I am attending a parenting course at our local primary school. I just noticed a poster phoned the number and went along.
Great mix of mums there half in their 20s half in their 30s like me. Second week this week and we had to split into two groups. A new woman started today who seemed to know a couple of the younger mums, although she was older. She was quite loud (in a good way), seemed confident and funny (had 7 children so thought perhaps we might have lots to learn from her). When the groups were randomly decided it turned out that this particular group of mums were together and we all laughed at how it turned out. This woman then piped up - oh, thats good girls im glad im with you and not that posh lot - referring to me and two other older mums, us XYZ estate girls have to stick together, up the XYZ estate! .
I laughed it off but was quite offended as it goes. Firstly, i am anything but posh, come from a very working class background and my family might even be considered a bit rough. I speak fairly well and dress scruffy but not in any fashion (no big dangly earings sorry), other few mums the same - my friend from up north delighted in telling me the first time i went to a party she was at that she is "rough as fuck!" (she was quite drunk) and another woman from london who just seems like a normal everyday mum to me.
OK, so i don't live on XYZ estate, but i did grow up in council housing and have no issues with it. My road is quite rough anyway. I have never been on the Jeremy Kyle show (one of them had - i can't wait for her to dish the dirt!) and i don't wear huge gold hoops but i AINT FUCKING POSH!!
But WTF? Does it matter, so what if i am educated and an older mum, i WAS a single mum at 19 and i found it a doddle (i had alot of support) I am now 39 and i am struggling with my DDs behaviour lately and getting all shouty so thought this course would be a great opportunity to share experiences and learn ways to not shout and lose my rag.
The organiser didn't comment (a comment like "we are all the same here, we are all parents" would have been appropriate i think( I bet she would have said something if i had said something like, phew, im glad im not in a group with those chavs! not that i thought they were chavs, but you know what i mean!
grrrrrr