Being laughed at on the School Run

[ChoccyBiscuits123]

Okay so I'm going to start by saying I'm not usually bothered by people's behaviour - I'm very much a live and let live person....however...there are two women on the school run that I am just perplexed by.

So for example this morning..I had just dropped my daughter off at school and I'm minding my own business walking home. These two other mums come from around the corner and immediately start laughing directly at me in my face...! They then stifled their giggles and walked past. This is not the first time this has happened.
Once they started singing a Kylie Minogue song at me from the other side of the road laughing and twirling around. All a bit much for me in the morning!!

We're all pretty relaxed dressers on the school run..they wear tracksuits and tie their hair up and I tend to wear leggings and a navy joules coat with miminal make up (mascara and perhaps a red lip if I have the energy) so it's not like I'm going to school in Kylie hot pants or full make up or other crazy clothing.

I'm perplexed as to why they've targeted me as I don't know them at all. It's got to the point where it is upsetting me. Someone laughing in my face or stifling giggles as I walk past is hurtful and it's starting to feel like bullying. Am I being too sensitive? Is my make up or dress sense so awful they cant help but laugh? I am so confused! Esp as they don't seem to do it to anyone else.

I want to ignore it and just put it down to them being muppets but I am struggling now.

I can't confront them as they will probably just see it as hilarious and as they've never actually said anything directly to me they could accuse me of being paranoid.

Any help or advice much appreciated. No nasty comment please.

Thank you so much everyone 💗 I feel genuinely supported in this 💖 I cant believe how many people have said encouraging and helpful things.

This morning I felt really down about it and tbh I was feeling very sorry for myself 😆 but now I feel like they are the ones with the problem and I am going to follow the advice of just ignoring them!

Thank you for all your kind words and for pointing out that they are the issue not me! They truly are bell ends and aren't worth my time or energy 😂💖 xxx

They sound like a couple of chavs what horrible people. Keep your head up go on your phone or look away from them. Xx

good for you @ChoccyBiscuits123 !

Those two idiots are meaningless in the scheme of things.

I also think the "fake it till you make it" confident walk also helps. ( a funny podcast in your ears too) even if you are feeling anxious.

You'll look back on this in a few weeks and laugh. Onwards and upwards!

They are chavs. Just keep walking with your head high. Certainly get some headphones. If you see them don’t even make eye contact. Pretend they don’t exist.

Inverted snobbery is rife in this country, and it’s horrible

I’ve RTFT and this is the advice that stands out for me. If you can’t be arsed with them then that’s entirely fair and do the ignore thing. But if you do feel you have to do something, I’ve found having a 1:1 chat very casually, never mentioning the bitchy behaviour but just being very human, tends to stop them in their tracks. Then the next time the other is going ‘oh look it’s Kylie again haaaa’ the one you’ve talked to tends to go ‘nah, come on, she’s actually alright’.

And I have done the school run in red lipstick and a whistles dress and leggings, stained sweater and unwashed hair in the last week, so no skin in that game but bitchiness is never ok ⭐️

This sounds more like a bit of bantering/trying to be friendly to me. Not condoning being heckled in the street but I personally would take it in the spirit of them just being a bit familiar and jokey. (I also had these kind of comments at college, being called ‘posh’ and ‘princess.’) I didn’t take it as bullying. If they called you a snobby bitch and were actually horrible to you I’d get it, but it sounds quite harmless.

So sorry this has happened to you, chin up, flash them a smile and either a good morning or afternoon and walk away 😁

I usually wear jeans t shirts jumpers on the school run and dentally don’t care what others think of my appearance ….. my priority on school grounds are my children and nothing or no one else xx

Are you certain it's not just a coincidence? Like when people say Hi and it's to the person behind you 😂
They could have been laughing about something before you appeared, you then gave them a look as if it's bothering you so they sniffled their giggles?
Sometimes we get what we give off. If you don't look in their direction they won't think it's bothering you, regardless of whether it's about you or not. It seems you might be taking it a little to much to heart.
They may will be bullying but there isn't anything you have said for me to believe that is 100% the case. Just being honest. Just mind your business and they may mind theirs.

Liked the second part of you reply@!

They could have been singing that one day and then having seen you again be giggling in the ‘omg it’s that lady we made parts of ourselves in front of’ sense. Either way I agree with pp, either ignore them or if there’s one more instance just ask ‘can I help you?’

They are jealous of you. Just ignore. They are immature and probably uneducated. When I was teaching at a village school, I was ridiculed because I had a new pair of Camper shoes in blue. I heard them saying I was wearing children's shoes. Then later someone pointed them out that was the fashion. No need to say them anything either because they would just twist it and make you look bad. Put headphones on or something and no eye-contact.

I had this when my DC started. Two mothers, no kids in reception with my son, but for some reason they targeted me and did some petty and horrible things. So I smiled every day at them. Every single day and within a few weeks they stopped bothering me. Now we walk past each other and no one acknowledges the other.

I don’t always advocate for kill them with kindness, sometimes people need something sharper, but in this instance it worked.

Why on earth would grown women do this? I don’t get it at all …

Nor do I. I’m a very awkward person by nature so I think I’m an obvious target. I still hate the school run as I feel like people are judging me but forcing myself to be overly nice has stopped the dirty looks, obviously laughing and snippy comments.

I think some people don’t grow out of high school.

I see a lot of MN threads about bitchy Mums on school run. I've never encountered it in person

Many years ago, I remember people laughing on a bus and being absolutely convinced they were laughing at me. Horrible feeling. I was quite upset by it

A few years ago, some people were laughing on a bus. I clearly remember thinking that old (less confident) me might have thought they were laughing at me but new (more confident) me realised that (a) they almost certainly weren't and (b) even if they were, it wasn't really such a big deal if they e g didn't like my clothes

It really struck me how much our reaction varies according to how we feel about ourselves

Oh lovely, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you or the way you dress.
Everytime you happen to see them, i want you to smile but say nothing. Absolutely nothing. If they call you or try to belittle you. Then you need to call it out. These 2 are vile humans. They will always be.
you my lovely are a Beautiful woman. Xx

Also, If you look like Kylie then good for you! I bet they don't! (probably more like Waynetta Slob)

how bizarre, but guessing they have very small lives so have to do something to make them more interesting 🤷🏻‍♀️. Do you know what year their kids are in/ presume you have you checked their kids aren’t making life hard for your DD?

it’s just ridiculous that grown adults still have school bully mentality. Equally I feel for you though as it’s awful how this kind of behaviour can take you right back to those school days.

They sound very immature and mention it to the school office. It’s really worth it as you might not be the only one they are picking on (I’m an EYS teacher)

Laugh when you walk past hold ur head up while doing it Bitches

I find their behaviour really odd and I think if I were in your shoes I would find it hard to believe it was directed at me, but I am quite thick skinned. Don't let them destroy your confidence. They must be of pretty low intelligence and not worth a minute of your thoughts

Give them a taste of there own medicine. Point at them and laugh loud right back.

Yes, I dod wonder same