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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to not give these women any more opportunities to exclude me?

324 replies

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 10:04

I have namechanged.

At my 8 year old DD's school there is a group of mums, 9 of them. I have known most of them for several years since DD was at nursery with their DC. A couple of them live in the same road as me. The ones that I haven't known since nursery have been added to their group along the way, one knows one of the mums from tennis club and another lives next door to another one. I have always liked them all and got on well with them all, but I always feel they have excluded me a bit.

For example, they will arrange nights out and not invite me, yet invite me to others. Last time I went on a night out with them they were all talking about their previous night out to X restaurant and it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't been invited on that one. I said "Oh, you didn't invite me on that one, girls" and one of them said "oooops probably shouldn't have mentioned that night out". They will invite me if they are having, say, a bodyshop party and want as many attendees as possible, but then other things they exclude me from.

I am probably the closest to one of them who lives a few doors down from me, we text each other occasionally and sometimes meet up for coffee, however for the past few months she has continually said about meeting up and then when I've suggested a day and time she has either been busy or forgotten or cancelled at very short notice. So I have now stopped suggesting meeting up with her, and am leaving the ball in her court.

The other thing they do is if one or two of them talk to me outside the school, they will be very vague with me and keep looking over my shoulder or behind them for other members of their group, and if they see one of them they will start smiling and waving at them and I feel they never listen to what I say, and sometimes are just waiting for me to go so that they can continue their conversation. One morning recently 3 were talking to me, they then all said they had to go, so I went off in my direction and they in theirs. A while later I went out in the car and saw them still talking in a group but they had moved round the corner to the other side of the school where they thought I wouldn't see when I'd gone. this morning two started talking to me and asking me about something that has happened to me recently, and I started talking too and next thing they were both looking over my head waving at someone wildly, totally ignoring what I said so I just said "Oh, bye then" and walked off.

I have decided I am not going to give them any more opportunities to exclude me. I am going to decline all invites out, and will say hello and be polite if I see them but it will be more of a "say hello and carry on walking with the buggy" than a hello and a chat. I am also not going to suggest any meet ups with any of them again. Another one of them and I went to an exercise class together once a week for a while but it dawned on me recently it was me making all the effort and so I stopped contacting her to see what would happen and she hasn't contacted me since. She always says she is busy yet has plenty of time for meet ups with the rest of them, but if I suggested meeting up in the day she would suggest a date in 2 or 3 months time because she's so busy, presumably hoping I would forget.

AIBU to think "stuff the lot of them"? I have other friends at the school, and other friend away from school btw. I don't think its me or anything I do/don't do, I think it's more that I'm not quite good enough for their clique.

OP posts:
Whatmeworry · 08/02/2012 16:15

whatmeworry If you can't see the paranoid individual, it's probably you

Only the paranoid survive. But sadly no. If it looks like a clique, walks like a clique, quacks like a clique....

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 16:19

thanks those that have been supportive. I am actually laughing loudly at Madame Castafiore's caps lock post, gosh Madame you must have a very boring shallow life if you are getting so worked up about someone on the internet that you don't know.

I might be boring, who knows, I guess everyone is boring to someone, but I would rather be boring than associate with the likes of Castafiore and Seamonkey in a 'clique'. Cheekyseamonkey, if you think it's acceptable to say you're going home and then start talking again around the corner then you sound a really unkind person, and probably are very at home in cliques. whilst you might have your friends in your clique, I would imagine that you are disliked by many others not in your clique. You might say that you don't care at the moment but as many others have pointed out on here, cliques do have arguments and ructions...

OP posts:
bringbacksideburns · 08/02/2012 16:21

Let me tell you something - every single one of them will be talking about the other one behind their back. Cliques always do. Grin

My SIL is the ringleader of one at school, her dd is in the younger class to mine. I like everyone in the 'clique' individually and have been on a couple of nights out. Both myself and my neighbour, who is a friend, have been invited out on forthcoming nights out, and have decide to start making excuses. I will stop and talk briefly to them but i am not being drawn into the backbiting, snitching and gossip. It's very childish and i know someone will eventually end up hurt. Infact someone already has. Luckily for me i'm not attached to the class they are all in.
It may look all peachy and wonderful from the outside but it's probably not!

Concentrate on the proper friends who value your company and conversation. Maybe you could befriend the ex clique member who's now out of the inner circle?

Some women never leave High School do they?

cheekyseamonkey · 08/02/2012 16:23

No? Thought not.

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 16:25

What do you mean "No? thought not", Seamonkey?

OP posts:
exoticfruits · 08/02/2012 16:26

Very sensible bringbacksideburns.
You can be sure that if OP's clique read this thread they would be saying 'what clique?' 'we don't know what she is talking about'-all wide eyed and innocent-out to prove that OP has a problem! (you really don't-bar having tried too hard for too long)

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 16:27

Bringbacksideburns, interestingly enough I've heard a couple of them talking about each other, in quite a mean way really. One popped round mine one day and slagged off another, really personal things,yet they still seem to be good friends.

You're right, it might all look peachy but it's probably all shallow and not very good underneath :)

OP posts:
moretolifethanthis · 08/02/2012 16:27

MandT, people leaving you out makes you 'feel' paranoid-this doesn't mean this is your natural state! These mums sound so up there arses and I bet they're having nightmares trying to outdo each other too haha! I moved a number of times meaning new school gates to face(!) and have been made to feel uncomfortable or not up- to- par to be friends with certain mums probably because they were shallow and didn't feel it should be them to make the effort to help someone new fit in. This requires generosity of spirit-something they were sadly lacking in. If these women are jibbing you off-they are not interested to be close friends and you will just have to accept this and move on. Don't beat yourself up any more-they are not worth it. I'm sure its hard seeing them together but steel yourself and keep your self-dignity. I reckon this clan will disintigrate come secondary school(evil laugh!!).

cheekyseamonkey · 08/02/2012 16:27

I'm genuinely shocked by this thread. I don't think I'm disliked, but then I'm not insecure enough to worry about what everyone thinks and don't need everyone to fall at my feet.

I find it odd that you can be so judgy given the limit of my posts momo, hypocritical much? I think you've been bolstered by your pretend mnet friends.

Good luck in the future.

historyrepeats · 08/02/2012 16:29

Take no notice momo. Madam and seamonkey are feeling guilty me thinks. they have just realised they are cliquey

DontDoSupportiveGF · 08/02/2012 16:29

I'm starting to see a pattern here. Some of the posters who are chucking out 'stuck up twat' in other threads are here going on about stuck up twats who exclude them from their 'cliques'. Doesn't it occur to some of you posters that the problem isn't with 'stuck up twats' but with you?

Its like the poster that went on about how the school has it in for DC. The teachers were dismissed as a bunch of twats (there is that word again). Just because she taught DC not to blindly accept what he is told to do and to stand up for himself. The mystery deepens as to why the school has it in for the mum/DC.

We have one or two mums at DC's primary whose conversation is too heavy for 8:45am. I'm there to have light hearted conversation for 10 minutes and not to listen to their problems. I try to breakaway at the first opportunity. Hence the looking over Whiney Mum's shoulders for an Exit Strategy.

The fact that 6 hours later you are all still here complaining about the same thing kind of makes my point. You sound like depressing people to be around.

Sorry ladies. As it says on the tin, I don't do Supportive Girlfriend

exoticfruits · 08/02/2012 16:33

The moral of the story is don't look for deep friendship at the school gate. Keep it friendly and superficial, unless you particularly like someone and avoid particular groups.

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 16:37

Yes I agree historyrepeats

OP posts:
moretolifethanthis · 08/02/2012 16:37

To don'tdosupportivegf, LOL-such a caring person-wish you were my friend !!!

cheekyseamonkey · 08/02/2012 16:38

;) @ DDSGF

cheekyseamonkey · 08/02/2012 16:45

Have I missed where you explained why I was a snob?

DontDoSupportiveGF · 08/02/2012 16:45

As Gordon Gekko said in the film Wall Street, you want a friend? get a dog.

Perhaps the OP should post to IKIAMRBILTHOTMS i.e. I Know I Am Being Reasonable But I like To Hear Others Tell Me So.

cheekyseamonkey · 08/02/2012 16:46

Sorry, just bored waiting for kettle boil.

DontDoSupportiveGF · 08/02/2012 16:47

Have I missed where you explained why I was a snob?

To paraphrase the Carly Simon song, does this post have to be about you?

historyrepeats · 08/02/2012 16:48

Boring people are bored - go figure.

cheekyseamonkey · 08/02/2012 16:48

DDSGF stop, stop Grin

historyrepeats · 08/02/2012 16:48

Bun fight

HurricaneBawbag · 08/02/2012 17:01

It does sound as if these ladies feel you are an acquaintance rather than a friend. I have different conversations with different people at different points I the day. I definitely try and keep it lighthearted in the playground. I have 2 dc in different classes and so I have have friends in both years that don't necessarily know each other. One of the mums I'm friends with has 5 dc, so she has 5 sets of parents to chat to and organise coffee with! If I'm chatting with her and she spots someone else I don't feel like she's dumping me for someone better... just the same as when someone spots me when they are talking to someone else.

Fwiw I only do 4 of the 10 drop off/pick ups and dp or school club do the rest. I sometimes have people hassling me for coffee when I can't be arsed and turn them down. I have also continued a conversation around a corner after saying I was in a rush! Means nothing and I think you are reading too much into it...

HurricaneBawbag · 08/02/2012 17:02

My bet is they don't realise they have this effect on you. Did you have a bad time at school yourself?

MardyBra · 08/02/2012 17:03
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