For being you....

Hi there, Glad you are enjoying Gransnet! Feel free to join in or start your own conversation or indeed ask for help. If you don't like some of the advice you can always ignore it ha ha! Nothing to lose just go for it and enjoy! Welcome!!!

Carbonated are you bothered about being 'overlooked' by these people? Form your own group of friends. It doesn't have to be huge. With young kids like yours there must be a few kindred spirit mums at the school gate/ brownies/cubs etc?

Carbonated, welcome. Glad you enjoy reading our posts and thanks for the kind words. Feel free to join in or start a topic of your own, if you think it needs discussion.
All best wishes to you and your young family.

Welcome to GN Carbonated

I agree with Jane10 - there will be other people on your wavelength out there, possibly also feeling that they don't fit in to the cliques.
I lived in Hongkong when my children were small, and my small group of women friends were my lifeline.
I'm sorry you feel isolated and things improve for you soon.

Hi there welcome to the throng. You must realise that when you get to our age we know EVERYTHING! {laugh] not really, but we all have had experiences that we can try to help each other with, I find it invaluable. You may not agree with everyone but that is how it should be. Lovely to have you here and hopefully life will get easier as time goes on with finding like minded people that you can befriend, it will happen, give it time. Anyway hug your children, pour yourself a glass of wine and log in.

Aw, how nice of you! There is a lot of good advise, and interesting conversation here.

My daughter lives quite far away from me and I wish we could start an actual granny- visit-network. There are times when a visit over a cup of coffee could do the world of good.

Welcome and thanks for your thanks. As has been said, you don't have to be a gran to join in here and I hope you will.

I know what you means about the well-to-do cliques; the lycra gym bunnies.
You don't need people like that. In my experience, what often goes with that sort of mind-set is judgmental attitudes and behind-your-back criticism.

The thing is, not to let your children believe this is a good way to be.

But I hope you can socialise out of your area, joining clubs which specialise in your own interests, so you don't feel so isolated.
Please don't let yourself get to the stage where you are depressed.

What a lovely OP and some good answers too. People who " think " they're above others are, to me, sad individuals who know very little outside of their own cocoons of sheltered lives.
Somewhere along the line you'll eventually meet a solid down to earth human being who doesn't see life through rose-coloured specs and who'll accept you for who you are, there are plenty of them around if you look in the right places. You don't need a " plastic snob " in your life, they're boring and depressing and full of me,me,me.

Get yourself out and about and try and remain upbeat. As for the gym just picture in your mind the Victoria Wood sketch when she was at the gym, hilarious, then think about those near you who go there.

Again, great responses and Im giggling now. Thanks for all your practical advice and motivating words especially from Ellenvannin and Bradfordlass and I really like your idea Canadiangran.