AIBU to want to fight the school powermum?

[newforester]

First time post, registered with mumsnet to get this off my chest actually! My children's school has a power mum. Helps in the school office (100 kids, small school), goes to all headmaster coffee mornings, lives v close to headmaster, on the PTA etc. She wins the 'guess the bear's name' competition at the xmas fayre after whispering that she won nothing in the raffle. She brings her dog into school with her, no-one else does. I am a reasonably intelligent person. I don't want her status, I just REALLY resent her overpowering status. Am I just bitter and twisted, should I grumble into my cheap wine or say something?

Will somebody PLEASE tell us the name of the sodding bear!

I really need to know

The bear was called 'Teddy'.

It was Ralph!

I get you OP. I work FT so don't do drop offs or collecting yet I still know who the power mum in dcs school is- she irritates the hell out of me! Partly I think because she just reminds me how uninvolved I am!

Challenge her to a duel, school playground at dawn.

Fought to Glasgow pub rules: challenger chooses weapons from the half brick, pool cue or pint glass.

Teddy Bears at dawn!!

It's not to do with involvement per se. That's great. It's an attitude of knowing best about areas that are nothing to do with fundraising, and a conscious or unconscious expectation that favours and time will be granted to them that is not granted to others.

"It sounds bizarre - a power mum with some golden child who done how gets really high profile via the brown nosing of the head."

It is bizarre. Also bollocks.

FWIW - there is a powermum at dd's school. Good-looking. Rich. Owns a significant business locally, so sponsors a lot of school stuff.
3 children have left the school due to her children bullying them.
I guess you can't really cut off the cash cow.

Juno
I call utter bollocks.
And I've just spent all day raising much-needed fucking money for our kids' school.
'Good looking'?
FFS

I count my lucky stars we've never won the name the bloody bear competition. The bear is usually the size of our washing machine, where on earth would it live? Rather power mum has to house it than I.

?

Oh come on! There are 'powermums' at every school, op not jealous just pointing out what happens everywhere. At our school they have massive influence iver the hm (& the only ones to call her by her first name ) it's hilarious op laugh at the twats and have some more

I say never worry about someone who doesn't affect your or ...and yes Powermums do exist..anyone who says they don't probably is one or her side kick

The dog shit is the deal breaker.

Nope. You can keep saying there are powemums at every school but unless you have actually been to every school then that just sort of bollocks really.

I'm not doubting they exist, they may even be really common. But unless you think I have some bizarre reason to lie about a phenomena that only interests me so much as its a chat on an anonymous talk board, not ever school has them.

Perhaps I'm just really unlucky. They sound entertaining as hell.

There are no power mums at the school I work in.

That is a fact.

There are 'powermums' at every school

Wow! You've travelled about a bit if you've managed to get to every school.

The fact you call the head "the headmaster" suggests you haven't actually been in a school for a while.
Headteacher if anything.

I'm not denying their existence - manipulative people will always appear in all walks of life and am sure succeed if the HT is weak enough. but I take offense at the blanket snidey remarks that school helpers have nothing better to do or the assumption that they can't possible be working. Some of us are just fecking nice and amazing enough to do both

The bear's name is Super Ted.

Power Mum & Super Ted - coming soon to a school near you

Why? Sounds like she very lonely and needs something in her life as she putting so much into the school. Did you really want that bear? (Wonders if bear was full of chocolate or wine). Maybe offer to help (so you could share the bear chocolate and wine).

The dog would annoy me. That much is true.

As for powermums, I'd say that if a parent is exerting a lot of influence over the head teacher then the problem isn't so much the parent as the head teacher, because it's part of their job to work for the best interests of all the pupils, not just the pupils of arse lickers.

All the hate for parent volunteers really frustrates me though. I'm on the PTA (although certainly not on first name terms with the head). We raise thousands every year. It's because of us giving our time that every child in the school gets to go to a pantomime at Christmas, have a Christmas party, have access to up to date technology etc not just the ones whose parents can afford to provide these things at home. As, by law, we have to be a registered charity we have additional time consuming hoops to jump through, and it is quite daunting to have to take such formal responsibility.

And yet apparently we are nothing more than brownnosing sad losers with ideas above our station.

wonders if the bear was full of chocolate or wine

Now that sounds like a bear worth fighting over!

treaclesoda - well said. I have been on the pfa since dd started at school and had a prominent role last year. We have raised tens of thousands for the school and yes it does take up alot of our time. The responsibility that comes with that sort of money is quite stressful. Licences, health and safety, etc. Yes im friendly with the staff because we have to negotiate when events can occur. use of school equipment etc. it became like a job.

now im working i don't have time and have stepped down, i realise how much work it actually was.

it doesnt just stop with the Xmas fair. Letters. grant applications, advertising etc etc etc.

briwn nosing the school ? oh please.

power mum? fuck off.

ours is a very naice middle class school. The pfa tend to be from poorer families and scruffy as fuck. just like me.

very easy to criticise. roll up your sleeves and help.