To let Dd skive off tomorrow because of sports day?

Sorry but no that’s not being a parent! Solving all their problems for them, results in you raising a child who has no clue (or inclination) how to figure anything out for themselves or how to take responsibility for their actions. Allowing them to work SOME sticky situations out for themselves and take responsibility for small things, (appropriate for their age obvs like lunchbox or PE kit etc) teaches them how to take responsibility when they actually NEED to. It also teaches them much needed confidence.

I’m not talking about being a lazy, uninterested parent! I mean allowing them to realise from a young age that life means that we sometimes have to do things we don’t want to do! Rough with the smooth.

Maths is something that some kids struggle with and worry about looking silly in front of their peers...and they have to do it every day! Sports day is just one day.

Loads of kids fret over sports day, she does it, she survives and she builds resilience. By letting her opt out you are confirming her belief that she can’t cope imo. She can and she will, she will just be temporarily uncomfortable. I know that sounds brutal, I was the fat kid, it was hard, I’m not haunted by it.

I voted you’re not being unreasonable. My daughter, age 9, had hers this week. She really wanted to skive off that day. Next year will be the same. If she starts crying I’ll be talking to the teacher. I just have to deal with this situation in as honest a way as possible. However, you’re the parent and the one dealing with the stress, so the ball is in your court. I empathise.

DS has been to a couple but I've had no qualms letting him skip the others. He's proud of his good attendance otherwise.

Let her take the day off, do something nice together. I don't see the value in making such a young child anxious over something as pointless as sports day when you're in a position to let her skip it.

This

Keep her home OP.

I class this as 'really not worth it' in the 'pick your battles' approach.
Sports Day is utterly pointless unless sport and/or skiving is your thing. 😬

I let mine skip sports day every year in secondary. I'm usually a stickler for attendance as well.

Keep her home. This isn’t some monumental life lesson, there’ll be plenty of opportunities for her to learn about perseverance and overcoming fears.

School sports day is a load of old shit really. It’s more for the parents and who wants to see their daughter in tears all day.

If she regularly asks to miss school and not do stuff, then you can't keep letting her stay off, it will just get worse.

But if it's a genuine one-off, and she knuckles down and does other stuff she is not keen on, then I would consider it.

We want our kids to trust us and tell us when they have a problem, so it's a fine tightrope to walk between doing what they ask or telling them they just have to get on with it. If you ignore them when they are feeling very upset about something, regardless of how stupid it might seem to us, then the risk is they will choose not to say anything next time.

Meh, send her in or keep her off. I'm pretty certain it'll make no real difference to her life.
Fwiw, I was rubbish at sports day. Our school only every did athletics and I was useless at it. It was humiliating and awful every year. My parents eventually let me skip sports day yearly and I'm eternally grateful.

How do you think they feel in classrooms?

Do you think parents shouldn't be able to go to sports day?

@EatTheGnome plenty of kids hate maths but love sports. We don’t make those kids stand up in front of other children and parents and demonstrate how poor they are at maths. Never really understood why kids who don’t like sports have to go through the humiliation.

oh, keep her home. Nothing is gained by traumatising a 7 year old. Lots of sports days are ridiculous- hours out in the hot sun, and absolute noise overload. I agree with you completely that our job is to look after them and solve problems where we can.

Why is performing in assembly more important than performing at sports day.
This type of sports day is designed to be the absolute opposite to the ‘performance’ you are describing. All the kids are doing the same thing and no one ‘wins’ so it’s just about having a go.
And I can guarantee you that the year 6’s have zero interest in how a 7 year old is getting on. They’re barely care how the kids their own age are getting on.
I really think she should be encouraged to go and give it a try. Speak to her teacher if your that worried but I would be concerned about the message your sending. Does she get to not do all the things she thinks are difficult?

I respectfully disagree that a parents job is to solve all your kids problems.

I prefer to set boundaries such as, I have to send you to school but if you are worried I will absolutely hold your hand and support you to tell the teacher to seek support from the school about a school problem. (Eta- in the context of school sports day. Bullying etc is 100% an adult job to solve.)

Give her a day off and go do something nice together. One of my DDs hated sports day, and I soon realised there was nothing whatsoever to be gained from forcing her to go.

Keep her off. Sports Day only benefits the sporty. For everyone else it’s torture.

I’d keep her at home.

I know YABU, but tbh @Cadela you know your daughter and you want to do what's best for her. Keep her off.

Let her skive. I’m still scarred re my own sports days over 40 years ago. I made own small child go yesterday, she hated it so I’ll let her off from now on. It’s not worth the stress

Plenty of kids hate maths but love sport. They don't get to opt out of school. For me, it would be a no.

But one day off won't hurt her.