Own up then - how many of you would have a sneaky peak at another child's school contact book on a play date?

[sandyballs]

My dd went to a friend's house for tea after school yesterday and I arrived a bit early to pick her up. As I was walking up the drive I could see the mother rummaging through a school bag in her porch and as I got nearer I could see it belonged to my DD and she was flicking through her school contact book. I'm not bothered at all, just curious as to why she would be interested. She saw me and jumped out of her skin, dropped the book like a hot potato .

like looking in people bathroom cuboards when you go for a pee

No way too competitive for my liking anyway its a childs private property, what would you say if they thought they would have a look in your handbag!

havent read the other posts by the way this is just an immediate reaction. I knew a mum who did this she was super competitive and a real arsehole of a woman, who constantly clashed with headteachers and moved her children a cuople of times to different schools

think this woman an absolute cow - some mother's need to remember we are grown up and have actually left school. I find the behaviour of some mothers in the playground and or school context bizarre and pathetic. Anyone who thinks this behaviour ok should look hard at their motivation. My suggestion is that they are insecure at the very least and also quite unpleasant.

That was my thinking Spidermama - what a very droll situation, to catch somebody nosing like that. I wouldn't have minded as such, I would have PMSL

Hope she's not a Mnetter and has seen this

Our school doesn't have such a thing but if it did I wouldn't look at it. We used to have reading logs which I wouldn't have looked at either.

I don't look in dd's playmates schoolbags full stop.

I don't think I would - BUT - I would look in bathroom cupboards !!! I just cannot resist I'm afraid !

Caught my mother reading dd's contact book last weekend - was livid - specailly as she then started questioning me about stuff in there - "When was dd on antibiotics ?" "Who is x and why was she going to their house ?" "When did she have impetigo ?" etc etc...

Definitely private !

look in bathroom cabinets?....what are you hoping to find?
seems funny to me that you complain about your mother breaching your privacy when you have no respect for that of your friend's!
you and your mom (norah) seem to have alot in common.

ooh get you girlymomma

How do you think one of the Mums at our school knows that my DS is a very good reader. He has never been to a playdate at her house. Somehow it has got round and I feel obliged to share with her and others that ds struggles with his writing which he does so I won't seem like a pushy parent. Infact meant to ask advice here on his writing.

Is girlymomma a hoaxer, or are there really people like that?

Take a chill pill, dear

Havnt had a contact book at our schools, just a pocket book to say what page the child is on. Havnt looked at another childs note/pocket book but have looked to see what level of book the child is reading.

Surely its not a crime to see which reading book your childs friend is on ?

Some parents just want to find out how their kids compare to their friends so sneak a peak at school books instead of coming straight out with it and asking the teacher! When I was in primary school I was friends with a girl who's mother was hugely competitive. She would start every parent's evening with "how's xx (me) getting on?" My dad taught in the school from time to time and the teachers always told him Mrs x was asking about my progress! At least she was open about it, not sneaking about.

Yeah she's new I think - obviously out to make friends and influence people !

LOL - you've gotta laugh !

drosophila, it's most likely the mother you mention was told by her child that your son is a good reader. However much schools try to not to let on who's on the top table, the children generally work it out.

I certainly wouldn't rifle through a child's school bag!!
I would be interested / curious about reading ability, but would ak the parent.
I am innordinately interested (aka nosey) about how other people experience things, and always read the 'weekly newsletter' of a friends child's school if it is on the table, to get an idea of what other schools are up to, and if I should be badgering ours...but hardly secretively!.

I would really really like to look at it ...........But I wouldn't.

It would feel the same as reading some one s diary, you could have had personal things in there about Home

very rude and wrong of her but I can se how the temtation was great!!!!1

Must admit I looked in play dates' bags with dd1 to see what reading books they were on - dd1 struggled to read and confidence floundered and I constantly hoped i would be reasured by knowing what books she should have been reading for her age but instead it just worried me all the more. Ended up doing extra reading tuition book with her at home called Toe by Toe (excellent results - google it if your child has dyslexic tendencies - but thats another story) so maybe its the mums of kids who don't seem to be doing so well that are looking for reassurance hence the clandestine peeking.

Call me self-centred, but I'm not remotely interested in other people's children. It wouldn't even occur to me to look in their contact book. I also don't think you'd find out anything useful about your own child from doing so. I find it a bit strange, tbh.

I love other people's bathroom cabinets though.

Why would you look in bathroom cupboards? Mine is just full of toothpaste and soap. What secrets can lurk in someone else's bathroom cupboard? I might look next time