The school mums whatsapp...

[peoplearemean]

AIBU to say it drives me potty?

You have -

• the "alright hon" brigade who share any old shit and everything is "amazing babe"
• the "informer" who likes to be able to be the first to break all school news to everyone even though it has been emailed
• the "school can do no wrong brigade" who if anyone questions the logic of anything the school are doing generally pounce and accuse others of being unsupportive
• the "on it all day" who comment on everything
• the "teacher brigade" mum teachers who like to give a school view on everything without actually taking on board what someone has just asked
• the "wind up merchant" who comments just to poke the "alright hon" monotony
• the "what's for lunch" brigade every day at 8.55 am - read the bloody menu!

Please add to the list any characters I have missed.

And yes I have left it before but I was missing too much actual useful info. I would just like it if it could be reduced to actual useful information like school is shut it's snowing! (Somehow it breaks on here before the official website)

Rant over.

I wouldn't bother with it personally. The school will advise of any important news the rest is a waste of time

Haha! No. Fear not. Mine broke up 2 weeks ago. Though the messages about “what time will swimming end in September” continue.

I might start thinking about September on the 1st.

We have 'Scatty Mum' too

She's absolutely lovely but always seems to be several days behind everyone else.

"Do they need sleeping bags?" at 8:30am on the morning of the residential was my favourite. Closely followed by "What time do they need to be dropped off?"

If nothing else it makes me feel better for being very much last minute/hope for the best.

We have a facebook group and it's literally a lifesaver. Everyone is really nice, it's well moderated and friendly.

Without the reminders and clarification of events I'd be lost!! I have 3 kids in different years and the school will message me saying "your child needs wellies tomorrow" but no details of which child. Quick post to this group and I find out which year group it is.

I left mine - best decision ever!

It started ok, but then got a bit hostile, a splint selective group formed (that I wasn't invited to join) that did extra teacher collections just from their kids (leaving out all others) - i.e. Someone on the main group suggested a collection, everyone said no, so the selective group did their own, but leaving out the original suggester.

The selective group has now morphed into the PTA as they've taken over so I'm staying away!

Mulberry72
That's a bit of a nightmare! You can't really refuse to join or leave the group without looking obvious either!
Hang in there, just another 2 days... (we need a conga emoji)

I think there's no need for all the politics. We have a Facebook group for the whole year which is fine, almost only used for clarification of school events, lost property, clubbing together for teacher gifts etc.

Then I am in a WhatsApp group and Facebook group with a smaller group of people. This is the one some of you are referring to as a 'clique'. In reality, it is just a group of people (including mums and dads) who are actually friends. We went camping together, we organise trips to the park, beach etc and ocassionally have an evening at the pub. I'm not sure why that's weird, we are friends, our kids are friends. Not sure why having a group of friends is frowned on and described as a clique. What would be weird would be inviting random people who have never spoken to us before to go camping together. That's why that would not go on the whole class group. If someone new comes along and wants to be friendly, and we get on with them then we'll add them to our group.

There are other people who either aren't interested in being friends with us or we don't like them, or just haven't come into contact with them. Again, that's not weird. In normal life you are not friends with absolutely everyone you meet/work with so why should 30 people whose kids happen to be in the same class be friends with everyone in that class?

People can be friends with who they like! But if it spills over into school it can be a bit exclusive.

You're spot on! Our school uses it as a channel for comms, but we have a teacher Mum/ the school can do no wrong Mum who pounces on anyone questioning anything - it's a farce. Drives us nuts!!

No idea if there's a WhatsApp group for the mums at our school. I'm certainly not a part of it and wouldn't want to be either.

The school send out letters and texts for any events and if there's something I'm unsure about I ask the mums that I'm friendly with. Absolutely no need to be in a group.

I get a bit annoyed when they have FB groups called "official parents of X and Y class" but then exclude half the parents. Call it something else but don't try to claim you're a group for the parents when you're a group for yer mates really.

we are friends, our kids are friends ime this is usually highly organised & manipulated
My kid became friendly with queen bee pta mum kid,it clearly irked the mum
I’m dont give me arse ache don’t care about school,she’s full on queen PTA
Mum said things like,sooo funny who they like. how peculiar, etc
She Never accepted any invites to mine,As if it was an inappropriate social match.

Informer Mum is great on ours. Ours is old fashioned and still on email though (naice school, all older mums). Informer Mum was class rep first year and it completely went to her head. She now replies all to class rep corespondence with even more information, corrections and suggestions the class reps may not have thought of. If she’d been allowed to she would have been class rep for all of junior years. I can’t imagine why the actual reps call her a pain in the hole.

