To be annoyed child got no part in school play

There wasn't really a 'problem' in the first place.

Excellent-glad it was all sorted!

Please read the OPs updates. She had a friendly chat and the problem is sorted. No drama (other than the play) no fuss and no ‘being that parent’

I’m with your husband. As a teacher, I would definitely advise you not to speak to the teacher. They will have put hours of work into the nativity and having a parent complain because their little darling hasn’t got the role the parent wants is seriously irritating. You will be a topic of conversation in the Staffroom….

Has you child actually said they wanted a speaking part or demonstrated their own disappointment? You sound annoyed rather than him. If he’s chatting away it suggests he’s not bothered. No use being annoyed if he isn’t, there’s a possibility he could have asked to be in the chorus. Your post seems more about you OP and your feelings rather than taking the lead from him.

Amybelle88 😂😂

I actually once cast a load of kids as blades of grass. In my defence they were quite decent little parts - had their own song and dance routine. I was friends with the mum of one of them and she messaged me with 'are you actually trying to to turn me into 'that parent' - x says she's a blade of grass?! I... can't wait to see it...? 😆'

I was a wave once. As in a plastic blue wave from the fucking sea.

Wish I'd have been in the chorus instead.

He will be fine but I do get it. Us parents are more bothered than the kids!

JillMW that sounds like the best nativity ever. * *I'm guessing whoever did the casting had never looked after a 1 yr old 😂

Maybe he has an important role to play in the chorus of keeping things going, if some of the chorus are younger.
If he's bothered, maybe do something about it. If not then just let him enjoy the play - there's no stress if you don't have lines to say.....

That’s a shame, it’s always nice to see your child participate at some point.

can he speak well publicly? Only as DC school tend to choose the children that re confident enough to speak on stage well, some kids have stage fright and they want to guard against this.

I do get this if course, but then tends to be the same faces again and again. Sometimes others just need a chance.

you could mention he didn’t get a part last year as were told more Yr1s do, but hasn’t this year. Also don’t sweat it, celebrate whatever he got, mine prefer chorus and more fun, social and no pressure to learn lines (and less rehearsals)!

plus teachers are probably given a lot of pressure from many parents.

😂which end?

It's not too late for the teacher to add a line if your son wants one. They will still have 2 weeks of practice left. 90% of ours don't know their lines yet. Ours are split Y1/2. The Y2s all have a line. The Y1s I asked who wanted a line and made sure everyone who wanted one had one. The others all have a part and come on stage at some point. But don't speak. Chorus is a rubbish way to do it! 100% ask, worst they can say is no. Some teachers get funny about it, but I'm pretty easy going. It takes 2 seconds to write 1 line.

My daughter was picked for Mary but told the teacher she would rather be part of the donkey. Her friend was Mary and the friend’s sister Angel Gabriel. My youngest was Jesus, I did say I thought a 13 month old should not be Jesus. Part way through Mary fell asleep and her chair fell off the stage. Whilst teachers ran to her aid Jesus took the opportunity to escape, chased by a Shepherd and Angel Gabriel. AG tried to hit him with the shepherds hook, the shepherd fought her for it back. Meanwhile the back end of the donkey had an accidental wee,
Sometimes school events take on a turn of comedy that could not have been written.
Have a cuppa and a mince pie and enjoy it.

Be prepared for the same kids to get parts every year. I don’t know why I bothered sending my kid in as it was the same kids year in/year out all the way through primary school. It was ridiculous. No point saying anything as the mum was head of the PTA and a governor

Maybe your child has a really nice singing voice compared to the others in his class?

This would annoy me too.

I worked in a school and each phase would do a show at Xmas, a nativity or other Christmas play. A phase covered two school years which at our school was 3 classes so 90 children over two year groups.
every single child had a part, at least one line for their moment on stage. Unless they didn’t want a part then they would help with props etc.
it meant some extra work by staff to split parts up a bit so instead of 1 inn keeper their was maybe 3 etc.
it can be done to include all children.

Can this child read? If they can’t then it’s hard for them to be given lines to remember reliably. In our school, reception and year 1 get mostly singing roles, year 2 have lines to recite.

Well done Op!

Advocating for your child can be tricky. I have a friend who called school, late primary years, to find out what her child could do to get an end of year prize. What you did was entirely reasonable.

Well done to you for advocating for your child. Well done to the teacher for putting your child's emotional wellbeing first and ensuring there's a speaking role for him. It's so hard when it feels like children are being left out or pushed aside and sometimes as parents we need to speak up about the smaller things to ensure they don't become bigger things!

Seems a bit poor of the school to me. In our schools class productions there are obviously the main parts but every one gets at least a line or two and everyone sings all the songs as well apart from a few short solos for the particularly good/confident singers. And it’s a big school with big classes so your school seems to have even less of an excuse.
Im not sure I’d raise it with them though, unless your son seems particularly upset by it.

edited after seeing your update- well done you for speaking up, glad there was a good outcome!

Nice one OP, hope your DS enjoys it :)

Easy to forget what life is all about**

Brilliant news, pleased for you! The small things are sometimes the big things, people forget what life is all about.

This is fantastic news 👏. Good luck to you son on his performance, totally agree with @Honeybeebuzz comment x