Grrr - round robins

[sphil]

I know I'm being unreasonable but you lot will understand. Just had a round robin from good friends of ours, full of things their kids have done, including a list of the word and phrases their 22 month old can say. Now I'm fully and painfully aware of the difference between 5 year old DS2 and NT toddlers - but seeing it on paper is somehow harder. Feel mean saying this - the couple in question are great with DS2 and would be really upset if they knew how I felt. I think it's worse because we're really pleased with the way DS2's speech is progressing but something like this just reminds me how massively, hugely behind he is.

yabbut people who send round robins have isshooos if you ask me .. who the feck cares where they went on holiday and what their kids are up to? the only people who do are them

try not to let it bother you .. (hah, yeah like that's good advice) ..

sorry you're upset and I do understand

shred it. Sill cow.

'Greetings to all the family and welcome to another festive tound up of news from the Pechy household.

This year ahs been an exciting on in our household. Just before Christmas last year you may remember we were given the news that ds3 may well be autistic, well that has taken off somewhat during teh year and now we have confirmation from SALT and OT and are just waiting for the Paed appointment! How fabulous is that?

He also amanged to get him DlA after an appeal in the Autumn, and a statement in time for school start in ja=nuary again after appeal, and ar delighted to anounce that after a complete failure to access Sn school he will be attending the local school with inadeqaute 1-1 and still wearing nappies.

he has managed to gain some language this year, but has increased his ability to develop obsessions and fxations as well- what a talented child!

DS1 has also had an interesting year, his statement was finallya ctvated in April. He transferred to juniors in September with a dismal start due to bullying and violence. He now copes there but is a nigtmare at home- kids eh? - such rotters!

Dh ahs been ill with depression once more, and almost lost his job. We also lost our beloved cat due to vet negligence, in September.

Thee xtended family ash been fine- well BIL broke his arm on holiday this weekend and cannot drive or work, and my otehr BIL has reacted to his meds for his ulcerative colitis and is back at risk of rupture and a stoma at age 31, but hey! That's life

That seems to be about it for thsi year. Do keep in touch.

until next year........'

Do you think that's stop the bastrads ding it??? PMSL

(DISCLAIMER year has been nothing like that bad! A delibrate parody only! being PG and my ssiter having her LO last month were good highlisgts for a start...)

I agree round robins are just middle class aspirational nonsense. Why inflict your news on people in such an impersonal and egotistical way? A card with a few words is about all anyone should do. My friend did a spoof round robin last year which made me hoot with laughter - eg "Jocasta continues to pursue her viola grade 7 lessons and to learn ancient sanskrit on Sunday mornings...Chloe has taken part in 7 gymkhanas and the house is awash with rosettes!!!". Give me strength, they are morons!

Peachy that is v funny!

Really sad sphil, I agree people who feel the need to tell the world what wonders they all are are the ones with ishoos. Very insensitive of them though (and naff and tragic).

I know that a lot of people use round robins to keep in touch, but if you only send something once a year and it's so show-offy, doesn't say much for the friendship / relationship.

JMHO!

Pmsl Peachy . That's brilliant. It's cheered me up no end!

Ours would read

This year DS2 has gained a Distinction in the art of nappy removing. He is showing great artistic promise in the way he displays the contents. Far be it for us to boast but he is being described as 'the next Damien Hurst'. It is interesting how he has started to put words together - 'change nappy' inevitably occurring AFTER he has done the above.

Mr and Mrs Sphil have continued their programme of cultural enlightenment this year, attending courses on sleep, signing and the Picture Exchange Communication System. They have enjoyed extensive travels to such far flung places as Bristol, Bath and Shepton Mallet.

Anyone else? This is excellent therapy!

I would just bin them without opening them tbh.
Will allow you to avoid a lot of the pain.

LOL - I love your round robins peachy and sphil

I've got to go to DS annual review in a few minutes but I'll try and think of one for us later

LOL at the alternative RRs.

"The Coppertop clan are going from strength to strength.

Ds2 has been picked to represent his country in the Toileting Olympics and is predicted to win at least a silver medal in the "Soaking pants several times a day" event. I'm so thrilled that I've had several T-shirts and banners printed already to cheer him on with. Such genius obviously runs in the family because ds1 is predicted a gold in the same event. And just to show what a multi-talented family we have, ds2 will also be competing in a triathlon: projectile vomiting, night-time nappy throwing, and the 1500m run-and-scream event. We're so proud.

This year I've become something of a writer and managed to churn out several thousands of words. Isn't it jolly amazing how DLA forms can be so inspiring? Maybe one day we'll get to tackle some statementing paperwork too.

Hoo-jolly-ray, says I.

Toodle-pip!"

...

i love this thread i haven't giggled so much in ages
i think if i do a round robin i would have to put the samaritains number on the bottom

I have never ever understood the whole round robin thing - and have only read them to gawp at the desperate and awkward attempts to be casual about the things they want to show off about..... " tarquin has been very busy what with his round the world yacht thing this year - still at least he has learnt to rinse out his own knickers while he was on board all that time. And so pleased he got into Oxford as it is so much more local than the other one"

The people I love know how i and my kids are doing. And the people i don't really love - well why would i send that stuff to strangers?

Yes my version would be an odd mixture of comedy/tragedy but i do prefer to save it for the poor suckers who can't avoid me

Yes Pagwatch, exactly - that's why I found it so odd. We knew almost everything that was in the letter already - so why bother to send it? (OK, I didn't know that their DD1 could say 'gherkin' but as I said before, could do without knowing that anyway...)

this made me laugh so much - i have no friends with sn kids and the constant banging on about their kid's friendship fall outs and having to chivvy them along with handwriting problems do inspire me to shout 'piss off' in my head quite a lot.

I'm coming out of leftfield a bit here, and YANBU, but possibly your friends pondered leaving you out of the round robin, and decided against it because that would seem like they were treating you differently because your DS2 is disabled?

I'm just trying to figure out how your friend's mind was working, given that you say she is a good friend and great with DS2, and that is the best I can come up with!

You may be right Coco - though we wouldn't have known we were being left out as we don't live in the same area any more and we only have a very few friends in common.

I AM very keen that we're not treated differently. Another one of my friends ties herself in knots if she has a moan to me about anything - she feels that we have so much more to put up with that she obviously feels hugely guilty for complaining. I don't like that either! . My poor friends - they can't win really.

It's not clear why anyone would want a list of the words a 22 month old can say though really. Apart from grandparents, just possibly. I do love the alternative RRs on here

Nice thread, made me laugh.
I think it's even worse when people email them 'just in case we forgot to put it in with the card'. A 'friend' emailed one in Feb last year as she was so proud of it and realised we'd 'missed out' as Christmas. Hearing about the exploits of thir 18month old and how wonderful her DP was as a father, topped off by the fact that although he wasnt very chatty yet , they expected them to start 'tumbling out' at any time, was all way to much for me. I have my eyes open for any lagrge files trying to sneak into my inbox this year!

good thread

I have only ever had one round robin[working class emoticon]... then I moved house without informing said person of my address change... I did find the round robin to be quite comical tbh.. but that was before I got into the SN way of life,

LOL at this thread!

I don't really receive any of these, and actually used to send one to friends and family when DD2 was a baby (but it was actually more of a "well DD2 is still alive, her surgery went well and she is off the oxygen now" sort of thing!)