The swishy blonde ponytail mums and others

[Doeshethinkhesinpeakyblinders]

Just started school run for the first time with my dc, interesting to observe the different mums.
The type of mum I want to be the most is one of the bouncy, swishy blonde ponytails ones wearing gym gear. I also saw the well put together, professional ones in the suits…perfect make up and jewellery..reeking of class and top organisational skills.
Then we have the mums with more than one, usually juggling the bags with the tiny baby or errant toddler, slightly stressy looking or just gone-completely dead tired.
As it happens I’m the fairly inconspicuous one who shuffles past-jeans and converse, never really late but almost always just about to be…one dc but still fairly stressy, not bouncy, not well polished…but off home to clean up dog poo.

Which are you?

I was an outcast mum too!
Happy days when ds2 went to school on his own late into year 6
Over the moon then.
The school gates can be tough!

Never do the drop off as I work too early. DP is either in jeans and tshirt (for WFH) or suit trousers and a shirt (when going to the office).

I'm not at all offended by your thread either fwiw

Lots of grumpy people on here tonight.
I'm not at the school run stage yet but no doubt I'll be the one flustered and rushing to get there on time despite living a 5 minute walk away from the school. I'll probably still be fat also, while telling myself I'll be the slim, well dressed, organised one next year...

In awe of the swishy ponytail type!

some mornings I’m dressed fairly casually because I’m working from home and have zoom meetings. Some mornings I have no meetings so shove on some activewear to go for my lunchtime run, some mornings I have a meeting in person so I’m pretty dressed up. Definitely don’t fit into just the one stereotype!

My kids are too old for primary now but in the bad old days, sometimes I was neatish, put together professional, sometimes blonde ponytail (not swishy though) and gym gear, sometimes dragged myself out of bed at the last minute looking like a gorgon. Kind of depended on the day. My husband was scruffy looking man with awkward cycle most days. I’m not sure parents are quite that simple (although at the same time I do know what you mean!)

I’m fucking delighted I don’t have to deal with snotty bitches at my son’s prep now that he has moved to secondary. I’m a professional who used to put joggers over pjs to drop DS to school. You wouldn’t be able to judge my credentials or background from my dress. On the occasion I rocked up with swishy hair, fabulous makeup and lovely clothes, I get nice comments (probs as I looked shot most of the time).

This sounds like the words of our pluck protagonist in the opening scene of a novel with pink covers and sparkly writing.

Nothing against chick lit, but it is fiction OP

I was the ‘rushing to the gates,with a gaggle of kids before they shut,mum’
style wise I had clean hair and nice outfits-nice top and jeans or a dress but still outsider mum for a long time

i remember a mum when my dd started school
she was an Uber cool,50’s dressed mum-hair in wartime (victory?) curls,50’s dresses and shoes with 50’s style make up
she looked so polished at all times-I never saw her in the same dress twice-she just oozed ’cool and stylish’ and her boys where so smart and lovely kids

i really wanted to be her friend but it never happened sadly

Of course she wasn’t, depends which way the wind is blowing as to what responses a poster gets.

Jeezo, so many people with sticks up their qrses on this thread. It was lighthearted I'm sure.

I'm the one with wet hair, scraped into a...I don't even know what, leggings and whatever t-shirt smelledbest in the morning. Bit more put together for the afternoon.

@Doeshethinkhesinpeakyblinders Its a false reality....

The ones looking all put together with the pony tails and gym gear are probably thinking something like "I hope I look good, What else can I say to make people like me"
The ones in the suits looking organized are probably thinking they are not coping balancing it all and feel like they are losing out on important things.
The ones juggling it all are doing just that and doing the best they can but probably feel like they aren't coping
the ones you deem like you are probably feeling that they need to improve in some way but life just doesn't allow for it.

In the end every type of mum is 'just coping' in the best way they know how to. No one has it perfect and you should be happy just being you & if you aren't then focus on that and do what you need to address it.

You're doing well.

I'm the one whose DH does the school run.

Thank fuck mine went to a school where nobody really cared what time you got there or what you looked like or what you happened to be wearing/doing that day.

I was the chill stroll to school one

Are you me? 😱

I mix it up. Some days I’m swishy pony tail gym gear. Some days covered in children’s stuff, baggy clothes and kids muck over me.

I’m the token ‘priest mum’. Usually smart and relatively stylish. Often in black!
I also have a swishy ponytail 😀

Dads let loose among swishy pony tails?
Never.

I wear jeans, a hoody, trainers with holes in the toes on the school run and my hair often looks like I've been dragged through a bush backwards. I also have a professional job with a seriously intimidating job title.

Actually, at one time or other, I was every ‘Mum’ you’ve mentioned (where the fuck are the Dads in your précis.). I was also, always, one who judged those who judged those based on the way they looked. As if that told their whole story. 🙄

Yes, the 'cool as fuck' box 🙂

I'm the one who looked like she slept in and forgot to come her hair...
One day I will nail the school run

Comb, even

I’m swishy brunette ponytail in gym gear with no makeup but jewellery on with 4 children, one of whom is a baby. I’m not stressed and my children aren’t errant. I’m organised and I’m on time with all the things they need for the day. Which stereotype am I.

Because no one can ever have a chat about women without having to bring men into it.