You missed tell tale mum, who insists on telling the school every conversation that happens, she will even email screen shots occasionally, even if we don't want her to, even if its something she knows that we already know. For example "just thought you should know X has lost her jumper, X's mum said you'd looked and can't find it in school" yes, thanks tell tale mum, I know this, coz I have looked and can't find it in school!

Oh and from my daughters school Mum whose child has left, who chips in every so often with 'this is why I took my baby out, his new school is SO much better'

I run a Facebook page for parents in our year group. I just put reminders on when there's events on or stuff we need to remember and each week say well done to whoever has won awards. It's just handy having everything in one place especially if you don't have time to read and remember what's in the school newsletter.

Most say they find it useful, I guess some may not need the reminders but hopefully it doesn't bug them too much. It's also handy for organising parties, sorting out mixed up p.e kits, collections for teachers and other stuff. It keeps us all connected and it's a friendly group. I suppose I would be the informer in your list of people but it comes from a good place!!

And this is why I dislike most woman. They always fucking pull every other woman apart and put them down. She too organised, she pta mum (god forbid she gives a shit about her child's school), info mum (isn't she shit for wanting to help other parents).

Mum can't do anything without being bloody put down by other mums

I dont think weve got a WhatsApp group but we have got Iron Hard Clique of Five who only ever talk to each other and always turn up with the right fancy dress or play costume and always know in advance when theres going to be a snow day and always know when a teacher or teaching assistant is leaving and always get there own leaving present and the rest of us just feel a bit shit or ignore them. Or both.

I'm too old now, as DD is at Uni, but I play in a band, and we have a group. There is about 1 message in about 20 that I need to know about. They say good morning to each other individually sometimes, as they are all retired. Also had pics of their grandkids, who I don't know, and I am assuming many others don't, doing unremarkable stuff. Thank you for the Mute button, oh Lord of social media. I just go on once/twice a day to scan through. It has been known that venue times/places have been changed, so I need to keep in touch. The odd thing is, they're a nice bunch of people, and much more interesting in RL.

I love our what’s app group! They remind me of all the endless things we need to remember! I’ve got some drinking buddies from it and babysitters too. They’re very good at offering to help/ferrying each other’s children to things as well. Can’t complain!

What about the thumbs up brigade. No contribution just a thums up.

-the 'insider' mum: likes to think that She is BFF's with the Head and has inside info before every else 'can't say anything yet ladies but let's just say BIG changes coming up!' Always something non event such as the nursery block installed a new toilet.

-the 'we need to get together' mum: 'girlies we need to get toget her for a coffee/drink/night on the town '

the attention seeker: posts pic of getting a blood test/holding a urine sample with a sadface emoji and a detailed exaggerated explanation of what the 'emergency' is.

the drama-llama: forgets it's a school related group and posts all about personal stuff and no one has a clue about who/what is going on: 'I'm sick to death of that a-hole Paul, he was trying to kick my door in AGAIN....I just told Gemma t ha t she needs to have a word with him, the doctor said my blood pressure is through the roof and if John doesn't get that then my death will be on his hands!!!!!'

The ones that annoy me are the ones who think there is a paedo on every corner but yet their kids have every social media going

So agree with this. Some people really worry about the wrong things.

I'm the wind up merchant 😆

We don't have a whatsapp but we do have a fb group...

there's the informer she posts EVERYTHING and seems to think she's knows inside stuff she doesn't and is never in the school so wouldnt know anything really.

the "arranger" mums (teacher gifts, pta, fundraising, they are comedy gold)

we have the "babes" ones usually the same ones who forget everything, forget own clothes day, park on the zig zags because they are always late and turn up to sports day in booty shorts

we also have the one, always the same one who asks questions about everything, last minute, usually at 8.30am and always forgets who's picking kids up, forgets when clubs aren't on, forgets trips, forgets the kids half the time ( she's the one who turns up a day early after holidays)

My fb group is gold

Meh, I think I would mute some of the WhatsApp groups described here.

I’m feeling a bit sorry for some of the mums described - the “arranger” sorts out stuff for the PTA / teacher presents / cards? Super! Let them! Unless you’d rather do it?

A friend from my hometown is on a school WhatsApp group where one of the parents decided that they didn’t really like WhatsApp and so left. This was fine - except that now they complain that everyone else is communicating on WhatsApp and they are left out.

@crucru

When I say arranger.....what I mean is bully who will actually tag people who have donated/volunteered, to make it perfectly clear who hasn't

Will back people into a corner in the playground and ask for £10 towards teacher gifts and when the person says they can only afford £5, well she makes sure everyone one knows they can only afford £5

Nothing more the than a bully