The parental walk of shame...

Having dropped off and picked up the girls to and from school a great deal more in recent months, I have a few observations to make about 'playground politics' and the plight that some parents face when waiting for their children at the end of the day. The main lesson learnt (with fingers, arms, legs and toes crossed that this never changes) is how lucky we are that both our girls are, at present, so well behaved at school. Countless times now, I have been innocently talking with another parent in the playground as the children come out and a teacher comes out a says those dreaded words to one or even two unsuspecting parents - 'do you mind if I have a quick word please?' Instantly, you see that parent's body language change, their shoulders dip and off they trudge to be told the latest antics their child has been getting up to on that day. It is almost like the parent is very publicly being given a right telling off! One feels for them, as they and their child's assumed poor behaviour, become the latest spectacle and subject of 'playground mafia' gossip and the group of parents left on the playground. If they have no idea about the content of this parent-teacher chat, some 'grown ups' simply make it up and in seconds the whole school is speculating and talking about it. I have met some wonderful parents in the last few months and it is always good to have a chat, have an empathetic moan about the difficult bits of being a parent and have a giggle; but I have also discovered it can be a very public forum for viscous gossip and back biting as well. I am eternally grateful that, so far so good, it has not been me! It is the parental walk of shame that I really do not want to take part in please girls. Really delighted to have this record of good behaviour reinforced at Lucy's parent-teacher meeting last week. Well done Lucy x