Argh, soccer mums

[mummygeorgie]

I think Alastair thinks he's running some kind of sweatshop here - he just told me I can't make a cup of tea because I need to be knitting his scarf. Apparently I must knit it constantly until it's done

Comments

[kittyface]

That's completely out of line and disgusting behaviour - but I wouldn't send an email like that, it'll only get people's backs up. Especially if you bring up feminism. Unfortunately, there are people who will disregard anything you say simply because you use that word. The main issue is the fact that she's insulting children and there should be someone administrating the team (a teacher, a coach, some kind of administrative body) to whom you can refer this for action. Don't fight with dickheads like this yourself.

[mummygeorgie]

Yeh, I'm sure you're right :( I just get so mad.

[kittyface]

Who is in charge of the team? Who can you complain to? As a teacher if we saw parents behaving like that we'd have a quiet word. Or two. Heh.

[mummygeorgie]

It's not a school team. There is a coach but tbh, he's pretty timid (and seems to have been sort of roped into coaching when the original coach was no longer able to do it - he's the father of one of the other players) and when she wasn't insulting the kids she was complaining about the coach not doing anything.

[fishp_angel]

She really sounds like a bitch.

I'd approach her though and mention that the children are quite upset with her comments.

[mummygeorgie]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks she was out of line. I am really bad at confronting people in these types of situations, and after talking to a couple of other people whose kids play soccer, a responsible club will have policies on this and it shouldn't be down to me to deal with it. We'll see ...

[lori_lee69]

I feel really angry now and I don't even know her.

Using language like "fairies" etc is offensive.

Making fun of children is just sick.

And the children actually noticing it and being upset by it (well, Emma did so I'm sure others did) is the worst part.

[mummygeorgie]

Thanks, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so.

[mail_demon]

I think that if you say you're a feminist, you'll get laughed at and automatically ignored.

You're talking to the lowest common denominator. You need to keep it simple, which means nothing longer than two syllables, and no words that were introduced past second grade.

Even then, you're likely to be ignored or derided. Let's face it, if you're the kind of useless bogan that yells that kind of crap at kids, you're probably best off being sterilised and having your voicebox ripped out.

OOOH, I hate those morons. Hate, hate, hate.

[mummygeorgie]

Yeh, valid points. *sigh*

[failstoexist]

I would leave out the feminism in general and just say I found it appalling that adults were mocking children and screaming at them enough to make them cry. That soccer is supposed to be a fun activity for the kids and that every kid is contributing something, they're a team, etc.

My friend's dad was our assistant coach a few years in a row, but as we got older, he started shouting a bit more. I basically told my dad that I didn't want him as the assistant coach again one year, because he was so irritating. he was always screaming and really acting like an idiot. He continued to be a moron after my dad picked a new assistant coach the next year, but at least he wasn't in charge of coaching us!