Are my social skills with other mums really bad?

[Sarah0574]

Just an example of how I’m on a different planet from some of the mums at DS's preschool.
[Looking at her kid’s rudimentary artwork with another mum]
Her: oh dear I don’t think much of the colours
Me: Haha nice shade of brown
Her: Mmmm
Me: I bet that’s going straight on your wall when you get home (quite sarcastic)
Her: well we do have an art wall at home which we replace regularly.
[silence while I grimace behind her back]
I know in hindsight I should have said how amazing her child's painting was (my own child is art illiterate!) but these things just come out of my mouth!

I would happily say that about my own pfb's artwork but would be a bit about some random at nursery taking the piss out of my toddler.

Why did you grimace? If she wants an "art wall" it probably means she likes colourful things in the house. Yes of course people don't all think the same way, but "live and let live" usually works.

Think I'm on the same planet as you.
It's preschool most paintings are brown blobs of brownness at that age.
Dc3 obviously takes after me, at preschool when asked what his artwork was of I usually got "paint, me like paint."

I do think you can tell which number child they are in the family by the mums response to artwork etc. the more children in the family the less artwork is kept.

Do you think she worried that shade of brown would clash with her grey and yellow interiors?

there's more to a drawing than just some brown blobs. From my DCs' nursery school, we had "observed drawings" - two in a year. They are actually fascinating to read, as the teacher writes a commentary as the child is drawing and explaining what they're doing.

What I was taken aback about was that when my youngest went through this, was the fact that he drew the other four members of my family standing up and "mummy lying down on the sofa"!

I would be fine with what you said, in fact I would think we were pretty similar. She might be a bit earnest for you.

You sound like you are sneering at her for putting her kids' artwork up...

Actually, a wall full of lots of children's art can look amazing, but even if it looks crappy the attitude that other parents are showing off and taking themselves too seriously is never going to make you seem particularly friendly and fun.