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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I can´t stand know-it-all

92 replies

iceymonkey · 16/12/2019 10:23

Know-it-all is a school mum, And as the name says, she knows everything. And I mean EVERYTHING.

Once I have dropped DC1 and DC2 I usually stop to say hi to some mum friends and know-it-all is ALWAYS there. And she butts in any conversation I have with any of my other friends to reply on their behalf. Literally.

Imagine Jane is telling you about her new vacuum cleaner.(riveting I know) She interrupts to tell you literally product codes, prices and which one she bought. Or Mary went to the beautician to have her eyebrows done. Know-it-all interrupts Mary to tell everyone all about which face shapes suit certain eyebrow shapes.

She is an expert in every field, medicine, geography, law, education....if you have any questions, know-it-all will reply,and noone else can talk.

She also likes to analyse my baby who is happily sitting in her pram and give unwanted advice on her skin-clothes-nails-hair, ANYTHING.

AIBU to despise this woman? do you have a know-it-all in your life? I just like having a little chat with my other friends but she is ALWAYS there so I am starting to think its just not worth it.

OP posts:
EL8888 · 17/12/2019 01:19

Is she a nurse?! I need to ask because as a nurse so many are know it alls. As you said, about literally everything under the sun 🙄. It’s so annoying!!!

Recrim · 17/12/2019 01:26

I have a know it all mum too. She literally would not shut up. I ended up trying to grey rock her but she didnt notice! So i started blanking her and she didnt notice either. So now i walk quickly past her and go the other way she does! School runs are bliss now.!

(Im not a bitch but she was saying some horrible things about my children, husband and home -that shes never been to! We dont know her other than the school run.)

Clevererthanyou · 17/12/2019 01:32

How about this for a know it all:

Geoff and Gina discuss something on the news about viagra. Geoff tells Gina that men have to find sexual release in some form or the jizz builds up in the testes and implodes back into the body where sepsis will happen because cum is just like pus as they have a similar colour. This Geoff works for the NHS, I shit you not.

BitOfFun · 17/12/2019 01:35

You need to watch Motherland...

I can´t stand know-it-all
thesunhasgothishatontoday · 17/12/2019 01:35

I've posted on here about my know it all passive aggressive in class WhatsApp group 😂😂

Rezaminelli · 17/12/2019 01:37

I like to call them Elevenerifes. Because if you've been to Tenerife they can always go one better.
Just save her in your phone as Ellen Elevenerife and have a little laugh when she texts

MAFIL · 17/12/2019 01:40

Look on the bright side, she is just a school run mum. Irritating though she may be, you are unlikely to be lumbered with her forever. I, unfortunately, am related to not one, but two Know-It -Alls and escape is impossible. I fear I must have been particularly evil in a former life.

Hoolahlah66 · 17/12/2019 01:51

I wish people wouldn’t automatically diagnose someone with poor social skills Or a bit “odd” or annoying as having Autism or being autistic, it’s really offensive and probably wildly inaccurate.

OP she just sounds like she is trying hard to be accepted. But being super annoying in the process. My FIL is exactly the same, he once tried to tell me about legalities within my field (property law), something which I studied and practice every day for 10 years. He just wouldn’t be told! I hate this term but he is a massive mansplainer (doesn’t do it to His son but takes pleasure in explaining everything to me and his daughter and wife like we were born yesterday). Just nod and say “very interesting know it all” and bombard her with questions until she ties herself in knots she’ll soon stop.

ChristmasSweet · 17/12/2019 05:53

I used to work with one of these. He got way worse and became aggressive, telling people off when he wasn't even their boss kind of thing. Management sucked so nothing was ever done. So glad I no longer work there.

If I was talking to a friend, he would butt in with his 'knowledge' despite it being completely wrong. By the end I just hated him so would answer sarcastically like 'yeah sure I'll take your advice when I want to do something wrong. Anyway x, what were WE talking about?'.

ColdCottage · 17/12/2019 06:06

She probably just wants to be included and liked so it trying to add to the conversation. She doesn't realise it's having the opposite effect.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 17/12/2019 06:17

I had so of these.... Most I've just done versions of grey rock... One was a elderly uncle... He'd always been like this.. Sometime before the war according to my nan! His (nice) wife was a bit of a flying monkey... He did get marginally better when my nan was exasperated and told his wife that people were avoiding her because they found uncle Fred such a know it all!

pelirocco123 · 17/12/2019 06:21

She said her son was academically gifted , so you asked the teacher ...why ?

This speaks volumes about the type of school gate mum you are

Toomboom · 17/12/2019 06:45

This is my boss! She knows absolutely everything about anything. She knows better than anyone else, and it always right! She is the expert.
She has an opinion on everything. You say you have something wrong, health, life, etc. She knows all about it, suffered from it, done it, has far more medical knowledge than a qualified doctor..

