Hi. Hello. Good Morning. HELLO!

So, over the last few years, since my little big man has been going to school, I have found out that some of us parents can be, how can I put it without possibly offending anyone, I cant, someone is going to get offended over this, extremely Rude and Ignorant. 

Now! I want to start off with my own opinion on the matter, and what I have experienced since my son started school. *Deep breath*

I have been a mum going to the same school for the last 4 years, I don’t have many mum friends, I don’t have my own clique and, to tell you the truth, I don’t particularly want one. In all honesty I like to keep myself to myself. I want to get my son to school and then run back home, shut the door and not come out again until it’s school pick up. But, on the way to school, I will say “Good morning” to anyone that walks past me and I say “Hi” when we walk back home in the afternoon, no one gets ignored. If you’ve had a really crappy morning; you’ve forced yourself out of bed; you may have had a falling out with the other half; your kids have been little sods all morning; you may have had really bad news; you are struggling; or you may just feel invisible. When I say “Good morning” I like to think that I have brightened your day a little. The majority of these parents or dog walkers do say good morning back. I even have a quick chat with some mums on the way to school. I feel like, you know, I may have made that person feel better by saying good morning to them, noticing them, smiling at them as we walk past each other, I may not have, but that is what I like to think.

Also, over the past year, some parents who never used to acknowledge me now say good morning, I don’t suppose they have much choice as I’m lowering my head to their bowing head (looking down as they try to escape my good morning) you may be in a bad mood but there is nothing wrong with saying good morning. Some parents say “Good morning” on the odd occasion three times a week but then on the other two mornings they totally ignore me!

Another thing, why do some people struggle to look me in the eye? I’m not on the ground, you say morning but can’t look up and say it to my face, which is up here, not down there. There was someone we walked past every morning, I felt like he was trying to race me back up the hill on the way back from dropping the kids off at school and there was no acknowledgement whatsoever. Come the last days before the Christmas holidays I got a “Merry Christmas”, I thought to myself aha I’ve got you, there is no going back now. That’s another good morning right there and I even get a smile. Great! I felt like I had accomplished something.

There was one person I said “Good morning” to, every morning for a whole school week, even my little big man joined in saying “morning”, however we never got a reply, so now we, mainly I, awkwardly walk past them without comment. RUDE!

I just want to ask those who completely blank me and my children as we walk past, those who make sure they swerve past me, do you think we are different, we are both parents right? Our kids go to the same school? You wack out your phone and pretend someone has just ‘phoned you, as you walk past me, then I turn round and see your ‘phone is back in your pocket. Is this nerves? Do you feel intimidated by the overpowering energy that I have; my beautiful thick luscious hair; my awesome clothes that haven’t changed for years? Have I upset you? Why won’t you just say “Morning”? If we are going in the same direction and start moving towards each other whilst doing the cha cha slide, why don’t you laugh or say “oops sorry”, but no, you just look down, yet I have seen you talk to other parents. (No joke, this has happened before and I don’t understand why).

Most days I don’t wear make up on the school run, it’s too early and I have no one to impress at the school, so I don’t bother, but I have noticed that I do get some very odd looks. At the moment my whole face is incredibly spotty and currently I have two great beasts beaming out of my forehead, I do believe the devil is empowering me here, as I am it, with it’s beastly horns. On these occasions I get a quick glance and then a look away. (Because you never get spots on your face do you Patrice, your hair is never greasy, you never wear pyjamas to school when your not feeling too bright). But it is RUDE, please don’t look away, all you have to do is just say “Good Morning”. However we are feeling we still have to carry on and get the kids to school, then rush back home and, hopefully, finish off drinking that brew that was made at 6am that morning, before starting on the rest of our day. If I can look at you with my face looking as it is, wearing my scruffy uggs, hair in a messy bun, then surely you can make the effort and say “Hello” back to me.

When I had my wisdom teeth taken out and could hardly talk I would say “Good morning”, if I had problems at home I would say “Good morning” even when I had a bereavement in the family I said “Morning”. Sometimes it would be nice to get that “Good morning” from you.

Once I am in the playground with all those parents/careers milling about likes ants in their nests, it sometimes gets too overwhelming and I say “Hi” to those near me. Other times I’m just standing there waiting for my son.

I know some of us can suffer with some form of depression or anxiety, trust me I do know. The fact that I can say good morning to those parents that I see every morning, or those that completely ignore me. It doesn't get me down, It doesn’t put a damper on my day, I just think you are downright rude. Some people say "oh no, they are just shy" No, pal, they aren’t shy, they just spoke to the previous mum before me, even arranging coffee in the week, they are rude. I don’t care about your religion; your diet; how many pills you take a day; how much you drink; eat; how your hair looks; how your teeth sit in your face. I am saying good morning to you so why can’t you just say good morning back. We teach our children to be polite, we teach our children not to talk to strangers, yet these are people we see every morning. Our kids go to the same school, my son may even play with your child. Just say

“Good morning”.

I really do appreciate those parents that do say good morning back to me, I love it, it makes me smile, you've noticed me, I thank you, and if some of the parents are reading this, you know who you are. Thank you. It really does mean a lot to me.

And thank you to my fellow instagrammers for giving me feedback, and I am glad it doesn’t just happen to me. You are all great research! If you haven’t got me on instagram, please follow me @Flawlessly_flawed_mum

And please just say “Good Morning” to me.