Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think friendships with school mums aren't worth it?

40 replies

OrangeCocktail2 · 11/01/2023 09:03

NC for this. I'm genuine!

When DS2 started school I made friends with another mum who had a child in the same class as ds2. All was well to begin with, we got on great.
As time went on she started to ask for things only small things, then moved on to asking me to buy her things when I went shopping and wouldn't pay me back claiming poverty without so much as a thank you.

She'd borrow things and I'd never get it back , she even sold something on Facebook that I lent to her.
She'd speak about others behind their backs to me and try and drag me into her relationship problems.

I finally clocked on (yes I admit I'm a bit slow! Blush) and distanced myself. Was polite when I saw her but stopped inviting her over for coffee as I didn't want to be dragged into her drama or used anymore.

A few months passed and she randomly accused me of telling her now ex partner things about her and spying on her - her bare in mind I hadn't spoken to her other than a quick hello in months.

I told her quite brutally I didn't care about her private life and to stop dragging me into her dramas and assuming things.

Now the issue I have is that she works at ds2 school, and has been quite rude since this has happened.
She barges into me at the school without so much as a "sorry", she's decided to do a party for her child invited all the other kids in the class bar my son who is quite upset as they are very good friends.
She's taken things out of my sons lunchbox and refused to give them back (even though the policy is to leave it in the lunchbox until they go home!)
She's not watched my son properly on the playground and my son has been hurt by other kids even though she's meant to be supervising.
She's also told other parents things about me as they've told me. Sad some of it not even true!

AIBU to think making friendships with school mums isn't worth it? And would I be unreasonable to change DS2 school? I feel very uncomfortable that someone like this is part of supervising my son at school hours or am I just being dramatic myself?

OP posts:
notacooldad · 11/01/2023 09:20

My son left primary in 2011.
I had made a school mon friend with one of his friends when he was in reception.
Me and her have just had a long weekend in Italy. It us her 60th in the next few weeks so we have a nice party planned. We go to gigs, meals, cinema and go on ski trips.
She is not like your school mum friend at all.
My son and her son are no longer in contact. They drifted by the end of the first year at high school but we carried on being friends. We are both friends with each others friends and consequently those friends have become friends independent of us. ( it sounds like a MLM!!)

Suziesz · 11/01/2023 09:21

AIBU to think making friendships with school mums isn't worth it?

This is quite a bizarre conclusion. Your experience with this woman has absolute nothing to do with the fact that she is a 'school mum' - which merely means she is a woman with a child who goes to school.

Obviously YANBU to cut ties with this particular woman though.

OrangeCocktail2 · 11/01/2023 09:21

I think I'm just terrible at explaining things sorry I didn't mean to generalise the whole population of women & mothers. My mistake.

Yes the issue is about my son, my boundaries are fine I've worked on them a lot the past year. Normally I'd just apologise even if I hadn't done anything wrong!

I will keep a diary and inform the head. I know it's not just my child, other children have been hurt on her watch also due to lack of supervision. It's just upsetting to see ds2 saying hello to her and being point blank ignored so I dread to think what it's like when she's actually at work.

OP posts:
Internetstranger · 11/01/2023 09:27

Wtf.

Your problem is not a friendship problem, or a school-mum problem. Your problem is that a mentally unstable school employee is picking on your son to get revenge on you for seeing through her bullshit when she was trying to exploit you financially.

Your next steps are:

  1. Complain in writing to the head, stating quite clearly that you used be friends with this woman and the friendship ended abruptly with bad feeling, and she is now deliberately bullying/neglecting your son at school including taking his food. State that either the school ends contact between the two or you’ll have to remove your child from the school in order to ensure his safety.
  2. Manage your friendships better in future.
  3. Explore other school options and, if there is a place available at an ok school, talk to your son about if he wants to move and absolutely grovel to him about how your failure to manage friendships like an adult is impacting his life.
  4. Recognise that school mums are a group of random people just like any other group: some lovely, some awful, some honest, some not; and maybe don’t come on mumsnet to insult mums instead of addressing your issues with the school.

I made all of my best friends at the school gate many years ago 🤷‍♀️ the problem here is you.

RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 11/01/2023 09:29

I am so sorry….i didnt even answer your OP!

i would talk to the school about the issue, not the personal bits but what is happening to ds2, so the suggestion of keeping a diary is a good one

hope it gets better for you both

Bookkeys · 11/01/2023 09:35

grovel to him about how your failure to manage friendships like an adult is impacting his life

Very dramatic and weird, don't do this

Montague22 · 11/01/2023 09:35

You’ve been unlucky.
People at the school gate are just people who have chosen to have children. Some you might get on with, others not.
You will potentially see them daily or a few times a week for 7 years, so in that time it’s likely you’ll meet some potential friends.

RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 11/01/2023 09:39

Bookkeys · 11/01/2023 09:35

grovel to him about how your failure to manage friendships like an adult is impacting his life

Very dramatic and weird, don't do this

Yep

SleeplessInEngland · 11/01/2023 09:47

The thread title has nothing to do with your ex-friend. She was just a weirdo you had the bad luck to get involved with.

Swissmountains · 11/01/2023 10:11

I am sorry this is happening to you.
Be busy for the party weekend and ignore her, she will soon get bored.

As for school gate friendships, I have been doing the school run for 18 years. Some friendships go the distance, most don't once everyone has moved on and many implode in the process and affect the children in school. The holidaying groups tend to be the worst for blow ups or affairs.

Be kind and civil, keep your own friends outside of school and you will find life much easier and don't get too involved. School experience is for your child to learn and socialise not a social club for parents. Focus on your child and take this as a lesson well learnt. She is probably upsetting lots of people, don't take it personally.

KimberleyClark · 11/01/2023 10:17

Feel sorry for your DC. Bloody awful of this school mum to involve her and your DC in a quarrel that has nothing to do with them. Would have been upsetting for her DC too not to have yours invited to the party.

thewayround · 11/01/2023 10:18

@Internetstranger

did you honestly mean your advice about “absolutely grovel to your DS….”?

Emmamoo89 · 11/01/2023 10:19

Definitely complain to the school.

Believ · 11/01/2023 11:50

This is nothing to do with making friends with Mums, this is to do with this 1 crazy person!

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 11/01/2023 11:53

Your experience is pretty unique and tbh the first time she asked you to buy her something should have been a red flag

New posts on this thread. Refresh page