Frenchw1fe · 17/12/2019 06:49

Having lived there for 20years she sounds more Yorkshire than autistic!

Runs and hides!

EmMcK · 17/12/2019 06:50

This is my brother in law. I am already dreading Christmas Day

Coughhhhhhfffffff · 17/12/2019 07:29

This sounds like a more extreme version of my mum. It’s so embarrassing and I was the kid that you describe Sad

I don’t know how these people get this far into their lives without being told to STFU.

AnyMinuteNow · 17/12/2019 07:57

She said her son was academically gifted , so you asked the teacher ...why ?

This speaks volumes about the type of school gate mum you are

Have to totally agree @pelirocco123. What a bizarre and ignorant way to go on. A professional teacher should have nothing to do with you OP as its absolutely none of your business and so beyond inappropriate to try to discuss anothers DCs with a random that I hope you were told firmly to fuck right off and mind your own business (but professional teacher too professional to ever actually speak like that to anyone).

Horrible post full of bile and judgement.

If this is the way you are I'm saddened she'd want anything to do with you frankly.

Yes, I see why you were offered a biscuit, totally.

Nice entry onto MN.

FrangipaniBlue · 17/12/2019 08:06

I'm with @AnyMinuteNow and @pelirocco123

You and your group are exactly the reason I used to always drop and run.

Poor woman trying so hard to be part of the clique.

CircleofWillis · 17/12/2019 08:20

Am I the only person who actually enjoys 'know it alls'?
I prefer to think of them as fonts of all knowledge.

My best friend knows all about films, tv shows, actors and directors. She also knows which restaurants are good, the best bus route from one point of London to another, what gin to buy, how to cure a hangover, how to work out your taxes and many many other things.

My dad knows which screw for which job, the names of all the British trees and plants, the process for working out maths problems up to A level difficulty, all the countries capitols and prime ministers, the local train timetables...
My sister in-law can identify an edible wild plant from 100 paces, drive a huge range of vehicles, professionally diagnose a huge range of disorders and can even fly (ok has had a couple of flying lessons).

I agree that if the person actually only thinks they know it all that must be highly annoying but if you are fortunate enough to have a font of all knowledge in your life you should treasure them. You might need them one day.

CircleofWillis · 17/12/2019 08:23

I agree with Frangi, Anyminute and Peli. I also hope the teacher told you to fuck right off. If she didn't she really should have.

FloppyBiffAndChip · 17/12/2019 08:25

We know one of these, but it's always about her son. Eg. Class what's app

Mum 1: 'Delilah says year 4 is a real step up, she's finding it all a bit hard'

Mum 2: 'Yes, Bobby is getting hired really quickly this term.'

know-it-all: 'Well little know-it-all is finding it all sooo easy this year, his teacher says he really should be in the class above'

PositiveVibez · 17/12/2019 08:29

She sounds annoying, but you sound equally so.

Questioning the teacher about someone else's child. That is horrid.

AnyMinuteNow · 17/12/2019 08:32

Mum 1: 'Delilah says year 4 is a real step up, she's finding it all a bit hard'

Mum 2: 'Yes, Bobby is getting hired really quickly this term.'

know-it-all: 'Well little know-it-all is finding it all sooo easy this year, his teacher says he really should be in the class above'

FFS?! Hmm. So are you down on dc doing well, or that dma should only share when their dc are struggling, anyone else should stfu?

So if you have dc that fly through school, achieve high your rules are to stfu about it, or you are lying, or you're jealous that anyone's dc should be doing anything but struggle.

Strange attitides, and the reason a lot of dms don't hang around school gates gossiping. They have lives and their dc are doing well.

tillytrotter1 · 17/12/2019 08:37

I actually really enjoy people like this because theyre so ridiculous.

Oh yes, they can be such fun! We have a friend, male, just like this, there's nothing he doesn't know about, he's not taught since the late 80s but he tells our son-in-law how he should be doing things.
Start talking about something totally made up, she'll have an opinion in that too.

Original poster
iceymonkey · 17/12/2019 08:39

Jesus, calm down, I'll elaborate, no mames were exchanged in my conversation with the teacher. Perhaps I should have explained better.

My DC came out of school carrying heavy backpack and know it all said:

-I see your DC has a heavy back pack. mine never brings any books home because he is gifted and doesn't need to do any extra work at home. But I guess all children are different... Then she pulled a smug face.

as I was concerned I asked the teacher if I needed to worry about my child as he seemed to have work to do at home and others didn't.

She then said she was aware of a particular mum bragging about her child's achievements and that was not correct and I had nothing to worry about and my child was doing perfectly fine.

So no, I am not a school mum bitch, but her comments made me worry and I think I handled the situation with tact and never mentioned any names. I agree I didn't explain it properly and it looked bad.

OP posts: