Playdate parent has an issue with lower social class!

[Popcornlassie28]

My 7 year old has recently got quite friendly with another child in their class. The other child asked her Mum if they could have mine for a play date (at their house) and she didn’t seem overly thrilled but said yes and I’m yet to arrange this with the parent.

At a child’s birthday party (in their class) prior to them getting super close, I was chatting to the parents and this Mum was talking about her recent house move and saying it was because ‘She paid a lot of money for her previous home on a new estate and in the end was placed near social (council house) tenants’ and she went on to say how much she hates council house people and that she didn’t deserve to live near them so they moved.

I grew up from a council house background and found the comment quite off hand as I think it’s pretty small minded to judge someone on their possessions and financial status.

Anyways, I will have to stay with my child at the play date at their home and I know in turn I will be expected have them back at mine. My home isn’t fancy, it’s functional and cozy. I’m happy with it. I’m just worried she will judge us based on what we have. I would rather not have her in my home at all with her attitude, it’s not welcome. I don’t care if someone has a cardboard box, they are equal to me.

Am I being unreasonable to not want to arrange this play date? I just don’t want it to affect friendships but I really was not best pleased with her opinions and attitude.

Thanks!

Don't deprive your DC of a potential friendship based on the Mums comments. She sounds awful.

My Mum was like this mother, openly snobby and very narrow in her views. If I invited friends to a birthday party or play date she would find out who they were and then the council house kids had to be uninvited. This was all done behind my back. Even as a teenager in secondary school, I was moved school to a 'better' school and befriended a new girl. After we had become pals my Mum found out her Dad worked in a factory and she was no longer allowed in our house nor me in hers. Phone messages were not passed on. I could give many other examples of this and it went on until I very intentionally moved away forever at 18.

I was so determined to prove I was different that I turned into the worlds biggest people pleaser. I also remember a group of mothers outside the school calling me a snobby bitch as I walked past, and a cleaner at the school ranting at me one day, saying very nasty things to me alone even though 3 or 4 of us were hiding in a classroom for a laugh. The irony is (maybe not even relevant) that my parents weren't anymore wealthy or educated than others in the town.

I feel for this other little girl!

We live on a mixed housing estate too, no problems though the social housing tenants tend not to join in any organised events, sadly.