Well, I'm not a miserable person honestly. I always enjoyed mixing and making friends whilst working (I'm self-employed now and work from home), but does anyone else find 'making friends' in the playground a chore/stress?
My son is in Y1 and changed schools in October. I have quite some good friends locally and I made a few of those through ds' attendance at the old school.
But I always used to find the daily pick up a chore as you tried to make superficial banter with people you didn't know. I admit I largely did this for the sake of ds when he wanted to invite people back for tea etc.
Anyway, I was sort of grateful to start again at a new school as the playground chat at the old one often became a real pain. There was always someone getting upset that so and so hadn't said hello or had ignored them or had not invited little dd/ds to their child's party etc etc. I was glad to take a back seat and be the new person no one knew.
Now, having been here a few months,a bit of PTA'ing and saying hello I have again ended having to do the banter, make the effort etc etc. It always seems like a competition for friends though and people seem to be ruder than they would in 'normal life'. It's like being back at school
For example, one mum I have had a coffee with a few times is also new and knew no one. However, she now has the most annoying habit of coming over and saying hello and then drifting off from you when you are mid-sentence if someone else she's trying to make friends with comes past that she wants to talk to. I'm sure she wouldn't do it in the real world
I know, I know, it is so infantile and petty and I hate myself for getting annoyed about it but then that is why I hate the playground!