Reception : How do you find the other parents? Do you click?

[Jzee]

Please tell me I'm not the only one finding this first year a little tricky and hard work on the social front.

wots up

Well, I suppose working full time it is not an issue. i just don't know them. On the rare dates I pick DD up or drop her off,I just say hi to everybody, that's it

I supppose everyone will have different expectations Jzee - do you want to make friends with them? are you finding nobody very friendly? or too friendly?

I still feel certainly not sure about my ds best friends mums motives for certain things... do not like the fact she points out things a lot e.g. compares the boys.. I find it a bit silly.. but certainly sometimes I think does it really matter, just let it go and as long as he is happy and settled there, well I am just happy to be on friendly terms without being friends. I have my friends elsewhere. I am just the taxi really!!

So whats upset you then Jzee ( pats virtual chair in a friendly way) come and tell us lovey!!

very tricky! (but I work full-time)
see the most of them by the side of the swimming pool very early on a Saturday morning

I am curently a SAHM. I found when DD was in nursery/reception people were grateful to speak to people. You could be the one to initiate conversation, by saying something as simple as 'hiya love, you OK?' and going from there. If you are the one that says hiya to everyone, you will become central to the group and people will gravitate towards you. This is my experience anyway ans we are all still a great group of mums and DD is in year 1. HTH.

Invite a couple of your DCs schoolfriends and their parents over after school for a play and a snack.

Or at the weekend if you work f/t.

Volunteer to join the PTA.

They ignore me - I take the moral high ground and can't be arsed with narrow minded people like that so ignore them back

Am I in the minority? -have really clicked with two of them and we have coffee every week. Kids are friends whether they like it or not

ds has a message

hello

(he is not embarrassed but wanted the face with the red cheeks)

Thats awful riven,
If you can smile the least they can do is smile back.
People are so RUDE

riven, if your child went to my school I would talk to you! I apologise for my fellow countrymen/women/persons for being so crap.
I get a lot of looks as I have a walking stick, and it's bright pink...

oh God Riven that's awful.....

for you and dd

are the school aware of the situation .. would or could they do anything to help??

Our playground is very cliquey so I leave them to it, their loss not mine. One mum in DS's class has made converstaion but thats about it.

Riven, thats horrible but they are not worthy of being your friend if thats how they treat people. FWIW if you were at my school, you'd get a party invite if DS was in the same class.

Have found one mum I really like and some others to chat to. Work FT so not there that much, but TBH I'm not sure it would make that much difference. I do try to smile and say hello but am often fixated with dropping off as quickly as possible and getting to work not toooo late; I'm sure I forget to smile and chat quite often.

DS1's best friend's mum seems nice, but we don't "click" especially. This doesn't bother me much; the child comes without his mum and everyone has a nice time.

Riven - this is precisely why we invited every child in the class to DS1's party. Big hugs to you and your DC.

weird how cliques and groups form. In dcs previosu school really clicked with a group of ds chums mums, but found the year above (dd) very stand offish (if polite enough) exceptfor one who we still see now and we really clicked big time

In current school we have a few groups in each year that we know and lots that smile, orseem toknow the dcs

I work 4 days so only pick up 3 days and they are at after school clubs for most of these so do not see the general grouping at the gates. Have got to know those that have childern in the same clubs much better

I joined the PA as i felt very lonely initially knowing so few faces and it has really helped - the head of Juniors and head teacher know me know and always talk plus i now loads of mums from across the school years plus some senior teachers and it just helps (me) to be able to smile and say hello to someone out of hte year group as it were.

riven I think that is horrible - I know what it is like to be 'new' when we changed schools but thankfully most of the mums were great and invited me into their groups. We are inviting all in Yr 2 to dds party this year - could not with ds last year as limited on numbers so invited all the boys

I think mostly you get out of it what you put in.

If you make a point of initiating conversation and plastering a smile on your face - it is impossible not to make at least a few friends. It takes time though

My DD is in reception as well. I knew a couple of Mum's from pre-school but in order to get to know people I've attended and stayed at every party my DD has been to. This has helped me get to know a few mums as well as the kids.

Of course, there's still the odd one or two who seem to wander about with their nose in the air - but I put this down to their lack of confidence rather than a problem with me!!!!

Riven - its disgraceful that people don't smile and say hi back to you and awful that your little girl hasn't been invited to a party yet

I talk to everyone, making a point of smiling and speaking to people who don't seem to speak to anyone else, like the 'older' Mum in the group who seems to get sidelined , the grandparents and the 'new lady'. I am sure most people think I am quite odd.
I am lucky though that I knew half the Mums from nursery so was more in my comfort zone iyswim. Plus am a forces wife and know if I don't make the effort to speak to people no other bugger will make the effort to speak to me....