The school gates scare me. The other parents scare me. Children's parties scare me. All have come together into a steep social-dysfunction anxiety curve: what to do?
Well I would recommend not doing what I have done. My beloved child has spent a week telling me about an invitation received at school. The story changed as to who had done the inviting. The teaching assistant, when asked, knew nothing. a fingertip search of some random drawer in Reception Class yielded no results.
After a few sleepless moments wondering whether I should ask the relevant parents (and I'll give you a clue here: this would have involved either telephones or talking to people so naturally did not happen) I plumped for ignoring the issue.
Do not do this. This is bad. There was, apparently, a party on Saturday. Yes the one just gone. For a friend who has had the beloved over to play. Once. So either there was an invitation that was, to all appearances, rudely ignored. Or there wasn't but Beloved wishes there had been and desperately wanted to go but wasn't wanted.
Now what? Do I collar the mother and explain - cue embarrassment all round. If had been an invite it would be all right apart from demonstrating rank failure as a social being. If there was not it will be far worse implying, as it does, that I am forcing them to explain why no invite was given. I am guessing there was none because had brief chat with the mother in question two days before the party and nothing was said (e.g. "Will X be coming then?") It would not have been odd if there had been an invite as they do seem to be friends.
Don't want to do the wrong thing. Or rather know I have done the wrong thing already and don't want to make it worse. Any suggestions?