Friend who boasts ALL THE TIME

[stormjensen]

How do you deal with people who boast about their kids and their school ALL THE TIME?

I have one particular person in mind... she is non stop talking about how much their kids can do in everything and there's nothing they can't do. And about how their school is so great at providing work for them during lockdown.

She LOVES to feel superior. I can't avoid her as she's a next door neighbour😱

Aibu to feel frustrated?

The saddest thing is that she also has another daughter who has Downs Syndrome

again, there's something sad in her life that's driving her to seek validation or to paint it in the brightest colours or whatever.

I have children I'm immensely proud of and when I talk to other parents I usually don't mention the things they're good at (and at primary school I actively avoided conversations about school work). I'll talk about how C's nursery report said he initially found aspects of social play difficult, or how he spent years refusing to believe me when I told him not to stick his chin out when singing, or how O had to have speech therapy in Foundation Stage, or spends hours playing with his friends on the computer. I'll talk about how they try to be active even though they're not naturally good at competitive sports.

I can do this because I'm (mostly) happy with my life. I don't need to feel that other people think how wonderful I am, because I know I am

I stopped a friendship because of this.. she was absolutely obsessed with her perfect children, every single sentence ended up relating back to how amazing her children were. They were actually little shits and my last straw was when her child locked my child in a shed, said child was still trying to push me away as I had to physically get past this child and let my crying dd out of the shed. And it was still put down to 'hahaha shes so funny, what is she like LOL' from childs mother. Absolute dickhead.
Just cut her off when she starts!

LOVE reading all your stories🤣

@Chillicheese123
Haha didn't think of that, will have a go along similar lines!

I know a woman like this and feel really sorry for her - she's obviously just a deeply insecure person and needs to pull that competitive boasting nonsense because of it.

You: wow, incredible. My daughter is in there eating mud, she’s completely forgotten school exists and has even forgotten how to read! Her school, Normal Street Primary, is now staffed entirely by golden retrievers and she will only communicate by woofing’

Best laugh I’ve had all day!

You do know it doesn’t get any better as they grow up?
I know someone who’s son has just finished his degree and got his first full time job. Yes you’ve guessed it he’s apparently working on a vaccine for covid19 . Not quite sure how his degree fits in with this, but DH and I assume Boris phoned him up and begged him to help.

There is a certain type of private school performance parent (my DC are at private school and I have still been on the receiving end!)
DS2 and I were at an NHS walk-in one weekend (don’t ask) and there was a woman and her daughter opposite us. The daughter clearly went to a fairly well known prep that I will refer to as Hogwarts.
The mother managed to crowbar a reference to the school into every other sentence viz you must tell them about xyz when you go back to Hogwarts, don’t forget to take that book back to Hogwarts, aren’t you lucky to be learning Babylonian cuneiform at Hogwarts.
Every single time it was the name of the school rather than the word “school”.
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

I’m more interested in honest conversations about struggles people have themselves or with their children than boasting about achievements. As a ppsaid, that’s nice, or something similar, and not encouraging any further conversation works.
I had a friend who always got upgraded, every single holiday, hotel room, flight, it was so predictable I wondered if it was true to be honest. After a while it stopped being ‘impressive’ I was just ‘oh great, lucky you’. This friend was lacking little in life but for some reason had to impress anyone and everyone constantly.

My kid loves lamp.

Ugh yes, can’t stand the boasters.

Once a FB friend posted gleefully about what glowing school reports her 2 DCs had received, couldn’t be any better, she was so proud.

Except I knew she was talking bollocks because as the teacher of one of the DCs I’d written one of the reports myself!

Wow, I've just received a thesis from her telling me every little detail that's happening with their school, even comparing with another prep that's close to theirs - of course theirs has to be much better than the other's. And of course she mentions how state schools must be doing awful.

Yes @Chatzbrilliantattitude, she mentions the name of the school each time she talks about it as well. Not really necessary because both her kids go to the same one.

She even told me once her friends must be so jealous of her that her kids got in to this prestigious school.

Argh I can't imagine putting up with her when the kids get older... as pp says it will get worse!!

aren’t you lucky to be learning Babylonian cuneiform at Hogwarts.

HAHAHAHA

It will never end
You’ve got GCSE/A levels/ Duke of Edinburgh
Gap Year
University
Work
Blah blah blah

enjoy! 😂

I know loads of people like this but the worst offender, lets call her Pam. Pam is a teacher but gave up work years ago to focus on her children, but still thinks she has the right to ring up, email and write long, six page letters to the school giving her advice on how best to teach her children. I have had to put up with Pam all through primary school and secondary school and now our sons may be at the same university. Oh joy. Her son is more talented, gifted, charming and wonderful than anyone else. Apparently the Head sent them a private letter praising him and his school work.

I found some papers in my son's bin from their last day at Sixth Form when they had a joke awards ceremony among their friends. Pam's son won Shagger of the Year. I'd love to tell her so she can boast about it. 😅