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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

About playground disagreement

29 replies

BedsitBob · 10/07/2014 09:21

Posting to get perspective, I think I am too close to this to be rational

DD was playing with a friend at school yesterday when another girl X came past. They asked X if she wanted to play and X said she didn't. X then stood and watched the other 2 girls playing making comments about what they were doing. DD said she found the comments annoying (though couldn't really tell me what was said). They asked X nicely to stop making the comments and suggested again that she might like to join in. X again said she didn't want to. Another couple of girls came and joined in the game. X kept making odd remarks about what they were doing and started shouting out to various of the girls. DD asked X to go away as she was being annoying. X said she wasnt being annoying. At this point DD said that X was being annoying and attempted to demonstrate this by mocking the way she was talking and shouting. The other girls thought this was funny and agreed with DD that X was being annoying and they would like her just to join in normally or go away. X told DD she was being mean and she was going to tell her mum. DD retorted that X was the one being mean and she was going to tell her mum. After a couple of minutes of this argy bargy between them X stomped off.

This is where I need perspective.
That evening I had an angry text from X's mum saying that X was in tears because DD had called her annoying and got the other girls to tease her. She said that if it were her daughter reducing another child to tears she would be doing something about it and she considered it to be one step away from bullying.

I asked DD (without telling her about the text) about how school was and who had she played with at lunchtime. DD recounted a story of the game without mentioning X. I asked if X were there and DD said that she was, but she didn't want to join in the game and was just being annoying so they mostly ignored her. I then told her about the text and the story above came out.

To be clear, I don't think DD making fun of the other girl is on. We have talked about better ways that she could have made her point and how X must have felt. But equally I really don't think DD meant to upset her (she was genuinely distraught to hear that she had X is actually usually a close friend). But the majority of their argument sounds like a 100 arguments she has had with her brother and other friends and that her brother has had with his friends that are forgotten 10 minutes later, and I do think children this age (they are Year 3) won't always be as tactful in what they say as an older child/adult might be!

Whilst accepting that I may have had an edited version of the story (though as I say, it sounds so similar to a 100 other arguments I've witnessed, so I don't think I have and DD has been quite open about what she said/did) I do feel that other mum is overreacting. I know it's horrible to see your child upset, but I wouldn't consider the above anything other than fairly everyday playground stuff and tbh I think X perhaps needs to toughen up a bit, or if it is genuinely upsetting her over and above normal fallings out she needs to speak to an adult at school rather than running to her mum. I do think this is something that would have been better sorted out at the time.

Should mention mum has texted me before about fallings out between the 2 girls (made up and forgotten the next day) and I really don't want this to continue every time they have an argument.

AIBU not to do anything beyond what I've already done (talk to DD about better ways for resolving disagreements)? Or should I be taking this more seriously? (and what on earth do I text back to the other mum?)

OP posts:
Balaboosta · 10/07/2014 09:29

Ask Head Office to make a new department called IDDBU.

Then text the mum - "I do not get involved in playground politics. If you are concerned about playground behaviour, I recommend that you raise the issue with the school".

GoblinLittleOwl · 10/07/2014 09:29

Simply send a reply saying you have received her message and you are sorry X is upset. Do NOT get involved any further with her; it will escalate out of all proportion.
You have handled it sensibly and the school will intervene if necessary

RoaringTiger · 10/07/2014 09:31

I would probably text her back something along the lines of
'I spoke to Dd and let her know it was unkind to make fun of X and she is sorry that she has upset her. From what she has told me there was fault on both sides as DD and her friends felt X was spoiling their game. Regardless though I am confident neither x or dd meant to upset each other and I've told Dd to speak to the teacher in future about any disagreements at school so they can be sorted out there and then'

MidniteScribbler · 10/07/2014 09:32

Then text the mum - "I do not get involved in playground politics. If you are concerned about playground behaviour, I recommend that you raise the issue with the school".

This.

Delphiniumsblue · 10/07/2014 09:35

Agree- don't get involved.

ThrowAChickenInTheAir · 10/07/2014 09:35

Flag it up with the school, including the fact that the mother has been firing off angry communications to you.

Tell the mother to direct her concerns to them and give her a wide swerve. It will probably all blow over between the girls but the mum should not be doing that in the first instance.

taxi4ballet · 10/07/2014 09:37

Are you normally on good terms with the mum?

MrsWinnibago · 10/07/2014 09:38

Just text that you'll chat with DD and you're sorry her DD was upset. As you say, you have NO idea what really happened but if I were you I would reiterate to DD that exclusion is not nice.

sanfairyanne · 10/07/2014 10:03

yes to that text

then block her number

MammaTJ · 10/07/2014 10:52

Face to face conversation needed here.

'Our DDs will fall out many many times over the next few years, then make up the next day. It would be so easy for us to fall out and not so easy for us to make up as it is for them. Shall we agree to skip the falling out bit and let them get on with it?'

Minisoksmakehardwork · 10/07/2014 10:56

Oh Lordy! My dd and her best friend fall out 100 times a day over silly things like this - one will play with someone else or not want to play the other's game. Thankfully her mum is perfectly reasonable and we've got to the stage where we listen, say we are sure both girls weren't entirely blameless and move on. If they charge out of school tales we suggest they apologise and hug each other.

The mum is being unreasonable by bringing it to your attention. So the only thing you can do is as suggested by others. Tell her you've spoken to dd and if it continues then it needs raising in school.

Nomama · 10/07/2014 11:51

Please don't do the 'leave ot for school to sort out' schtick. Sort it out yourself.

Tell other mum that yes, your DDs have had a falling out again, your DD was also a bit put out. They seem to annoy each other sometimes. Hey ho! Hopefully they'll grow out of it.

NellysKnickers · 10/07/2014 13:14

I agree with those saying do not get involved, always go through the school with things like this. Always.

Hissy · 10/07/2014 13:24

definitely go for the 'not going in for playground politics' line.

do you even know this woman? i'd be livid if someone i didn't know texted me about a playground quarrel.

glasgowstevenagain · 10/07/2014 13:28

How did she get your number!!!!

Goldmandra · 10/07/2014 13:30

Then text the mum - "I do not get involved in playground politics. If you are concerned about playground behaviour, I recommend that you raise the issue with the school".

This or, if you want to be more gentle about it,

"We'll never hear the same story from both girls so perhaps it's best if you ask the teacher to keep an eye on playground interactions and deal with any problems when and where they occur."

Nomama · 10/07/2014 14:08

Nelly and others - why always go through the school?

I have no idea why not talking to another mum is the best way to go. What do you expect the school to do? (besides parent the kids, of course).

naturalbaby · 10/07/2014 14:13

Ask her if she wants to meet up because you don't think it's appropriate or constructive to discuss school playground politics via text messages.

knickernicker · 10/07/2014 14:20

Text back, " I'm horrified at my daughter's vile brhaviour towards yours. Your poor dd must have been so upset. My daughter is very sorry and wishes she had not caused such hurt. She has had privileges removed for aweek and will bring in a fill letter of apology on Monday."

Goldmandra · 10/07/2014 14:34

I have no idea why not talking to another mum is the best way to go. What do you expect the school to do?

I learned this one the hard way when my DD1 was being bullied. The other parent won't believe that their child may not be telling them the full story or could be in any way to blame for a start so you just end up in a he said/she said scenario achieving nothing.

Also, you aren't there when it happens. The school are responsible for what happens while the children are in their care.They know or can fnd out the wider circumstances and each child's history and are better placed to make fair judgements.

Believe me when I say it is not worth trying to sort out playground squabbles like rational adults.

BedsitBob · 10/07/2014 14:55

Thanks for comments. Interesting that the first batch were all of the "leave the school to sort it out" variety and some of the latter were suggesting dealing with other mum more directly.

the issue I have is that DD and X have been friends since pre-school - so 5 years. I wouldn't say I knew X's mum particularly well, but obviously 5 years of school events, parties, playdates and playground small talk mean that she is more than just a random other parent. I have always thought that we got on fine so really don't want to cause a feud. Equally I've always thought that DD and X were both "good" little girls - the whole scenario seems totally out of character for both of them, but maybe they are growing out of each other's friendship. I am concerned that X's mum seems determined to paint DD as the bad guy whereas I tend to think their spats are probably 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

I think I will opt towards a short message saying that I don't want to get into a long text discussion but DD is sorry for upsetting X and genuinely did not mean to do so, and that perhaps X should speak to an adult at school in the future if someone is upsetting her so that it can be sorted out at the time.

OP posts:
ICanSeeTheSun · 10/07/2014 15:19

I always get the school to deal with it and then ask for feed back.

I do ask DC first and if it comes back that they lied to me then it's a more serious matter.

Sisyphus85 · 10/07/2014 15:43

If DD and X are friends, and you know the mum... then sending a passive aggressive text about it's the school's problem is asking for a falling out.

Send the mum a text saying sorry DD upset X. I've spoken to her and I really don't think she meant to, but I explained about needing to be careful about other people's feelings.

I'm sure X's mum is overreacting... but that's what mums do. Be nice and everyone will forget it.

Goldmandra · 10/07/2014 17:24

My DD had had known the other child since pre-school to and the mother and I had regularly socialised together from then until Y5.

It didn't stop her turning on me when the school eventually began to deal with the bullying. She said some terrible things about me and my DD. She has managed around ten civil sentences to me in the six years since then.

Much better to let school deal with it whenever possible.

STOPwiththehahaheheloling · 10/07/2014 17:33

Poor X. Sad