I seem to have offended another parent

[Anonymous]

You are making a mountain out of a mole hill, OP. Move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I get it. I honestly agree with all of you above. It did feel really awkward though, like each time I tried to joke she replied in a very serious way.

I don't know her very well so I will try to just not think about it anymore. I think she might not be as friendly as I thought she was -- I think part of my awkward feeling is I thought we were friendly and jokey together, like on the playground when we're chatting picking up our kids.

I'll brush it off, and maybe not try to be so light-hearted with people I don't know well... Text/chat conversations can be so misread.

This is texting for you. You know this, yet you persist. Please stop trying to make jokes by text, because people who don't know you well won't understand. Just be factual and concise. It's what texting is for, OP. Leave the jokes for in-person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m really confused? Maybe explain this a different way for the slower ones among us

LOL.

I made a joke about myself being a bad mom because most of my children's art from school goes straight to the trash. When the other mom replied that I should just throw her son's art in the trash (which was mistakenly put in my son's backpack), I made another joke about how I feel better that I'm not the only bad mom. Feeling awkward makes me want to talk more, I guess, so I explained that I know other parents who keep a binder with every piece of art their child brings home. She responded just, "I am not that mom. Have a good afternoon." Which of course made me feel even more awkward and I followed up by saying, "Sorry, bad joke..."

I just got the impression she was offended by what I was saying. I was a bit taken aback by her responses. Is there not some irony in the fact that these piles of papers and art get sent home and we just toss them? Like, is it kind of funny that I'm so unsentimental about them all and can just throw them out?

And yes, i'm a millenial parent!!

You're reading too much into the other mom's response and making the situation weird with her by over explaining. When you're on these apps/texts just be friendly, polite, and brief. *And* for goodness sakes, don't bring it up again when you see her in person.

[Anonymous]

You seem very nice and sweet, but it’s always awkward when people try to be funny/relatable/quirky at the same time over text.

[Anonymous]

OP, you talk too much.
You should have just texted her the pictures of the art and said "I'll bring them to you tomorrow".
She would have said "thanks" and then you would have handed them over the next day.
End of story.

[Anonymous]

Her response doesn't sound curt to me. It sounds like she was agreeing with you - you don't save all your kids' art and she doesn't either. I don't mean this to sound snide, but I think you are being over-sensitive.

[Anonymous]

I think she was definitely curt and would be very formal with her next time I saw her if I were you. I am like you OP. I get nervous when there is no response or if someone is mean and overcompensate by replying too much. I'm trying to stop because these people are not worth it--they will also think less of you the more you talk to them.

[Anonymous]

Why did you have to make it cutesy - and also all this commentary was in a group chat?

Next time just say “I received Larla’s artwork by mistake. Would you like me to put it in her cubby for you?”

And if she says “no” - just drop it. Say “Thanks!” Or “thanks I’ll let you know if it happens again”.

[Anonymous]

Tough crowd here. OP, I totally get what you're saying. It's the curt "Have a good afternoon" that is weird. It reads as her shutting the conversation down when you were just trying to be friendly. I really don't think you approached it incorrectly and she sounds a bit unfriendly to me. Though, I agree with others that it is REALLY hard to read tone over text. I just wouldn't try to chat it up or joke with her over text again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tough crowd here. OP, I totally get what you're saying. It's the curt "Have a good afternoon" that is weird. It reads as her shutting the conversation down when you were just trying to be friendly. I really don't think you approached it incorrectly and she sounds a bit unfriendly to me. Though, I agree with others that it is REALLY hard to read tone over text. I just wouldn't try to chat it up or joke with her over text again.

This. She isn't one of your "people". NBD.

[Anonymous]

Some people don’t leave room for connection. Quick response abd they move along. You didn’t offend her. No worries.

[Anonymous]

If I was the other Mom I would have been completely irritated by you.
What would have been so hard about giving the art work to the teacher when you brought your kid in tomorrow and saying oops theses were not meant for me? Or tell the Mom I’m sending them back tomorrow? End of story

[Anonymous]

OP, You did NOTHING wrong. Zilch. Move on. And, FWIW, I do not think she was curt or upset either. Do not overthink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, You did NOTHING wrong. Zilch. Move on. And, FWIW, I do not think she was curt or upset either. Do not overthink.

Oh my gosh you sound like me and seeing you type this out makes me realize how crazy I am. lol 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tough crowd here. OP, I totally get what you're saying. It's the curt "Have a good afternoon" that is weird. It reads as her shutting the conversation down when you were just trying to be friendly. I really don't think you approached it incorrectly and she sounds a bit unfriendly to me. Though, I agree with others that it is REALLY hard to read tone over text. I just wouldn't try to chat it up or joke with her over text again.

This. She isn't one of your "people". NBD.

+2. You definitely didn’t do anything wrong OP, and I would’ve read your texts as friendly… although it id received them in the middle of simultaneously trying to breastfeed my newborn and take my toddler to the potty I might’ve accidentally sent a short text back too… so I’d try to read nothing into it and just move on.