Mean spirited comments. Are we parents?

[Anonymous]

Would you all mind looking at the post about Beauvoir summer birthdays and tell me if that rude comment was too much? ( the one about making excuses because of a rejection). I can not imagine that the person that wrote this is a parent actually raising a child. That response was callous and mean. Can we be civil here?
This is DC Urban Mom, lets tell folks that are reading this elsewhere that we are actually a civil bunch here in Washington.

[Anonymous]

Exactly -- this is DC Urban Moms. People on here are sometimes rude, snide, and competive, a microcosm of DC life.

Of course, some people on here are nice and supportive.

[Anonymous]

Yes! People treat each other like dirt in person on the east coast! We can't expect better of anonymous online comments.

[Anonymous]

I completely agree. To me it is very sad that children are going to be shaped by people like this. The poor children will become what they learn.

Additionally, other children whose parents try their best to raise them with respect for others ,will suffer from the pollution of nastiness at the schools.

[Anonymous]

Even though this is anonymous, people do get hurt. I know that some people don't even want to write anything because they fear the responses. That OP on the summer birthday thread was a simple easy question. Why the meanies?

[Anonymous]

Or are we children - look at how some of these parents are acting about getting into "elite" private schools here in DC.

[Anonymous]

i am not the "mean" poster but seriously ladies toughen up a bit. these are bizarre comments coming from anonymous people. don't let them get to you or even respond to the nasty remarks. just skip over those posts and focus on the kind and helpful posts! you can't change people but you can just focus on doing good yourself.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PP. On almost any thread you get some mean posting from someone who wants to be inflamatory. I just ignore. Sometimes you get very useful information. But after all, it is a blog, and if you open up to everyone, you're going to get everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or are we children - look at how some of these parents are acting about getting into "elite" private schools here in DC.

Yup, scary bunch. I sense aggressive behavior that probably helped propel them in their careers. With their high IQ's that leads to success. Many folks are just as smart, just not as aggressive.

[Anonymous]

"All the OP wanted was a sympathetic ear. No reasons are required for such a desire. It costs us nothing to offer it, and for those who can't or won't, it is easy enough to move onto the next thread. It doesn't help the OP to make her feel bad for having human feelings. I certainly hope it doesn't help you to make her feel worse. So, if you are not helping anyone, what's the point? We need more positive energy here. "

The above quote is from another thread and it was a response by Jsteele to all the bashing the poster was getting because she admitted to being a SAHM with a nanny, etc......He made a good point:i] "I certainly hope it doesn't help you to make her feel worse...."[/i][b].
Well, you know what, I think it does. i think the mean spirited people out there ho respond to posters seemingly "stupid" questions or make comments about the "private school families", etc. need to do it to make themselves feel better. I am sure these same people do not go around in public expressing their feelings. This board, unfortunately, because it is anonymous, allows these people to vent. It must feel good to them, but maybe also frustrating - because do they ever really make their point? - but it must feel good to get it out of their systems. This city has a lot of wealth, a lot of political differences, a lot of educational difference and we all have to live here together. I guess they find it a way to get out their frustrations. I do think it seems to be one-sided. Seems their is a lot of bitterness towards the ones who are perceived as wealthy.
I guess as people read these threads - as soon as a word is mentioned - it is enough to conjure up an image in the reader's head which may or may not be what this poster is all about. So they decide what this person is about and respond based on their own issues.
Ever read the Four Agreements, anyone? Any conflict you have with someone else is based on YOUR own ISSUES. I think that is especially true on an anonymous board. So I guess we need to take the mean comments in stride and understand that this person is responding out of frustration for something that they are feeling or lacking or sad or angry about in themselves. That I show I move past it......but with all that said - I do find it very, very entertaining. I love the hot topics! Keep 'em coming!

[Anonymous]

Indeed - peace, love, and happiness... until someone takes your childs slot at your first choice private school. This process is so cut throat here in DC that parents are sounding as competitive as kids, if not worse for those precious slots at Sidwell, GDS, and Maret

[Anonymous]

Luckily, there are a much larger majority of parents in this community (and hopefully on this board) who are not involved in this process of competitive schools, let alone competitive parenting.

[Anonymous]

Personally, I've observed that most moms posting about schools are way kinder than those posting about certain other parenting topics and lifestyle choices here.