Other parents being competitive - testing their child against mine to make theirs look more intelligent!

[Jzee]

This is the second time I have experienced another mum testing their own child against mine. Simple questions on how to spell words and add numbers etc.. Their child knows the answers to the questions ( like they have been rehersing ) my child is stumbling with the answers which of course shows their child to be the more intelligent. I feel really annoyed that they feel this need to be so competitive. I'm all for children learning, but I wouldn't try to embarress another friends child.

[constancereader]

What awful women.
I would steer well clear of them in future.
Their poor children too!

[cornsilk]

She sounds like a jerk. Don't worry, she's a nutter.

[colditz]

Your child is learning more important things, like social skills.

[needmorecoffee]

good grief. I don't get that with dd cos her CP. Everyone just assumes she is benath their kids.

[Troutpout]

She is bonkers

[Jzee]

Thanks already you guys are making me feel better and have confirmed what I was thinking - and actually you are right she is a bit weired? In public she is allways proving what a doting mother she is yet in private when I saw her sons bedroom it was bare it didn't resemble a 5 year olds room - spoke volumes!

[chankins]

I know several women similar to this. One woman makes me laugh as our sons were born on the same day and every time I see her, she asks how much mine weighs !?!
When I tell her, she can't keep the smug look of her face that hers weighs more, AND she is still bf, and mine is not now.
I keep thinking she'll give up this competiveness soon as she cant possibly win - at 8 mo her son couldn't sit up so she was gutted when I said mine was crawling at 7, and standing alone now at 9 - but no, saw her the other day, have you had him weighed she goes, ? NO I bloody haven't, I have a life.
Just smile and walk away. Youdo NOT want to be friends with women like this!

[Heated]

Throw dc in the air, blow a raspberry and make them giggle (having fun is what childhood should be about, not being a performing seal)

If they are so rude as to openly compare, I would say in quite a neutral way, "You must be so proud" and leave them to work out how you meant it!

[Poppychick]

That is vulgar! I see this lots at work (primary school) such horribly competitive parents makes me sick.

Don't rise to it, ignore it and stand away from them at the school gate. Don't get drawn into their nasty competitive ways.

There will always be people like this, they are insecure and see this as a way of scoring points to make themselves feel better. Starts with the baby stuff that chankins mentioned and continues probably until adulthood.

[Reallytired]

Competitive parenting carries on. At primary school its what stage of the ORT a child is on.

Its a sign that the mother has no life of her own.

When my little boy was a baby he would have been awarded the wooden spoon in the baby development olympics. But at the age of six he is doing well at school, both socially and academically.

[PotPourri]

Horrible. It is just so cheap. And as you say, they hvae been rehearsing, so why is that impressive? Don't get sucked in. Every child is different, and all are fabulous anyway.

[Nessamommy]

I teach younger children in a very afluent community. I see mothers doing this lots, and the only one who suffer are the children...their mothers push them hard to be smarter at this or that all the time. They are never celebrated for who they are as people. As far as I'm concerned, all children have areas they are strong at and areas to grow in. I think it's important that our children feel special for who they are, don't you?

[twocutedarlings]

God i hate this, its exactley like this at our school.

Know what your saying about the ORT Reallytired. At my DDs school parent choose the childrens reading books and then log which book you have taken onto the childs reading record. so everyone know what level each child is on .

One of the Mums actually told me i was chooseing a book from the wrong level, for my DD . I wasnt of corse, DD had moved up a level. But rather than get involved with this petty shite i simply walk away.

I makes me so pissed off, i mean FFS these kids are only 4 and 5. its just pathetic.