half a day's notice!

[EbwyIsUpTheDuff]

A friend texted to say that the school had sent her a text (I don't get them, which is frustrating since I've opted IN for them) to say the children need to wear "something christmassy" tomorrow, I.E. a christmas jumper or similar.

It's another fundraiser.

half a day's notice. I can't get into town at short notice like that, most parents need notice. and I'd resent paying out £s for a christmas jumper for my child to wear ONCE in order to donate 50p to charity.

My poor friend has to find christmas clothing for 4 kids!

My son and I don't even celebrate christmas.

It's not like I can just pop out and get a pagan festival jumper for him to wear to not feel utterly excluded by this. So instead of wrapping presents and tidying the room ready for solstice this weekend, I'm now going to spend the little bit of energy I have on tacking some greenery to a jumper for him, because he'll be disappointed if I don't.

WIBU if I make him a Holly King head dress and send him in with that on?
WIBU to email about their policy of inclusion and the lack of notice?

[TheRealMaryMillington]

Please please email the school

I know this stuff is meant to be fun but you are not the only parent who thinks it is getting ridiculous.

It is both culturally and financially excluding.

[youareallbonkers]

If your son is happy not to celebrate it then he shouldn't be bothered about wearing a christmas jumper.

[CheeseBuster]

Just safety pin baubles or some cut out stars on a jumper with some tinsel. Lots of peeps I know do this for Xmas jumper parties. Also if you have any battery powered fairy lights they go down a storm!

[EbwyIsUpTheDuff]

really? you think a 4 year old wants to be the only one not in some special clothes tomorrow at school?

I won't be sending him in christmas clothing. I'll be making him something in fitting with our traditions to wear.

[ProfYaffle]

Check with the school. Ours had this last week (though with much more notice) it wasn't strictly Christmas jumpers, it was any tops 'made Christmassy'. My dd1 and several of her friends didn't really want to do it and just wore normal non uniform clothes, some had headbands with antlers etc. Lots and lots of dc were in home made 'Christmas tops' with baubles or tinsel pinned to them. I passed one woman at the gate who was shouting to her dc "And don't break my decorations!" as they went into school

[Isawmommykissingsantaclaus14]

We have just had the same at our school. I sent my DD in without a Christmas jumper and she was the only one out of thirty children not to wear one. She was upset about it when she came home and I felt like a very bad mummy! TBH I get fed up of the constant requests for money. Its been non stop this month.

[cluttercluttereverywhere]

We had this last week and due to problems at home which were far more bloody important than a sodding christmas jumper I forgot to send DS in wearing something festive. He didn't even notice he was the odd one out, and the teacher said she'd stick a bit of tinsel on his school jumper for me. Don't worry about it too much. I'd email the school about the lack of texts (and notice!) though, I was missing out on emails from them as they had forgotten to put one character in my email address, so it may be that they've got your number wrong.

[vickibee]

I sent my son in wearing reindeer antlers with jingle bells (couple of quid from  ShoP)

[youareallbonkers]

Does a 4 year old want to be the only child in his class not celebrating Christmas?

My psychic powers failed on this occasion regarding his age, I imagined a child old enough to decide whether he celebrated Christmas or not would also be old enough not to mind the jumpers.

[Purplepoodle]

We just made christmas badges with some tinsel and glitter

[26Point2Miles]

Schools seem to be getting worse and worse, it's all about the money now

[Purplepoodle]

Ds2 made a sparkly hat/crown thing so why not make a holly crown

[Hakluyt]

How long have you had your solstice celebrating traditions?

[CheeseBuster]

It sounds like he will be slightly different anyway ewby. This talk of pagan festival and your traditions. Are you Amish?

[LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops]

If you two don't celebrate Christmas it's not a problem is it.

If however, he wants to join in the general festive atmosphere, then a bit of tinsel on his clothing is fine.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Amish isn't pagan!

TBH though I am a little surprised at the OP, as Xmas is a pagan festival, albeit hijacked by Christianity/Coca Cola

[EbwyIsUpTheDuff]

they have my correct number, I checked that a while ago. Will have to get them to check I'm not on the wrong list again. I need to go in (in January, no point in adding to the last week of term hectic workload the office staff have really) to get him a bigger PE top anyway.

My boy would notice and feel bad, unfortunately, so pretending I don't know isn't an option.

Time to attack one of his jumpers again, then.

half a bloody day's notice. I might just mention it to the teacher this afternoon and the head tomorrow (she's quite good, stands outside in all weathers to be available for parents to talk to) rather than emailing.

[Bonbonbonbon]

Amish?! did the Amish build Stonehenge, then? Surprised no one has complained about the pagan celebration being some vulgar America import.

[AliceinWinterWonderland]

Even WITH getting the texts, it's annoying. Ds2's school is always doing this, even though I've complained numerous times. Last week it was this same situation - text message sent out afterschool saying wear christmas jumpers tomorrow or christmas hats. When I complained, I was told breezily "oh, those that don't have them can wear some tinsel or something, we have plenty in the classroom"... but they didn't, and 5yo was quite unhappy about it all.

[Sapph1e]

Culturally excluding?? For us to celebrate a festival which is within OUR CULTURE to do so? FGS. It's that sort of attitude which will ensure that UKIP are elected.

[OnlyLovers]

I'd do more than mention it to the teacher or head. I'd write formally, perhaps to the governors. It's very divisive, all this –financially and logistically it excludes a lot of people, and that's before you even get to the cultural side of it.

at 'are you Amish?' Seriously???

[EbwyIsUpTheDuff]

we celebrate the winter solstice on the 21st. I'll decorate his jumper in stuff related to that.

He IS the only child in his class (the whole school, actually) who doesn't have christmas, but he doesn't mind that. I am not prepared to celebrate a festival of a religion I don't believe in (which makes me very odd, I know). So we celebrate the solstice instead - solstice is for everyone, the shortest day is the shortest day regardless of religions.
When he's old enough to decide for himself what he believes then he can do so. For now, I will decide for him, just like my Christian friends decide for theirs (at least one family won't have a christmas tree as it comes from the Germanic Yule traditions).

your "psychic powers" are obviously faulty, better get them checked, bonkers

[CheeseBuster]

I know Amish isn't pagan. I thought OP was saying pagan as she thought it was a bad thing. I had an Amish friend as a child whose parents refused to celebrate Xmas as it was a pagan festival and the devil blah blah.

[EbwyIsUpTheDuff]

How long have you had your solstice celebrating traditions?

me, personally? since I stopped being a christian about a decade ago.

Historically, solstice predates christianity.

[EbwyIsUpTheDuff]

• solstice celebrations predate Christianity
  
  obviously the solstice does, the planet moves regardless of humans!