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AIBU?

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Original poster

to snigger inwardly about this mom's OTT behaviour?

133 replies

ChaosTrulyReigns · 07/02/2011 10:57

Examples of this mom's jawdropping behaviour.

scoots alongside her DD as the line flows into school, so that she's with the child till the door prevents her going any further.

conspicuously checks that her DD's reading book has been changed, making sure that everyone else has seen which stage Mildred is on as she waves it around getting it out of the bag.

makes snidey comments regarding the child first out the door at hometime being the "teacher's favourite". Confused

clean the school shoes every night and fresh uniform everyday.

peers in through the window at school making sure that Mildred's coat has been hung up correctly. Once she nipped round to the school secretary to mention that it had been knocked off the peg after Mildred had sat down at circle time for registration.

asks the child why she hasn't earned any stickers that day, and if she has earned stickers, being very loud and vocal in her praise of such a wonderful pupil.

Blimey, she's everso entertaining!

OP posts:
LisasCat · 07/02/2011 11:29

Grevling aged 10 I told my mum I'd got 98% in a maths exam. Her response was "what did you lose the 2% for?" Like you say, me? Bitter? Never!

The answer is, don't be a precious mummy like the one OP's describing, but don't be an evil cow either. Or, option 3, just accept that your children, when grown up, will blame you for everything, and interpret your behaviour as awful, no matter what you did. I'm steeling myself right now for 20 years of being held accountable for anything that makes DD sad, and possibly paying for her therapy. That way, anything else can only be an improvement!

wudbee · 07/02/2011 11:30

Wondering if it's the same mother but there are at least 6 of them like this at my dd school!

mutznutz · 07/02/2011 11:31

My kid's school has had to cover the windows with posters and drawings to stop hoards of parents hanging around...waving through the windows and putting the kids off their work...especially when they turn up at 2.40 and the school doesn't finish til 3pm.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 07/02/2011 11:31

I have seen much worse than that OP. Thai mothers take some beating Wink.
The child in the OP will, in the long run, get cheesed off with her mum and buy herself a Vespa to outmanoevre her mother.

megapixels · 07/02/2011 11:33

I don't think having clean shoes and a fresh uniform everyday is OTT behaviour. Yeah the other stuff is OTT but I don't have a huge problem with that, those parents are infinitely preferable to the "don't give a crap" camp.

Don't your DC have clean, fresh clothes on when they go to school?

Dropdeadfred · 07/02/2011 11:33

strandednomore - thanks! Smile

I'll tell you somehing though...I see a few of dd's friends (boys and girls) looking through the window hopefully when they see me waving and I have had to add some of them to my waving list. One even blows me a kiss ( as does my dd). 5 is still so little - great if they don't want or need you to do his, but what's the harm if they do?

Thingumy · 07/02/2011 11:35

I clean ds's shoes every night Confused but I equal that out with not checking his school bag all week Grin

maryz · 07/02/2011 11:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FoundWanting · 07/02/2011 11:41

I have a great one at DS2's school. She makes sure she is first in the line to go in when the bell goes. She has to go into the classroom with her buggy every morning to make sure her DD's lunchbox is standing up correctly.

Then she has to manouevre the buggy back through all the tables and chairs and other children to get out. Grin

It doesn't seem to matter to her that no-one else goes into the classroom, or that the teacher and TA have asked her repeatedly not to take the buggy in.

She also gets there before anyone else to pick up and parks herself and her buggy right in front of the door so that no-one else can see their DC coming and the children have to edge around her to get out.

I would love to go through life so oblivious to other people. It must be lovely in her world.

Dropdeadfred · 07/02/2011 11:42

maryz - i know what you meant don't worry Smile
I am making the most of my hugs and kisses now...i have a sulky 16 yr old who hates hugs and uddles (unless she is upset) and an 18 yr old who has left home for uni.
I was just the same with those 2 too!! In fcat I'm just remembering that I used to carry my dd2 home from schoolwhen she was 6 when she said her legs were tired Blush - we did live up a hill and god it kept me fit!!

Eglu · 07/02/2011 11:43

My DC barely give me a backward glance.

DS2 is 3 and in nursery and the teacher have to remind him to say goodbye to me as he goes in the door.

thebountymuncher · 07/02/2011 11:43

Oh god I used to do a whole routine of arm signs and air kisses to DD when she was at infant school.

She had very clean uniform every day and shiny, shiny shoes.
She had a white costume to wear for a play one year and I oxi cleaned it to make it as white as I could get it Blush

She was my PFB. Though she barely speaks to me now and goes to school like she's crawled out of a skip...

