Annoying parent at my kid"s extracurricular

[Anonymous]

Wha do you all do if you just cannot get away from an overly braggy parent at one of your kid's extracurriculars? This extracurricular is already two days a week and is going to three next year, plus added practices at two times a year, so I see this parent a LOT. I have already removed her from my FB feed (but not unfriended her), I try to talk to other moms (but she inserts herself into almost every conversation). We all know all the details of how her kid got into AAP (my kid goes to a private so it is not even like we have AAP so I really don't have a horse in this race), exactly what workout she did on any given morning, you name it, practically every detail of her family's life. It. Is. Too. Much! Help? Advice please? Just keep repeating, "This too shall pass?"

[Anonymous]

No follow up or reaction to what she says except basic politeness. "That's nice." "Congrats." No questions, no response about your own life, just boring politeness that cuts off further discussion.

[Anonymous]

Bury yourself in your phone and avoid conversations.

[Anonymous]

Belinda, I really want to focus on the kids' game. Please excuse me for not chatting with you.

Then move away. Repeat each time.

[Anonymous]

She can't go on about little Jimmy forever. At some point the course of the conversation has to shift and when it does you either smile at the realization that she's really nice and you two share some common interests OR you frown at the realization that this bitch is even worse than you thought AND THAT is when you will have all the incentive you need to not talk to her and not feel guilty about it.

[Anonymous]

Start carpooling for practices or bring work to do, if you have some. I like being social as much as anybody but sometimes that's the only time I have to catch up. If I don't bring anything I never try to start conversations with those engrossed in work. But really, carpool if they are going to 3x per week unless you really want to be at every single one.

[Anonymous]

Is it an ice skating mom? I know one remarkably similar.....

[Anonymous]

It sounds like hr social skills aren't that great. Is it possible she's lonely and doesn't have much of an outlet? Maybe her husband never listens to her? I don't find her actions to be that offensive, I'd probably just smile and nod.

[Anonymous]

I stick my headphones in.

[Anonymous]

Can't you just drop your kid off?

[Anonymous]

Could you bring a book or the newspaper and bury yourself in it? Activities are when I catch up on my reading, though I'll talk to parents sometimes. People often won't interrupt if you are reading. Or you can be on the phone, or pretend to be.

[Anonymous]

Are you talking about me? I hope not.

[Anonymous]

Drop your kid off and then go run some errands. When you get back, stay in the car until practice is over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can't you just drop your kid off?

+1

If the extracurricular is this time intensive and the kids are in AAP, clearly it's older elementary kids. Drop the kid off for practices and go sit in your car or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could you bring a book or the newspaper and bury yourself in it? Activities are when I catch up on my reading, though I'll talk to parents sometimes. People often won't interrupt if you are reading. Or you can be on the phone, or pretend to be.

+1

There's a mom at one of my kid's extracurriculars (not in the DC area) who is like the parents on "Dance Moms." She's always bragging about her older daughter's performances, goes into the classroom to make correct, etc. On our first meeting, she brought up a controversial topic, assuming that I'd agree with her position. I really, really don't, and didn't get into it with her, but don't want to engage her in conversation. Bringing lots of reading material helps.