To never, EVER do the school run again?

[thinkofthemoney]

First time on re school run today. Dd just started early years.
Was a bit surprised to find a parking spot right outside school but couldn't see any no parking signs and thought the gods were smiling on me.
I them proceeded to the playground where I felt like a leper! Despite it being first day all the other mums knew each other/ were arranging lifts to the birthday party of one of the little ones in my daughters class. Dd
Not invited but early days obviously.
And why did no one tell me you are supposed to 'dress up' for pick up? Was only mother without make up/ long boots/boden/north face body warmer.
Left the playground to find that the reason said parking space was empty is that the school bus parks directly opposite. My car was therefore stopping at least 10 other mums from getting out.
Cue slow clap from bus driver and lots of head shaking/stupid woman comments from other mums.
I was trying to explain to everyone that I had no idea the bus stopped there and there were no signs to say not to park amidst lots of sorries. These all fell on deaf ears as 'everyone knows not to park there'. Well not me obviously.
So, there goes any chance of social integration for me and dd.
Am I being U to send dh tomorrow?!!

some will warm to you,some wont.thats school gate life im afraid
dont sweat school politics.some wags gossiping and exchanging the look is just something you try rise above

i do the occasional party invite em all and see who attend,to keep it sweet.

fortunately all the kids are nice and dont notice the antics at gate

Sympathies OP - can be a horrible experience the school run. Hope you've had a better time of it if you did brave it out again this morning!

First day back for us today and was dreading facing that again even more than the kids were dreading going back!!

scottishmummy I suppose initially it was 'this is a new face I wonder who she's here for' - and then when the DSCs came over it was 'oh so she's the stepmum' plus I was waiting there with my brand new PFB. I don't know really but I was very much outcast as an undesirable though. Thankfully I didn't have to do it too often, - something about crossing the street with them at the wrong place meant I was incapable to continue this task.

twos, my school has its resident WAG types who have the look and chose whom they befriend. im pretty nonplussed, dont get involved.and am always last to know the goss, working mums are bottom of pile. but i believe its stressful if you have to do it daily

Go tomorrow and flick everyone the V's. Some school mums descend into a pack of bullying, bitchy hyenas as soon as their precious darlings start school. Tell yourself you are better than they are.

Oh, and park there every day without fail

I think it's best not to get too involved, no reason why you can't be perfectly pleasant to each other without having to know the ins and out of everyone's lives.

Poor you! I did the parking fuck-up thing too. They did all seem very cliquey yup. I feel your pain! Ignore the clothes. First day back after weeks off. They will slip as term goes by and you will soon see them with dirty hair and crap clothes on. Plus their kids WILL show them up at some point in the payground. It does get better - really it does! Tomorrow is a new day. Hang in there.

bullying hyena's????

I must live in a parallel universe

Ah bugger you're all making me jittery!

We're moving house soon and DD (9) will be starting a new school. I won't sleep for weeks now worrying about:

What should I wear?
Where does she go in?
Where do I wait for her coming out?
What if I say something dumb to someone on the playground on Day #1 and screw my chances of making any new friends?

Never mind DD's nerves - I can reassure her that all will be well.

I don't do the school run that much as on the days I don't work, I have to pick my younger dc up from nursery at same time as school comes out. But I have noticed that I am WAY the coolest mum there

bullying hyena's, yes
and they accessorise badly too

Euphemia if you're in Scotland you don't need to worry about any of that stuff, it seems to me like the school run is less of an event here.

I used to pick up DD on a horse. Two of us on one horse that is. Not Farqu'har at all, bareback riding. The other parents glared and the kids all loved it.

Oh and my friend used to call the playground at home time 'The Snake Pit'

truly Now that I would have loved to have seen, - I would definitely have wanted to be your friend!

Ha diddl. funny - I do turn up in shitty jods some days for pick up....and "hat hair". ( Hair been sweated on under close fitting, potentially antique and filthy stinking riding hat...nice!!) I really couldn't give a flying fuck what the perfumed, perfectly turned out Mums think. Maybe this is why I get on OK with some of them. Don't let your look, or theirs, get in the way!

I think it's the best possible start for you. It will instantly weed out the vacuous, shallow, trendy mums and if you can have a laugh about it you'll bond with similar, like-minded mums and dads.
Don't worry about it.

scottishmummy

Yes it's still Scotland, so I'm sure it'll be fine.

I've only done the school run rarely, and hated it as no-one seemed to have interesting conversation. They either talked about folk I don't know, or about the stupid beauty treatments they had planned: veneers on their teeth; eyelash extensions, etc. Yawn.

DD's school is an eco-friendly, green building: you probably get hung from the Eco Flag pole if you come to school by car.

"Bullying bitching hyenas" in certain places. The parents in my area would no more wear Boden than they would go to the Seychelles and they are mainly friendly and kind. Plus most of them walk anway. However my friend from school who lives in rather a well to do area has had a nightmare with other mums at the school gate. She has since told them all to fuck off. That's always an option.

*Caveat"? Is that the right word? I've never used it before.

she told em to fuck off,wow that's bold
cluck Gluck I is too chicken for that....the wags might flutter me to death with their drag queen mascara'd eyes

ignore them, give all the mums stupid names, i have my fav one is flappy boobies, makes me giggle when i see her and she thinks she is soooo much better than me,

or there is little and large, two mum friends one little one large, they all have names im my eyes makes it soooo much eaiser and make me laugh,

they are like this with me as im a goth, sod them, :p

DH and I call one woman in the playground 'flippy hair woman', as she tried to chat him up several times. He didn't notice, I did...lol.

Yes OP, it seems like you should definitely cultivate your own look and say 'hello!!' v loudly to all and sundry.

Update!
I braved it out and went back today. I must admit I did brush my hair and put some mascara on which gave me a bit more confidence and parked about 3 miles away.
I took your advice and was brazen, made a joke and managed to a good few mums laughing with me at my parking fuck up.
So not quite the disaster is was, anyway back to work on Friday so will rarely go again but I am now prepared.
Now just got to decide whether to brave the parents masquerade ball.......