Almost daily diary!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Parents Evening

Parents evening in a state comprehensive, short hand for bun fight, never my favourite evening of the school calendar I must admit. The large sports hall is riddled with humanity of all shapes and sizes and their offspring. The teachers have 5 minute slots but everyone, seeing as they have made the effort to get there in the first place, wants their 10 penny's worth anyway and this means queues and huffing! After attending for the last three years I have become accustomed to the elbows out and everyone for themselves, dog eat dog sort of an affair. I can elbow with the rest of them if required!

As we stand next in line for the Art Teacher, I notice a couple sidle in from the left. I do my own sidle and take up my starting position for when the couple in front leave their bottom warmed seats for another queue. I can feel the woman of the couple bristle; parents evenings bring out the best in us all
'What time is your slot?' She asks nosily
'5.35' I reply.
She looks defeated (ha) 'We'll let you go first then' she concedes 'Ours is 5.40'
'Thanks' I say through gritted teeth. Bloody cheek is on the tip of my tongue.

On the way home Tall Girl pipes up 'I'm proud of you'
'Oh thanks' I say, glowing with pride.
'I'm glad you are my Mummy and Daddy is my Daddy' She goes on
'Why is that?' I ask
'Well,' she starts 'did you see some of those Mums and Dads in there?'
'What about them'
'Some of them were sooo... well, red hair, bright red, and you know...chavey and... '
She went off in a tirade. The phrase she needed was 'mutton dressed as lamb'!
'So you're proud of us because?'
'Well, you dress like a mum should'
'You mean I look my age?' I asked
'Yep'
Do you know, for one moment there I was almost flattered!


10 comments:

Liz Hinds said...

You look fab! No wonder she's proud of you.

Liz Hinds said...

I'm so glad my days of parents evenings are over!

Steve said...

If I were to look my mental age I'd look like a schoolboy...!

Maggie May said...

Ha ha. That will teach you! Children are never flattering are they?
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Miss Sadie said...

What is the "almost flattered" nonsense. Don't you realize that your girl just gave you a huge compliment? That she likes you being who you are?

nick said...

Funny how children have such strong ideas of how their parents should or should not dress. Bloody cheek! Though I suppose it's also true the other way round. "You're not going out dressed like that, are you?"

Valerie said...

Your daughter paid you the highest compliment... good for her.

Furtheron said...

We were once at an information evening.... I was sat there in the hall looking about at the assortment of parents and my daughter is pointing out which Mum/Dad/Guardian/etc. went with which girl. I turned to my wife and said "Crikey it's like world of the weird in here". My timing wasn't great as the head then called to order and my wife and daughter are trying to not laugh out loud.

Honestly though - where the hell do some of them come from!

But my daughter was pointing out when my wife bought some recent outfit that it wasn't what a Mum should wear... similar concerns to your daughter.

Actually it is because she is now getting to the age of being worried that any prospective boyfriend might find you more attractive than her... well maybe... :-)

Eternal Worrier said...

very funny post. I dont miss parents evenings at all! Hot, smelly hall, with plastic chairs to sit on, designed for people under the height of 4 foot, not adults.

Ditzy Mummy said...

Oh that made me laugh, my oldest son said I looked like Nanny McPhee the other day. Thanks!!!