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The Independent
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Nothing is more toxic than a school parents' WhatsApp group
There is nothing worse than scrolling through the school WhatsApp group when all the class parents are having an epic meltdown over some teacher-related issue – and then finding yourself in the firing line when you get involved. It's bad enough when it's just relentless messaging about 'Has anybody got the homework?' or 'Did anybody take Fleur's Mini Rodini animal print jacket by mistake? She left it on her peg. It's rather expensive. Argh!!'. It never stops – even over the Easter holidays. But when a real crisis kicks off about a mean teacher keeping them in at playtime, or another teacher quitting, it's explosive. Parent WhatsApp groups are so out of control that now schools are reportedly asking lawyers to draw up codes of conduct to help manage them. It comes after a Times Radio producer, Maxie Allen, and his partner, Rosalind Levine, were arrested on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications after complaining on WhatsApp chats about the teacher recruitment process at their daughter's UK primary school. CCTV footage shows six police officers leading them away like they are mafia kingpins in front of their crying daughter. They were detained in a police cell for 11 hours, but after a five-week investigation, Hertfordshire Constabulary concluded there was no case to answer. It's an extreme scenario, but maybe the dangers of the class WhatsApp finally need to be taken more seriously. The concern for schools is that they could be found liable if parent WhatsApp groups are used to spread misinformation or racist and homophobic abuse about teachers. Under the new Employment Rights Bill, teachers may be able to sue their employer if they receive abuse in a parent WhatsApp group. But what this bill fails to tackle is the abuse parents like me have suffered at the hands of the same group chats, just like the poor teachers do. I've often felt bullied in the class WhatsApp – the parents can be even worse than the kids. Unless I switch it on silent or delete the app, it takes out half my day – and has the potential to trigger anxiety (before I've suffered what can feel like a character assassination). I may not be the most forthcoming helper at the school, as I'm a single working mum of two kids – and I just can't stretch myself to the limits. Maybe the truth is, I should be doing more for the class. But I don't need it to be rubbed in – and chastised by other parents who have taken it upon themselves to throw themselves into WhatsApp chats like it's the US presidential elections. I do not appreciate being put on a WhatsApp hit list of parents who do nothing – and shunned at the school gate. Sorry, I didn't manage to get a Fortnum & Mason hamper for the teacher's end of year present, or bag the school a major sponsorship deal for the fun run. But I don't deserve all the WhatsApp mini-lectures on how more of us parents could help out – 'even dads!'. Yes, we all know who we are! Sometimes the class WhatsApp goes wild for three hours before dying down in a phenomenon known as 'swarming'. If you happen to jump into the heated debate, as I've done, at an emotionally heightened moment, you can get heckled and shouted down loudly like you've been plonked in Prime Minister's Question Time. I've had secret talks with other mums in the local coffee shop who've been hapless victims of the class WhatsApp to work out other class parents' agendas. Is all the finger-pointing to make themselves look perfect? Is it about getting in the headteacher's good books? After one epic WhatsApp takedown, I switched the class WhatsApp to silent for about two months for my sanity. Luckily, it was the end of term, so the long summer break gave us all some distance. I've never recovered from it – and I have one simple rule: Do not get involved in any major discussions such as what's being taught in sex education classes. I've had other major mishaps, such as when my daughter accidentally used the scribble tool on WhatsApp to deface a photo sent on the class group chat at Christmas. 'Why would somebody do something like this?' an upset parent messaged the whole group. As it was Christmas Eve, I hadn't been checking the class messages when it flared up into a mass debate. My silence probably made it worse. They all seemed to be waiting for my explanation. It's not just the class WhatsApp: I have fallen out with my half-siblings over a family group chat called 'What we are going to do with dad'. Any large group chat seems to brings out the worst of humanity – but I believe none more so than parent WhatsApps. OK, they are handy at certain times – for remembering it's World Book Day, for example – but most of the time they feel toxic. I wholeheartedly sympathise with the teachers being gossiped about; it can feel like a witch hunt. I've made the fatal mistake of not scrolling back through hundreds of messages that morning to spot that I should be welcoming a new parent to the class WhatsApp. Then when a few hours later I innocently ask 'Is the school trip tomorrow?', I'm ignored. For some parents, the class WhatsApp is a full-time job. But we are all different – and the parent WhatsApp should not be a place to name and shame others. Rather than police the class group chat, schools should ban them. They are insufferable at the best of times – and it's time we ended their reign.
