thePreppyMafia.com

Posts Tagged ‘social climbers’

We at The Preppy Mafia don’t like mean girls. Meet meg, our guest blogger:

You can visit her blog here http://playgroundstoprepschools.blogspot.com/

I’m reflecting a little this morning on SC’s blog on mean girls. She’s introduced us to the “Preppy Mafia”, but unfortunately my Big Girlie’s new school has the “Playground Mafia”. Known as such for years before we arrived, these mom’s are the glittered and glossy bullies of the PTA and seem to habitually walk over newbies and hometowners alike. I’ve never been one to be intimidated. Within weeks, invite or not, I hit the scene with a smile ( and a great pink purse, of course!) ready to make a difference in the neighborhood school. I fit in immediately as confident, well-dressed and properly perky, and they were eager to sign me up after I spoke passionately in the meetings.
“We’ve got the perfect position for you. You’ll join, won’t you? It’ll be super!”. They nodded in unison.
I’m not a watch and wait philanthropist, and I hope my readers aren’t either, so I ran with my first assignment, Committee Chair of the annual Fall Festival. Evidently, that isn’t how it works in this joint. When they picked me, what they wanted was more of THEM.
My powerhouse committee, of otherwise wisely uninvolved parents, and I made arrangements for a fab event which we could be proud of. It not only entertained school families with things that exude Old Town charm, but served as great PR for the school as well as gave back with some much needed community service. If ten or more people are gathered, there is no excuse not to seize the opportunity to help others. Anything less is a waste and rather indulgent, in my eyes.
My “Playground Mafia mates did not agree. I was promptly dumped. Notified that I was not promoting the project as a school only, balloons and bubbles event, my work was dismissed. The event was timed so most working parents couldn’t attend. No local venders were used. My tie in with the play advocacy group KaBoom was dropped. Last year’s bulletins were reprinted unchanged beyond the date. All Our work was wasted. They were thrilled with the sameness and safeness, and we skipped it for an outing with other families in search of something that would be… fun.
Maybe I should have been hurt and frustrated, and sulked a bit in my inability to please the” in crowd” on my first attempt. I wasn’t. I didn’t. I’m polished and poised, and I can cheer and chit-chat better than most, but there isn’t any value in that pleasant shell if it doesn’t deliver an equally sharp product. I can have it all. These ladies didn’t want anyone or anything that exceeded expectations. It scared them to lose control of their group and their image as the ringleaders. That isn’t enough for me. I love life to be aesthetically pleasing and full of comfort and bliss, and nothing is uglier than excluding people ignoring the needs of your community. We tell our girlies to give everyone a shot. Make room at the lunch table. Kill ‘em with kindness. Sometimes though, people are just pure ugly to the core. I think it is time for a prettier plan, PTA 2.0. First meeting’s Pink Gimlet’s at my house– bring a friend!
-Meg

Collars up! And be nice.