Aibu to think parents are getting pushier & more competitive?

[Manysmiles]

Just something I have noticed in my dc's classes & extracurriculars. We also have come accross a couple of very nosy parents who want to know the ins & outs of our dc's activities & activities!
Aibu to think this pushiness & competitive attitude is getting so much worse?

Always been like this, it just depends on the circles you are moving in.

are the other parents being nosey or showing an interest and perhaps wondering if their own child might like the activities yours does?

i think its normal for parents to chat and compare at the school gates, its been going on for years!

i have a neice who's own DC playsfootball and all she goes on and on and on about is how good he is, constantly posting photos of his matches on social media and telling everyone how amazing he is and how he will be the next big football star.. so some parents are nosey and some parents can't stop their gloating

I have noticed it's particularly bad lately even with dc2s bffs mum. Everything is a comparison & it's wearing me down.

I thought initially it was making polite conversation but when I returned the the questions re their own dc they shut down & wouldn't give an answer where I was very happy to answer..

There have been parents like this for donkeys years. Realistically, no one’s children will be able to do all activities available.

I remember a friend trying to convince me to sign my youngest up to an activity and I said no way - she was already too over scheduled.

so how is this pushy and competitive? your opening title is misleading is it not? your DC's bff's mum wont answer questions about their own DC's activities?

You will always get parents like this. It isn't new or "more" my dc are mid 20s to 30s and I came across parents who wanted to know stuff from what they were doing to what marks they got on a spelling test,

You just need to let it go over your head and tell then what you want to.

That’s been going on a LONG time

It's in general. My partner is a teacher in a very good state school, he has be innundated with a couple of parents emailing him about why their dc are not in top sets, why he was doing extension work with one particular child & their dc was upset.. It's never ending & we see it with our own dc in activities & school (dc do not attend where dp teaches)

I imagine there has always been parents who harass their kids school about groups or whatever, your husband must sigh and roll his eyes a lot when the emails come in!

He thinks the Olympics will bring out the very worst in some parents! He's been a teacher for years & he's always said there's a minority of parents who won't accept their dc are average & top sets for the sake of it would be detrimental to their progress. I'm digressing now but I can see it in our dc's circles...

I'm led to believe it's always happened. I signed DD up to Rainbows and suddenly three girls in her class were there a couple of weeks later after I'd mentioned it. However DD started swimming lessons after I spoke with a couple of parents, she isn't with any of them during her lessons. It was more finding out the information than wanting her to do it with friends. I do find though that a lot of these children swap and change activities each term and never stick to anything. No idea if this is a common theme amongst 5 year olds or not.

Competitive rainbows now? Perhaps they just thought their kid would like it? I signed mine up to free tennis in the park when I heard about it by word of mouth. Don't have my eye on Wimbledon just yet.

I expect that after minimal activities in 2020 and part of 2021, it seems much worse.

Always been one or two like this! Everything is a competition.

Just smile and step back from them.

i dont see an issue with contacting a teacher if you have an issue... for example when my DD went to high school, she was always in the top set, classed as a 'gifted and talented'.. after one of the half term holidays, she was placed in the bottom class. of course i contacted the school to ask why... a mistake i am told and she was immediately moved back to the correct class... was i supposed to just leave her in the bottom class, clearly having an easy life as none of the work was challenging enough for her? the only way i found out was because my DD came home from school upset because the others in the class kept calling her a 'spoff'.. does that make me a pushy parent? im curious