The Independent
20-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
I've been bullied on the class WhatsApp – the parents are even worse than the kids
There is nothing worse than scrolling through the school WhatsApp group when all the class parents are having an epic meltdown over some teacher-related issue – and then finding yourself in the firing line when you get involved. It's bad enough when it's just relentless messaging about 'Has anybody got the homework?' or 'Did anybody take Fleur's Mini Rodini animal print jacket by mistake. She left it on her peg. It's rather expensive. Argh!!'. It never stops – even over the Easter holidays. But when a real crisis kicks off about a mean teacher scrunching up all of class four's artwork, or the headteacher driving out the wonderful music teacher, it's explosive. Parent WhatsApp groups are so out of control that now schools are reportedly asking lawyers to draw up codes of conduct to help manage them. It comes after a Times Radio producer, Maxie Allen, and his partner, Rosalind Levine, were arrested on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications after complaining on WhatsApp chats about the teacher recruitment process at their daughter's UK primary school. CCTV footage shows six police officers leading them away like they are mafia kingpins in front of their crying daughter. They were detained in a police cell for 11 hours, but after a five-week investigation, Hertfordshire Constabulary concluded there was no case to answer. It's an extreme scenario – but maybe the dangers of the class WhatsApp finally need to be taken more seriously. The concern for schools is that they could be found liable if parent WhatsApp groups are used to spread misinformation or racist and homophobic abuse about teachers. Under the new Employment Rights Bill, teachers could sue their employer if they receive abuse in parent WhatsApp group. But what this bill fails to tackle is the abuse parents like me have suffered at the hands of the same group chats – just like the poor teachers do. I've been bullied on the class WhatsApp – the parents are even worse than the kids. Unless I switch it on silent or delete the app, it takes out half my day – and potentially triggers anxiety (before I've suffered a character assassination). The worst episode for me was when I was singled out by the head of the PTA and shamed on the class group class chat for not pulling my weight at a charity fun run. The tension started after we'd raised more than £60,000 for the school over the year but then heard that music and French lessons, as well as forest school, would still be scrapped to save money at my daughters' state primary. Parents were sharing their mixed views about it for about three hours before I jumped into the heated debate. Some were rightly asking why we couldn't use some of this money to fund these extra creative subjects – when a dictator-like parent told us that we couldn't have any say about how the money we raised was spent and it was used to fund core subjects. I questioned the logic. 'This is a state primary school so surely that gets delivered no matter what?' I said. 'I thought the money raised was to add on top of what the state provides.' Then I thanked all the parents who were 'fighting to allow our kids to do music, French and forest school'. I might not have understood the red tape. But I didn't mean to offend anybody. I was slapped down instantly and told that if I felt so passionate about charity fundraising for the school, perhaps I could consider helping out – and actually get involved in it? The rest of the parents remained silent. I was stunned like a rabbit in the headlights. Another parent did a mini-lecture on how more of us parents could help out – 'even dads!'. Yes her husband had carried a table for the raffle at the fun run! It might not sound glamourous to all the parents but every little job counts to support our children's futures. I felt like a child being told off – and rang my mum friend in floods of tears. I'd already sent a message on the parent WhatsApp making it clear that I did donate money, but as my father was sadly critically ill and I was his carer, I was unable to do more at that present moment. I switched the class WhatsApp on silent for about two months. At the school gates, I was embraced by the parents on my side – and sidelined by the rest. I tried to ignore it all and just get on with the school drop off / pick up as best I could without any drama. Luckily, it was the end of term, so the long summer break gave us all some distance. I've never recovered from it – and I still don't speak to the parents involved in my take-down. I've had other major mishaps, such as when my daughter accidentally used the scribble tool on WhatsApp to deface a mum's photo of her daughter sent on the class group chat at Christmas. 