if I find people like me slightly annoying...

[bohemianbint]

Ok, here's the thing. I was feeling a bit depressed a few weeks back because I don't know many people round these parts who think like I do. (I'm still bf at 9months, no plans to stop, don't want a baby walker, cook most of DS's food from scratch (but by no means all!) and use cloth nappies etc.) Anyway, so I thought the answer was to try to find like minded people and someone recommended I went to a sling meet. So I did, but I found it a bit....eurrghh. And I'm not entirely sure why and I'm a bit disappointed. Sure, it was a bit Milo/Tarquin-ish. And there were some fairly humourless discussions about how some babies remembering their births etc. So why, when I am classed as a bit of a tofu welder did I not really enjoy being in a room full of other welders? Apart from the slight unfriendliness and lack of humour?

[crunchie]

this thread is hilarious, you see some weird people see me as part of a slightly mental lentil lot as I am veggie, I also used to use a sling. But others see me as Mrs Career woman with kids in childcare and a ball busting routine, more others see me as a fucked up neurotic witch whose kids run riot and there are those who see me as a normal harrassed mum faking it for the outside world.

I personally cannot imagine anything worse than a sling meet - even though I used one - or in fact any P&T/baby group. I found the NCT lot were hideous with there one up man ship on cake baking, houses, husbands job, or childs development. I have slowly found women 'like me' from all areas, usually those who quite simply don't care less what others think We are the pissed ones at PTA meetings, we are the ones with kids running wild at midnight, we are the ones who don't stress the small stuff. I hav eno idea if my friends used reusable nappies or recycle, All I care about is teh cold white wine I am givem

[crunchie]

this thread is hilarious, you see some weird people see me as part of a slightly mental lentil lot as I am veggie, I also used to use a sling. But others see me as Mrs Career woman with kids in childcare and a ball busting routine, more others see me as a fucked up neurotic witch whose kids run riot and there are those who see me as a normal harrassed mum faking it for the outside world.

I personally cannot imagine anything worse than a sling meet - even though I used one - or in fact any P&T/baby group. I found the NCT lot were hideous with there one up man ship on cake baking, houses, husbands job, or childs development. I have slowly found women 'like me' from all areas, usually those who quite simply don't care less what others think We are the pissed ones at PTA meetings, we are the ones with kids running wild at midnight, we are the ones who don't stress the small stuff. I hav eno idea if my friends used reusable nappies or recycle, All I care about is teh cold white wine I am givem

[lulumamasmentee]

tofu welding groups have the worse refreshments, honestly carrots and rice cakes with about 20 herbal teas v lovely sweet mug of tea and biccies

don't worry about the people, go where the good foods at!

Having said that our La Leche groups food is yum

[JiminyCricket]

Oh totally I was in a home birth support group for a while once and couldn't stand it, even though they were much more like me than other Mums I mix with, probably (cringe)... actually, to be fair, i think everyone on their own was lovely, its something about a whole group together.

[noonar]

'ushing'?? i meant 'pushy'

[noonar]

LOL, margo and jerry, reminds me of the hilarious novel 'may contain nuts' by john farrell. anyone read it? makes you laugh out lod at this kind of ushing parenting.



i'm a bit of a lentil weaver myself, in terms of values. but i'm not at all smug about it. and i dont let it affect my dress sense.

[nickytwotimes]

rofl at this thread! i love "tofu welder". i'm a lapsed one myself...lost all my principles on giving birth.

[margoandjerry]

Excellent thread.

I am not so much a hippy as a "pushy middle class mother" and I find us atrocious...

A friend of a friend (who lives in New York) was wondering whether to get her 7mo a Hispanic nanny or a Chinese nanny and was having discussions about whether it would be useful for future career prospects to speak Spanish or Chinese.

It is so bloody annoying that I immediately want to crack open a bottle of value "orange" squash from Lidl and force feed my daughter with it while singing her the latest gangsta rap choon and throwing away all her Baby Einstein cds

[ninja]

I know what you mean - soemtimes groups like that just make you feel anxious that you're not up on this latest bit of reading or that parenting theory and as someone earlier said all you're trying to do is do what you feel is right.

I bf 21 months, used cloth for 11, never used jars (dd wouldn't have it when I did try on the odd occasion), 50/50 co slept for 9 months, a lot of things that would make me a member of a group like that but my friends with kids the same age are such a variety of parenting types and I think I learn more that way.

[BettySwallocks]

who is annoying? Is it someone on here?

[DaddyJ]

Madamez, surely the invasion is in full swing already (albeit virtually)

[twynkle]

Sense of homour is defo the key. I bfed dd for over 2 years, some of my friends think I'm a bit hiipyish, but I can laugh at myself.
Just cos someone makes their food from scratch doesn't mean they must be like you does it?
I would say give it another go though - you might find there is at least one other person there who feels the same - you could form your own break away group then

[FrannyandZooey]

Oh I don't know, you seem to have enough work on your hands patronising us lot on here madamez

[madamez]

Of course, all us meat-eating, packet-of-frazzles, Pampers-using bottle-feeders get bored with likeminded company too. Perhaps we shoudl come and invade some of the tofu-slingers' clubs and PATRONIZE them a bit more :-)

[FrannyandZooey]

Oh great thread (alerted to its existence by MP's round up)

I feel exactly the same, the humourlessness etc

I bet I come across the same way though

plus it takes a lot of time to get to know someone properly. I used to frequent a certain lentilly group but stopped going in part because they were all mad and annoyed the fuck out of me. Having since got to know a few of them individually I can now say they are in fact all jolly nice

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

lol @ the artisan tofu welder.

[3andnomore]

lol kate...so there are differences there then???????
LOl

[katelyle]

I am a yoghurt knitter and I don't mix with tofu welders. Welding is an industrial process and thus renders the tofu poisonous. Unless it's locally welded by an artisan welder of course. And as for lentil weavers........

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

(thinking about it, I suppose the point of a sling meet would be if you wanted to go somewhere up a lot of steps with no lift.... say the top of a tall tower.... you could all go up there with your slings and point and laugh at the people with buggies who can't get up stairs.... Was that it?)

[ScottishThistle]

I find a lot of Nannies to be awful company!

Just because your a tofu welder it doesn't necessarily mean you'll get on with others!

[tibsy]

have just found this thread and pmsl
i have done things so differently this time round with my daughter and was almost in danger of disappearing up my own recycling, soon to be composting, cloth nappy using, pro bfing arse,.......... you'll be glad to know i've climbed out and am now (almost) quite normal. am still doing them all, you understand, just dont feel the need to wear it on a t shirt,.... organic cotton of course

[pirategirl]

pmsl @ 'Mothercare Jive stroller meet'

[pirategirl]

kathy, yep I certainly like to get the best out of men tis true.

woe betide any man who crosses me

[3andnomore]

Hm...I suppose just because you have the same parenting ideas doens't mean you have to get on with eachother.
Must admit, from another sites Breastfdeeding board, I went to a Breastfeeding meet-up, and it was fabby...but then it was a bit more mixed, their were full blown lentil weavers and the more classical Parents, and all varieties inbetween, so to say...so, it was a nicely mixed group.
Lots and lots of slings though....