Other Mothers (Networking with Other Parents)

Working women are hard pressed for time. They find it hard to keep a track of all that is happening in school, and during such times networking with other mothers helps. A balance is to be maintained from being overtly familiar and networking. Read on the benefits of networking, discussing school and kids, working mothers, involved” mothers, parents in school activities, happening in school, support network I really hate hanging around with a bunch of other mothers discussing school and kids. My mother never did it. Is it really important to be friendly with all those other mothers? In this articleParents’ Interference in Olden DaysParents’ Interference in These DaysIs Parents’ Interference in Small Schooling Details Necessary?What Can Working Mothers Do?Parents’ Interference in Olden Days In the earlier days, our parents barely knew our friends well, leave alone their parents. Our mothers would be hard put to remember the names of all our teachers and our fathers…would get lost on the way to our class since they almost never came to school. Yet we all managed to sail by without any problems or complexes. Parents’ Interference in These Days Today, the amount of networking would put a tarantula to shame! Mothers not only know the names of all the mothers in class, they also know what business the other parents are in and the shade of the drapes in their homes! Most working mothers look upon these “involved” mothers with awe…and sometimes antipathy. Is Parents’ Interference in Small Schooling Details Necessary? Why has this happened and is it really necessary? Today, schools allow, and sometimes actively seek, participation by parents in school activities. Enter the school mother, cosying up to the teachers. Enter a feeling of competitiveness in all areas, including “what part my son did not get in the school play”. As working mothers, we do not have the time to get into the small details. So we may resent those mothers who do. Yet, it may be unwise to cut oneself off completely and seek to live as our parents did, in the old days. What Can Working Mothers Do? Firstly, since you are the one with less time on hand, it is useful to keep in touch with those who know what is happening in school. You will have someone to call and ask about the homework or the projects. You can request a mother to keep you informed about special events in school that your child may be interested in. Secondly, it is also easier to programme play dates with mothers that you know, howsoever fleetingly. There is a possibility that your child may get included in group programmes if the other mothers know you at least a little bit. Further, it is actually a good idea to develop a support network with these mothers. With the ‘other mothers’, you can have not only a car pool, but also a shoulder to cry on and help in times of stress. No one is asking you to chair the PTA, or make a checklist of all mothers’ sun signs, so do not avoid all meetings with other mothers. A little friendliness can go a long way!

Working women are hard pressed for time. They find it hard to keep a track of all that is happening in school, and during such times networking with other mothers helps. A balance is to be maintained from being overtly familiar and networking. Read on the benefits of networking, discussing school and kids, working mothers, involved” mothers, parents in school activities, happening in school, support network

I really hate hanging around with a bunch of other mothers discussing school and kids. My mother never did it. Is it really important to be friendly with all those other mothers?

Parents’ Interference in Olden Days

In the earlier days, our parents barely knew our friends well, leave alone their parents. Our mothers would be hard put to remember the names of all our teachers and our fathers…would get lost on the way to our class since they almost never came to school. Yet we all managed to sail by without any problems or complexes.

Parents’ Interference in These Days

Today, the amount of networking would put a tarantula to shame! Mothers not only know the names of all the mothers in class, they also know what business the other parents are in and the shade of the drapes in their homes! Most working mothers look upon these “involved” mothers with awe…and sometimes antipathy.

Is Parents’ Interference in Small Schooling Details Necessary?

Why has this happened and is it really necessary? Today, schools allow, and sometimes actively seek, participation by parents in school activities. Enter the school mother, cosying up to the teachers. Enter a feeling of competitiveness in all areas, including “what part my son did not get in the school play”. As working mothers, we do not have the time to get into the small details. So we may resent those mothers who do. Yet, it may be unwise to cut oneself off completely and seek to live as our parents did, in the old days.

What Can Working Mothers Do?

Firstly, since you are the one with less time on hand, it is useful to keep in touch with those who know what is happening in school. You will have someone to call and ask about the homework or the projects. You can request a mother to keep you informed about special events in school that your child may be interested in. Secondly, it is also easier to programme play dates with mothers that you know, howsoever fleetingly. There is a possibility that your child may get included in group programmes if the other mothers know you at least a little bit.

Further, it is actually a good idea to develop a support network with these mothers. With the ‘other mothers’, you can have not only a car pool, but also a shoulder to cry on and help in times of stress.

No one is asking you to chair the PTA, or make a checklist of all mothers’ sun signs, so do not avoid all meetings with other mothers. A little friendliness can go a long way!