her eyes but her eyes looked straight past.

[SunsofAlanKey]

I think on occasion I have done this, not because I am rude or superior, but because I am shortsighted and don't always wear glasses. I am sometimes in a world of my own and will only process who I know as they have gone past. But I do try and greet people warmly when I get it right. I think we are guilty of over-thinking the whole gate thing.

[CuddlesfromChickens]

It depends. If they are always like that it may be that they are shy, anxious (I had no idea how many anxious people there were before joining MN), manically busy or in fact just rude.

If they are only occasionally like that it could also be one of the above.

Why does it bother you?

When I was a SAHM I was always in the middle of crowd of chatty people at the school gate, now I am back at work and hardly ever there I often stand on my own, even though they all know me and like me.

It doesn't bother me, it's not about me. It's about the group dynamic.

Maybe the fact they don't always say hello/smile isn't about you.

[queensansastark]

It did feel like something of a deliberate blanking....otherwise I wouldn't be posting here....but I admit I could be wrong

[LadyLuck10]

Yanbu it seems like they are deliberately avoiding you. Can you think of any reason for this?

[CantBeBotheredThinking]

Did the other mum flinch or avert her eyes quickly if so then yes being rude if not then just completely in a world of her own.

[queensansastark]

Nope.

[queensansastark]

As in no I can't think any particular reason why she would avoid me

[queensansastark]

It wasn't one of those chaotic situations Lego. But we are all in the same boat there though aren't we.

[however]

My eyesight is fading. From a distance I have trouble telling my girls apart. I don't wear glasses though.

[queensansastark]

We were sat 2 feet away from each other.

[TheWitTank]

I can be guilty of this. I'm usually very friendly and say hi to everyone I pass or give a smile, but some mornings when I'm in a mad rush to get to work (I don't have a huge amount of time between drop off and start time) I am literally running in the school gate and back to the car. I'm usually so focused on what I'm doing with lunchboxes/bags/trip money/water bottles/planning my work schedule in my head that I barely give a glimpse to the people I pass. Luckily most of them know what it's like and we all have those moments so we laugh it off. The other morning one mum made me jump out of my skin as I was trotting back to the car in a daydream -she was walking past me and I hadn't even noticed! I'm sure some people are rude, but some are shy, busy or distracted.

[ClassSize]

I have done this - my eyes may look in someone's direction but my brain is elsewhere - any actually my eyes are really totally glazed over.

I do try mostly to smile and chat. But sometimes you know, I am elsewhere mentally - even if apparently standing with a group of people.

And sometimes it happens to me - the being blanked by someone else thing. And I think "meh". If a one off - the person is away with the fairies on that occasion. If they do it all the time they are not worth worrying about - though with the caveat I will always be polite to them - they may have blanked me because they are a caahhh....but it maybe shyness/home worries etc etc.

To shorten all of my waffle ^ just chill, don't fret. Be nice yourself. End.

[chocoluvva]

Great advice from Katelyn.

Don't let it get to you. You don't need these women in your life. Find some nice people instead.