Hi everyone, can you help?
A leading member of the school's PTA has got into the habit of making jokingly derogatory remarks to me about my sons or my partner. She does this in company, within earshot of other people. To give an example, I attended a christams party with my children and she asked where my husband was. (She knows him quite well at school). I don't like these types of direct questions, but I know that it is just this woman's way so I dodge out of answering them. So I just said he couldn't make it, but gave no reason (don't see why I have to justify myself) and quickly said 'well the rest of us are here, how is the party going? to change the subject.
Then right at the end of the evening, when I was with lots of other people, she said very loudly, "tell *** ( my dh) I'll be having words with him" I don't find this funny.
She is a self admitted bossy, outspoken person. People, including me will joke about it to he. She is always running up to parents and asking them to buy raffle tickets, come to the school panto, etc. I have no problem with that. She does a lot of work for the school. I do support a lot of the PTA efforts and help when I can. Lots of parents attend events and help less than me.
But in the last 6 months she has increasingly made what I consider to be personal remarks about me, in company, that show lack of respect.
I have never confided in her much, or indeed anyone at the school, so she hasn't got much information to go on. But I get the impression that the message behind her jokes is that I am really ineffectual. My children are both happy at the school and have no discipline problems - my oldest did for a while, but he is now fine and his behaviour doesn't stand out and he is getting on well with his work. It is not just me saying this, it is teachers, cub helpers, and other parents.
Yet still this PTA person persists in casting aspersions about them jokingly but publically, and will use any small reason to wade in and tell them off in front of me in group situations. I am happy for other peole to tell off my children, I hasten to add, but the way she does it comes with the strong implication that she knows best and I don't.For example, she'll say 'just leave them to me, I know how to sort them out'
I am not losing sleep over this, but I would love to get her off my back. My tactic so far is just igoring the implication and not rising to the bait by responding to her, but I would love to come up with a smart answer sometimes.
Ps I have changed my name for this posting, in case people at my son's school read this.