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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU to smirk at this display of loud parenting at school today?

154 replies

ItsSnowDarling · 06/12/2011 23:49

Picture the scene - End of the day outside reception. Parent who is well known for parenting loudly and ensuring everyone knows how advanced her son is arrives.

Examples of loud parenting in the past include:

  • her son always carries his reading book in his hand so we can all see which one it is, instead of putting it in his bag like the rest of us.
  • talking loudly to the teacher daily about his achievements.
  • inviting children over for "reading" dates when they were in nursery!
  • singing Jolly Phonics in the playground.

Anyway tomorrow is the nativity, of course we all know that her son will be playing Joseph, so did she really need to throw her arms open as she arrived and exclaim loudly "I'm here, where's Joseph" - I managed to hold back the snort, but I really struggled with the smirk, which may have been a bit too obvious.

So was I reasonable or is the truth that I am just jealous that her DS is far superior to mine?

OP posts:
andaPontyinaPearTreeeeee · 10/12/2011 12:06

Oh FFS. Took DD to storytime at the library, the Performance Parents were out in force! It wasn't even funny though. The DCs were making Xmas cards and this little girl (3 max) kept getting told off by her dad for not forming the letters in her name correctly! And another girl, who was older and able to write the whole card, was constantly reminded "finger spaces, finger spaces!!!". Not to mention all the taking over of the gluing/decorating. Nobbers.

I just rolled my eyes and let DD get on with it. I'd rather she did it all herself even if it isn't 'perfect'.

Original poster
ItsSnowDarling · 10/12/2011 15:02

Oh God - APPT you have hit on what is important. I spent an hour helping DS2 with his Chistmas cards for school this morning and lost count of the number of times I said "no DS2 that is not what an 'a' looks like" who cares if his 'a' looks line a 'q' - I will not turn into one of those parent and let him do the rest himself!

OP posts:
andaPontyinaPearTreeeeee · 10/12/2011 15:23

I can understand parents doing it during homework etc - when they are at the age to need to write! But this little girl looked so dejected when her dad said she must write her name under the (perfect, because she had hardly been allowed to do any of it herself) tree, when she wanted to draw a picture.

Never mind next I will vent to my colleagues who were running the event. I expect they will sympathise as the other day they mentioned parents often taking over etc - apparently one set of parents used to take the craft stuff to a different table and do it themselves!

Weeeeeird.

mumwithdice · 10/12/2011 15:55

APPT, which Disney film and what inaccuracy? You have piqued my curiosity. I love maths too.

andaPontyinaPearTreeeeee · 10/12/2011 15:58

Basil the great mouse detective, when they are stuck in the mouse trap and he's working out how to save themselves he mutters a load of random mathsy things including something like "the square root of an isosceles triangle" which makes no sense to me.

mumwithdice · 10/12/2011 16:07

I don't think triangles have square roots. Sides of triangles do so I think you're ok. Pedantic (me too), but ok.

entropyglitter · 10/12/2011 16:29

yep the phrase 'the square root of an isosceles triangle' doesn't mean anything by itself.

Of course it is important to remember that all numbers have two values of the square root.

Sorry that last bit was for 6mo DD who is reading over my shoulder - the little scamp.

.

LeQueen · 10/12/2011 16:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LeQueen · 10/12/2011 16:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RozziB · 10/12/2011 16:40

When dc1 was in Primary 1 all the children came running out to the playground with their report cards, I put dc's report in her bag but when I looked over to a group of mum's they had their dc's report cards opened and were comparing them, I was Xmas Shocked!!!!

AChickenCalledKorma · 10/12/2011 16:48

Overheard at swimming today "Yes, darling, Daddy is coming to the MATINEE performance. Yes, that's the proper name for the one that's at lunchtime. ... No darling, the evening one doesn't have a special name, just the one Daddy is coming to . Now what did we call it? That's right ... MATINEE."

I paraphrase. But only slightly.

For goodness sake, it's a, infant nativity play, not the London Palladium.

AnotherMincepie · 10/12/2011 21:22

Might be the child asking "why" over and over which leads to some of these conversations though...

exoticfruits · 10/12/2011 21:58

The DC never gets a word in edgeways, Anothermincepie,-that is why the parent gets away with it!

scottishmummy · 11/12/2011 12:34

lol at poster who will plans use correct anatomical terms
how v v pretentious and braggy,will surely make you out as a loud parent
all together now the neck of femur is connected to the ....

mumwithdice · 11/12/2011 12:36

Is it allowed if I only do so in my own home with the shades drawn and the door locked and the house soundproofed?

mumwithdice · 11/12/2011 12:40

I mean, heaven forbid I share something I love and find fascinating with my offspring. I did say I would be as inconspicuous as possible and that this was the only thing I would be like that with.

goggy3 · 11/12/2011 12:52

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about

thanks god

xx

exoticfruits · 11/12/2011 15:42

I don't think they bother at home, there is no one to impress!

CuriousMama · 11/12/2011 16:04

Grin am loving these stories.

DS1 has always been very bright. I've never bragged though and despise loud parenting. He was at school with a very pushy parent's dd, her dcs were doing well enough. One day we were walking home with them when ds1 was in, say year 3? Pushy was saying how her dd was reading some book or other now, and really gloating. DS1 looked at her and said 'oh yes I read that a while back it's a good book' She wasn't a happy bunny. Xmas Grin

dementedma · 11/12/2011 16:14

I always say "hello Joseph" to my DS - tis his name though, so I suppose it's ok. Xmas Grin
He is a serious foodie - loves watching MasterChef and all the cookery programmes. Shopping in very downmarket (apparently) Asds today for food for DDs birthday this week, he picked up a bunch of dill and said "ooh dill, I love dill. it goes so well with salmon doesn't it?".
I nearly died of embarrassment!

dementedma · 11/12/2011 16:15

I should add, I think he only ever has salmon at Christmas when my mother serves nibbles with dill sauce....

CuriousMama · 11/12/2011 16:18

dementedma I love your ds Xmas Grin

AnotherMincepie · 11/12/2011 20:53

mumwithdice how sad that anyone would laugh at you sharing your genuine interest on a topic with your children. Obviously real competitive parenting or loud behaviour isn't a good thing, but chatting about something you have enthusiasm for certainly is. What a shame that some people would confuse the two.

tralalala · 11/12/2011 21:20

I look like I'm hothousing the kids coz I do their spellings on the way to school, in reality I forget all other times.

But one of the Mum's at school EVERYTIME she sees me asks what 'stage' they are on, which is inevitably lower than the ones her amazing children are on.

last time DS1 very loudly said 'She is such a show off isn't she Mummy' I had to stop myself from snorting. Grin

exoticfruits · 11/12/2011 21:56

I love dementedma's DS too! That is quite different-it comes from the DC. The competitive parent is easily spotted because they do all the talking-the DC never gets a chance and remains silent!