... To just scream FUCK IT ALL and shove them in the local primary.

[Mrsfullhouse]

Good god I'm exhausted. I have three beautiful DC's. DS1 in Reception, DS2 in nursery and DD in year 6. All at a lovely prep school. So far so good....

However, by the ripe old age of 10, my DD has managed to become a rather excellent singer a consummate LAMDA exam taker and very talented hockey player, so all of my time is spent running her around to fixtures/ training/ concerts/ practices/ performances/ exams... you get the picture. DH is at rugby on Saturdays, so it is invariably me that does all the running around because he's either working or too tired on a Sunday. I just seem to spend my life in the car. This excludes all of the actual travel to and from the lovely prep (bloody miles away). Extra travel for all of the lovely things that they do that nice mummies actually turn up to an clap politely as they watch little Horatio murder a violin in cold blood. Plus all the lovely coffee dates- oh and you know, the actual job that I do... that I barely have time for.

The thing is, her lovely prep has encouraged DD to pursue these avenues having 'discovered' her talents- along with a million other things that if she had gone to the local primary, I'm pretty sure I would have been too smugly lazy to even think about. That is no reflection on state school mummies- I know some super-tiger ones.... but I would probably been awful and not even let her join recorder club because- well, who the fuck wants to listen to the fucking recorder.

So this is my life now, and I barely have time to think, let alone spend time polishing my turd enough to look acceptable in public.

I love the lovely prep.... but I think about how ridiculous it is now, and in a few years time I will have three actively participating in all of this shit. No doubt they will stumble upon some glorious talent that DS1 has that will involve me traversing the country, burning £50 notes and chucking them out of the car window as I go.

So, would it be unreasonable to just shout FUCK IT ALL, pull them out, stick them in the lovely, but not as lovely as lovely prep, primary and spend my evenings and weekends drinking very very cold wine and talking to my chickens?

Anybody else just feel like, as much as they love their DC's and their wonderful talents, they wish that they'd just never fucking encouraged them in the first place?

DH needs to step up.

That is all.

You know this isn't funny right?

Children do extra curricular activities, even in the not quite lovely state sector. It's not man bites dog.

But carry on looking down on common folk OP

Yeah fuck it. Stick em a state school with all the other chaps.

This is exactly why I have chosen state over private, despite being able to afford it. My young dds can do without any pressure in primary, thanks.
Also, privates are businesses, businesses are about bottom line profit. So, they're going to tell you Tarquinius is rather talented at rugby I feel they think that will encourage you to hand over more cash. No such lies at state, no point.

Chavs

Not sure quite which tact to take here so rather than sarcasm I will be straight forward. State school Mum of 4 working full time - Monday school drop off at 2 different schools not on my doorstep either, take toddler to work with me - I am MD of company, pick up child 3 take back to work, home cook dinner, child 3 to running, child 2 to atc, child 1 work - reverse pick up. Tuesday drop toddler at child care, 2 school drop off, collect toddler from childcare, child 2 after school club, child 3 back to work with me, child 2 and 3 music lessons. Wednesday toddler to work with me, child 3 pick up back to work with me, child 3 cubs, child 2 German, child 1 gym. Thursday toddler childcare, 2 school drop off, collect toddler back to work, collect child 3 back to work, child 2 after school club, Friday toddler to work, 2 school drop off, child 3 early morning running club, collect child 3 back to work, home, child 1 after school club, then work. Saturday park run for child 2,3 and me, then housework, Sunday rugby club. That’s my typical week ...

Oh har bloody har!

I'm sure you'll be fine.

You sound like a complete twat. HTH.

Stop trying to keep up with the competitive parents then. Honestly, it's not that hard. Just say no. And you haven't responded to all of us asking why the fuck you don't make your dh do his share?

You sound like a dick.
You clearly think state school would be less competitive because if state school parents really cared, their kids would be at the fucking lovely prep. That's not true. Some people have a social conscience and are ideologically opposed to private education or just have different fucking priorities.
Now stop acting like a superior cow bag.

Oops OP looks like you forgot to put 'lighthearted' in the title and all the miserable first worlders have arrived.

Honestly do people just not get tongue in cheek on mumsnet these days!

THE OP IS CLEARLY NOT REALLY GOING ROUND BURNING £50 NOTES

Sorry to hear about your grandmother, sometimes it does take something happening to get to take a step back and think WTAF

'Shove them in the local primary.' Really?

On the assumption that this is a genuine post, and not just an attempt to get everyone frothing at the mouth, you might want to re-think that idea.

I 'shoved' my two oldest children in the local primary, and I have plans to 'shove' their younger brother in with them in due course. The older one has still managed to be sufficiently good at something for my life to pretty much revolve around ferrying him to training. The middle one is showing signs of following in his footsteps.

Clearly I've done something wrong.

I think this is an appropriate time for a

Also screaming fuck it all and sticking them in the local primary isn't like punching them or giving them coke in a bottle at 3 months old. It's what most parents do. If you genuinely think the you putting them in a state primary is just giving up on parenting them you are a monumental cunt.

I love the implication that us state school plebs aren't competitive. Seriously, that's really tickled me.

You can just opt out of ECA's. No one will actually care.

Mmm I wouldn't take them out of prep. I think these things will serve them really well in life, being encouraged like that is a good thing even if it is hard work. I think potentially you could end up regretting moving them after all these years of such a lovely school for your DD. Perhaps even end up feeling guilty the little ones didn't have the same chances.

I think I'd cut back to no more than 2 extra activities per child or something easier and tell your DH to take more responsibility. It's not right you do all the running around.

I don't know why you got these - for speaking your mind. I think you sound down to earth and lovely. My DD is in a state school and doing very well there, however her primary school was useless so it's a risk moving DC who are already doing so well, prep school or otherwise.

I thought it was funny!

Are some of you taking it a bit personally?

OP sorry about your grandmother

Boarding secondary for DD1 and scale it back a bit for DC2-3? Actually my state school kids do a lot of extra curriculars too, but I suspect the difference is that DH is around at weekends and their school and most activities are 5-15 minutes drive away. I don't get to every performance in school hours and that's not unusual at our school as most parents work. Maybe start saying no to things?

Can't you get the chauffeur to drive your son to his activities. You do have a chauffeur don't you?

But, as it happens: I think you're doing right by your dd and much as it will be crazy for you when the boys start, I've no doubt you'll do it for them too.

And I think you'll be right to.

Yes, it's insane but hopefully it will get easier when they're a bit older.

I bet there's extra curricular activities and pushy parents at state schools too

The tone of this is all over the place. I don't know what you mean or want OP.

Screaming FUCK IT ALL and just sticking them in the state primary !

I suspect the biscuits have been given because of that frankly rather patronising statement. The idea that the going to a " state primary " is on par with Borstal or being left to go feral

Mine went to a state primary and my life was very similar to how you describe ffs !

When do these poor children get a rest and a chance to think