not to have missed competitive mummery during half term?

[spertyporson]

Have just finished ironing on a couple of kids' nametags and found myself smiling at all those who withdraw in horror at the very THOUGHT of iron-on tags. Sewn on are better, goes the collective wisdom. I use iron-ons and, as with most of my haphazard parenting, I don't care what competitive mums say. Well, I do or I wouldn't be posting this.

But it made me realise what I like best about half term is not feeling inadequate this week.

Mmmm...

There's the only-competitive-if-I'm-feeling-sensitive-and-could-otherwise-be-interpreted-as-genuine comments, such as

"It must be so hard working full time."

Then there's the

"He's very energetic. Is he like that at home?"

remarks (erm, yes. He has ADHD and autism, which you know)

and then there's the

"It's such hard work. x is now almost at the end of the reading tree and her mind is just like a sponge! Needs constant stimulation. I think it's so hard when they're clever. I guess it's easier for your ds because he has someone helping him all the time."

I will never win the competitions that they play, but it doesn't stop me feeling inadequate.

I write names on stuff in permanent marker

I don't do name tapes in any form!

I sew labels on. Because the iron on ones come off in the wash.

But I honestly can't ever think of any time ever when i have had a conversation with anyone about how I attach labels....

And Dh polishes the childrens shoes when he does his . It always reminds me of my dad who used to polish all eight pairs of our school shoes every Sunday and putthem in fromt of the fire for Monday morning.

So I am probably being slagged off as a competetive mum in various playgrounds. And I never wear jeans - always heels and make up. And I make cakes for the cake sale.

I am a fucking nightmare now I think about it.

NLurker - I hope your DCs wear hair shirts, too?

Reallytired - it's not the choice of name tages that bothers me. It's not the name tags at all. It's some people's need to comment on the choice that someone has made and, by implication, suggesting that one choice is somehow better than another. Not accusing you of this, but am bored of those I know who do this

DS1; lovingly hand sewn on name tags

DD1; iron on tags

DD2; scrawled in biro on the washing instructions tag

DS2; well all his school stuff will be hand-me-downs, with his older siblings' names on already

I embroidered my child's name on his trousers once because I had been too disorganised to buy labels. That was mny yrs ago, now I just write the name on in blood/biro.

Sperty - yes they wear hair shirts that I've woven myself

Pagwatch - I devoutly hope you don't just wear 'heels and makeup' - not wearing jeans is well and good but if you aren't placing something between you and the weather I feel your fellow parents will think of you not as a nightmare but as a raving exhibitionist

not read the thread yet - but iron on, OMG! I write on the label in biro.

read the thread now - lol.

Guess we're all just obsessed with comparing, otherwise MN wouldn't exist!

NLurker - weaving hair shirts... now that's something I can't compete with!

[grin at Northern
Nope - heels and make up - thats it

"No I don't want that chocolate one thank you. I know who made it and she'll have had her nipples in the mixture sure as my name's Annabel!"

my nippletastic choccieboob treats are very nice actually.................... Annabel

You should charge extra - quite a selling point actually. Any old school fair has cakes - but cakes made and sold by the naked mum - now that I'd run a mile from pay money to see.

Thanks for clearing that up NL, I thought I was endangering my child's life for a minute!

I think you're all marvellous and wish you had children in my class where I have (I kid you not) had conversations where parents have exclaimed "Well, no, it doesn't have his name in but it's purple and size 36"

I did have a child in my tutor group last year who could, with uncanny accuracy, identify the owners of uniform by sniffing it. I miss him this year, my lost property box is heaving.

The point of me posting (I think there was a point) was to say teachers don't care whether it's hand embroidered, ironed on, biroed, permanent markered or poker worked so long as we don't have to spend thirty minutes every afternoon squinting at ten identical, nameless jumpers trying to work out who they belong to

Moomin i was exactly the same

Sewed all my first daughters labels painstakingly, used iron on for the second, and my son is lucky if i can find a biro to write on the washing label

Help! Trained professional in our midst. But glad you appreciate our efforts, BLP.

Trained professional who should probably be being professional and marking year 8 science investigations instead of lurking on Mumsnet in case anyone on TTC has found the secret to foolproof, guaranteed conception! But definitely appreciative.

TTC?

Trying to conceive. Sure sign I'm spending too much time on these fora if I'm using the acronyms without thinking!

Oh. Am still a relative newbie so don't know all acronyms. Good luck!

i just have seen too many competitive threads this week sperty, mn wasn't that sort of site not too long ago

Sorry, astra, hope I'm not bringing down the tone. Have lurked here for yonks and very rarely posted but get the sense competitiveness lies underneath lots of mum/parent talk, whether on MN or in the playground. Hey ho. Let's hear it for those who are HAPPY with their life (name tag) choices