DS will be different- be a quick wave and I'll be running away as fast as my legs will carry me! Grin

thebountymuncher · 07/02/2011 11:44

She still is my PFB obv!

Dropdeadfred · 07/02/2011 11:45

thebountymuncher - i sooo know where ou are coming from Grin

mutznutz · 07/02/2011 11:47

She was my PFB. Though she barely speaks to me now and goes to school like she's crawled out of a skip...

Lmao!! Grin

stealthsquiggle · 07/02/2011 11:48

fred - waving at the window also a ritual here - DD is in preschool class and parents are expected to take them in to the classroom - with the promise of a wave she will let me go with no fuss at all - without waving, it would be russian roulette as to whether any activity underway was sufficiently engaging to instantly distract her. Having waved, she is perfectly happy to head off and join in whatever is going on. I know some of the other mothers are a bit Hmm about it, though.

FWIW my 8yo still hurls himself out of school and hugs me Grin (much as I like this I am not naive enough to think it will last much longer, though)

Chaos - actual scooter-based scooting? That would be even more entertaining.

falsemessageoflethargy · 07/02/2011 11:48

On Friday the teacher had to come haring out after me halfway up the drive as she had something she wanted to discuss - I just send ds in and theres no backward glances from either of us.

But from now on I will indeed make sure he has hung up his coat correctly etc etc Grin

Morloth · 07/02/2011 11:49

DS1 has a fresh uniform every day because I am lazy. I wash everything on the weekend, then sort it into each day's pipe, this means I don't have to get him changed when he gets home.

Result, very small washing pile.

shesparkles · 07/02/2011 11:58

I'm surprised that the school tolerate this, especially so far into the school year!
At my kids' school, parents/carers are allowed in the playground for the 1st 2 weeks of P1 then the children have to fend for themselves....and the best bit is you can't actually see the playground from the gate, so all these people who still stand there look REALLY stupid craning their necks trying to see!

Dropdeadfred · 07/02/2011 11:59

shesparkles - I wouldnt put up with that. I'm afraid if my dd HAD to aend a school like that I would break the rule every day

ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 07/02/2011 12:05

My Nan came to a job interview with me in London once. I didn't actually expect her to come in, but she did anyway. And then she answered a few of the questions. And Samantha Morton was there

maryz · 07/02/2011 12:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mamatomany · 07/02/2011 12:14

Jesus I clean their shoes once a term, fresh shirt every day but the uniform is only washed once a week, what do other peoples children do that gets them so dirty Wink

Dropdeadfred · 07/02/2011 12:19

maryz - i thoroughly agree with parents being banned from the classroom, I have not accompanied my dd even into the cloakroom since the first term of reception. But personally I always get my child to school about 20 mins before the bell goes so she has time to play with her friends (also there early) in the playground. when the bell goes i hand over her bag and in she goes..alone. I then walk few steps round the building to the window. I would not like to be told that our school routine was 'drop her at the gate and retreat immediately'

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 07/02/2011 12:25

At my dses primary school in Essex they brought in a similar rule to the one at shesparkles' school. There was a teacher on each gate, and no parents or carers were allowed in the playground in the morning - they did this for security reasons, because it meant that a strange adult in the playground would be instantly noticed, and also because they thought it was better for the children to have the space for a good run around before school started, without having to dodge parents, buggies and younger siblings.

I hated the idea when it was mooted, and protested to the Head, but was proved totally wrong when it came into force - it made drop offs at school sooo much easier!

I should say, though, that Reception children had a separate entrance to their own little playground, so they weren't having to brave the chaos of the Infant and Junior playground.

Regarding fresh uniform every day - NO WAY!!!! I have never done this. If uniform is clean enough to do another day, it does another day - and I must confess I am less picky about the cleanliness of a uniform for a Friday than I am earlier in the week - because there is no way I am putting a child in a clean uniform on a friday when I know it will go straight to the wash that afternoon - so if a uniform can be sponged off to be acceptable, it is!

In defence of my slovenly behaviour, I would point out that I have 3 dses, all at senior school, and washing and ironing three entire sets of uniform every day would send me and dh utterly mad. 20 white shirts a week (including dh's work shirts) is bad enough! Plus I have no washing machine at the moment, and haven't had one since the 16th of January. It is beyond economic repair, and I am STILL waiting for comet warranty department to get back to me with a write-off code so I can go and get a new machine - but that is a whole different rant!