5 signs your mums' group has turned TOXIC

DO PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE CHATS AT THE SCHOOL GATES OR A CATTY WHATSAPP POST MEAN IT'S TIME TO CUT TIES WITH YOUR 'SUPPORT' GROUP? CAMILLA FOSTER ASKS AN EXPERT

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SINGER and actress Ashley French, formerly Tisdale, has recently opened up about her experience of leaving her “toxic” mum friendship group, and has encouraged other mothers to stand up for themselves.

Her widely circulated article Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group, published on The Cut, struck a chord with fans and fellow mums alike.

In the article, the mum-of-two wrote: “I was certain that I had found my village. But over time, I began to wonder whether that was really true. I remember being left out of a couple of group hangs...[and] was starting to feel frozen out of the group and notice every way that they seemed to exclude me.”

The former High School Musical star - and mum to Jupiter and Emerson - added that these experiences prompted her to confront the group. In The Cut article, she told how she texted the mum group chat: “This is too high school for me and I don’t want to take part in it anymore.”

Dr Joy Conlon, a registered psychotherapist at Coyne Medical, told us: “A lot of first-time mums feel like they are in survival mode and feel vulnerable.