School run

[Peter211012]

I live in a small town which I moved to 5 years ago. I absolutely hate the school run, the other parents have their cliques and I have tried everything to get them to talk to me nodding, smiling, striking up conversation. I am currently on the PTA and have helped source money for various projects given in baked goods, given ideas for fundraising which they have seemed enthusiastic and used. I have also helped out a couple of parents who have approached me with issues surrounding benefits (I have cab training)Yet the other parents talk about me and bitch behind my back (I am not in people's face at all). Part of me is saying to leave the pta and stop helping as I have a demanding job. I just feel so low and like I did at school when a certain girl bullied me. I guess I just want to know that others are going through the same thing too and I'm not alone

You are not alone!

You are definitely not alone! I don't like the school run either. How do you know the other parents are talking behind your back?

I don’t even try to get in the clique. Turn up at the last minute, get your child/ren and just leave!

Quit the PTA. Life is too short to spend your free time with people who don't like you.

Get in, and get out. I don't care about being pals with school mums, I have nothing in common with them anyway. I'm nice, don't get me wrong, but nothing more than a surface level chat for 2 minutes.

I live in a happy bubble!

I am not enjoying it. I suspect my ds (5) is currently the focus of a witch hunt (won't go into detail as it will be outing) but it is very unpleasant. I tend to put an I don't give a damn face on, but underneath, I have to steel myself for it and feel great relief if dh does it. It is cliché, I don't have much in common with most of the parents and tend to talk to the grandparents more. I didn't feel like that with my eldest, I actually developed some friendships - luck of the draw really, who is there.

How do you know people are bitching behind your back?

School run is like anywhere else.. work, the gym, art class.... Some nice and interesting people some not so much. It's just a question of seeking out the nice ones.

I feel for you, my eldest son's school was like this. After a few months feeling shitty everyday i gave myself a shake & in the nicest possible way so should you. Take your kid into school, smile say good morning & get the fuck out. Quit the PTA if you want to but dont be forced out if you want to stay. Some peoples lives revolve around the school playground & thier days are filled with gossiping because they have nothing better to do. Rise above it you will feel so much better. In a few yrs time your kids will be in secondary school, its fab they get them selves to school.

Just walk straight in, drop kids off and go!

I can't stand school runs! They have a 10 minute window in the morning to get DC's in so I purposely get there for the later part to avoid lingering in the playground. I fast pace through the playground in a slight rush, and just ignore the world around me really. Pick ups are similar, I never get into the playground before 20 past and usually time it well to just grab DC's from the gate and head to meet my eldest from the junior school (on the same site).

I can't be dealing with the awkwardness in the playground, I don't want to talk to anyone and can't stand it when you're forced into standing beside someone and having to make small talk. I avoid all eye contact with anyone who is clearly a member of the playground cliques, but I can feel their beady eyes working the playground judging and bitching! Now expecting Dc number 4, so have extended this hell by years 😩