'Why would somebody do something like this? ' the outraged mum messaged the whole parent group, as if I had intentionally destroyed a festive shot. As it was Christmas Eve, I hadn't been checking the class messages when it flared up into a mass debate. My silence made it worse. They all waited for my explanation. It's not just the class WhatsApp: I have fallen out with all of my half-siblings over a family group chat called 'What we are going to do with dad'. Any large group chat brings out the worst of humanity – but believe me, none more so than privileged parent WhatsApps. OK, they are handy at certain times – for remembering to make a hat for the Easter bonnet parade, for example – but most of the time it's toxic. I wholeheartedly sympathise with the teachers being gossiped about; it can feel like a witch hunt. I've made the fatal mistake of not scrolling back through hundreds of messages that morning to spot I should be welcoming a new parent to the class WhatsApp. Then when a few hours later I innocently ask 'Is the school trip tomorrow?', I'm ignored, and the 'Welcome Katy's mum!' message is re-posted in a passive-aggressive way directly under my unrelated message. I may not be the most forthcoming helper at the school, as I'm a single working mum of two kids – and I just can't stretch myself to the limits. Maybe the truth is, I should be doing more for the class. But I don't need it to be rubbed in – and bullied by parents who have taken it upon themselves to throw themselves into WhatsApp chats like it's the US presidential elections. One mum, who I really like, has given up her job to dedicate herself to WhatsApp – she is the oracle. I am hugely grateful to her, as without her the class would fall apart. But we are all different – and the parent WhatsApp should not be a place to name and shame others. Rather than police the class group chat, schools should ban them. They are insufferable at the best of times – and it's time we ended their reign.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Children's brand beloved by A-list celebrities defies traditional marketing strategies: 'I wasn't well-off when I founded the company'
Mini Rodini, an ethical fashion brand from Sweden, is taking anything but mini-strides toward success. While some kids' brands produce low-effort items, assuming garments will be tossed once a kid hits a growth spurt, Mini Rodini has made it its mission to produce a more sustainable option for families around the world. Founder Cassandra Rhodin launched Mini Rodini in 2006. She was an artist and illustrator and wanted to find children's clothes that were inspired by modern streetwear and fashion collections, according to Fast Company. After realizing that she couldn't find kids' clothing that could both match her tastes and also hold up during more rowdy playground activities, the brand was born. Within two years, she expanded into the rest of Europe, partnering with major retailers like Barneys and Nordstrom. But she has seen the most growth for her brand in the last few years, with a growth of 30% every year, with the U.S. bound to be her biggest market, as noted by Fast Company. Mini Rodini has even caught the eyes of A-list celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani, and Rihanna. What sets Mini Rodini apart from other brands is that the clothing is made to outlast your child's growth spurt. It allows the parents to sell the items on secondhand marketplaces instead of adding them to the landfills once their child no longer needs them. "A Mini Rodini garment should survive many kids, and it's so amazing to see that the prints I made 10 years ago are as popular today! To shop less but buy quality, care for our clothes, patch them, use them again, and sell them when we don't need them anymore is one of the most sustainable ways forward," Rhodin shared on her website. Mini Rodini only uses organic cotton that meets the Global Organic Textile Standard, certified recycled polyester, and Tencel to ensure that the kids don't have to wear fabrics that irritate the skin or were derived unethically. Rhodin is also passionate about creating upcycling collections, called Mini Rodini Upcycling, to use all of its textile scraps. "Unnecessary waste is one of the most provoking things for me. So many companies are burning or throwing away fabrics and clothes. Mini Rodini have never done that and will never do it," Rhodin said on her website. Since launching its upcycling collections in 2013, Mini Rodini has saved more than 14 tons of fabric from entering landfills. Besides upcycling, the brand offers fun sew-on patches to encourage repairs to extend both the lifecycle of the product and the investment in the garment. Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back Letting me trade for new stuff Making it as easy as possible Keeping my stuff out of landfills Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "Not all of our customers are well-off," Rhodin told Fast Company. "I wasn't well-off when I founded the company, but you learn that buying a few things that last can actually be cheaper than buying a lot of cheap things that wear out." Want to support brands like Mini Rodini on their road to sustainability? Check out our guide. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
