OK. Does anyone actually come across these competitive snidey mothers the media are **obsessed** with?

[oliveoil]

There was an article in Times 2 yesterday (which I would link but my computer is still misbehaving - maybe someone could?).

Going on about playgroup mafia mums who rule teachers and parents and fight for the best for their children blah blah blah blah. Alphas mums.

I do not know anyone like this. My friends who have children at school do not know anyone like this.

Is it a southern thing or a myth created by journalists?

I am in London and we're awash with them.
My SIL lives in Cumbria and says there are plenty in the playground at her local (state) school.
My MIL says they were around when she was bringing up her children in the Midlands 40-odd years ago.
So my survey shows that this is not a southern thing -- and it's not even new.

Pollyanna, I think chess scholarships do exist - Millfield does them, I think.

Yes, quite a few where i am (down South)

Pleased the dc are older and i don't have to hear them in the playground now!

Did anyone laugh at my

"thanks im better now"?

anyone?

no, I was too busy booking dd1 into Mandarin for tomorrow lunch

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yes, my godson's school in oxfordshire. the alpha mummies drive 4x4s, are extremely poshspice thin, have straight shoulder length expensively blonde hair, wear low slung bootleg jeans & white shirts under skinny v-neck cashmere jumpers. boden is too common for them

my godson's mother is not an alpha. she goes to boden clearance sales.

What's wrong with "white shirts under skinny v neck cashmere jumpers"?

Well, it would be cashmere if i could afford it

not a jot. its a good look. it just happens to be the in-crowd's look at that school

i'm only jealous because i can only afford acrylic!

Welshboris, I snickered quietly.
Loads of mums fitting this description here on South Coast - in my dd's school anyway, which is 'outstanding' church school. Private in all but cost. V. stylish, ruthlessly competitive mums eg Hermione not going to Girls Brigade anymore as she is doing windsurfing (age = 6) - I kid you not!

People, she has written it to promote her book. Chill.

I did, Welshboris. Twas funny.

Do you have gamma, delta and epsilon mums too?

I take dd to school every day. What does that make me? I think it makes me an alpha plus dad.

Franny is deffo an alfalfa mum.

Are there also omega mums? They're the ones hopped up on fish-oil.

I think a lot of mums seem liks alpha mums until you get to know them and realise that they are either a bit odd (in an ironing their tea towels kind of way) or a bundle of insecurities like everyone else.

That's like with an e

its a southern thing - they are all nuts. nuts.

and once you get into the cities - its fookin nut alpha mum city.

with my horcie only eats organic and my horice gets the best and my horice goes to cricket and will be in the sussex ccc by the time he is three and playing for ashes - ben slected doncha know.

and i'm like - my kids can read. i'm so proud.

And that's coming from a sourthern city gal...

I'm a gamma mum. With a gammy CROTCH.

the head at my childrens old primary school called me and a few of my friends "the playground mafia" because we complained about our childrens' teacher who was worse than useless not listneing to teh children read, not sending books home, couldnt spell, etc etc

so at the next pta quiz night where he was question master we called our group "The playgound mafia" and even printed tshirts for ourselves to wear on the night. very sheepish all night he was

in answer to the original question though i have seen the alpha mum in action however im sure that any parent who questions a schools position could get labelled as such. one mum whos dd was in my dds year was incredibly competitive and so was her dd unfortunately. if she wasnt winning at sports day she developed a chronic asthma attack or fell over and sprained/broke her ankle until hte next race where the farce started all over again. quite a shame rfeally