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AIBU?

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Original poster

People older than 35; did your dad go to school parent’s evenings?

438 replies

Farrings · 25/11/2025 14:14

I asked my parents to look after our daughters for an hour (they’re primary age) so DH and I could both go to parents evening.

Both kids are at the same school so it’s no bother, and we care equally about their education, so we both want to go.

My dad (born 1943) asked ‘What’s parents evening?!’ He denied any knowledge of the concept, and said he’d never been to one. He has 3 kids who were all in school in the 90’s/early 2000’s.

To be fair, I’m not sure my mum went to many either… they’re not great with supporting formal education…but I was still surprised to hear my Dad say he didn’t even know what one was!

Then I thought, was this normal for the time maybe?

if you’re over 35, please vote -

YANBU - ‘My dad didn’t go to parents evenings either, (or maybe like, one time)!’

YABU - My dad DID GO! Or a few times anyway!

(Obviously whether or not Mum’s went is a whole other question, I will have to save that for another vote)

P.S This is Just for fun! X

OP posts:
IsntItDarkOut · 25/11/2025 14:48

My mum in primary and no one in secondary. My dad was a teacher and thought they were a waste of time.

Butchyrestingface · 25/11/2025 14:47

OldieButBaddie · 25/11/2025 14:46

My Dad is 89 and he went to all my parents' evenings!

Straight through the pearly gates! 😇

OldieButBaddie · 25/11/2025 14:46

My Dad is 89 and he went to all my parents' evenings!

WintersintheWorld · 25/11/2025 14:46

Yes, both parents came and my grandparents used to babysit.

Doggymummar · 25/11/2025 14:45

Why aren't you taking the kids?

curious79 · 25/11/2025 14:45

pottylolly · 25/11/2025 14:41

I’m of 40+ and of Indian origin and in the UK town I’m from only Indian kids ever had both parents attending parents evening. All ethnic minority kids had at least mum or an older sibling. But only the white parents ever had 0 parents attend.

Looking back on it, I suppose it’s because it was a working class town and white people didn’t need formal qualifications at the time to get skilled factory work just connections (but people who weren’t white needed both).

I’m positive the reason why so many working class Indian kids got into office work / skilled service jobs / tech in the 90s is because they cottoned on early that if factories are requesting the same grades they might as well go for the higher salary.

Edited

this is really interesting, and says a lot about how seriously or not different cultures take education. Certainly, the stats show children of Asian origin do much better through school because there is parental buy-in.

The kids most in peril today? White working class boys. Slipping behind

Happyjoe · 25/11/2025 14:45

Nah. My parents went to my eldest brothers once, apparently brother complained they went and they didn't go to another. None of the rest of us kids. The last one of us to leave secondary school education was 1988.

Butchyrestingface · 25/11/2025 14:45

I'm 47 and don't think my father (born early 1940s) went to either mine or my sibling's primary parent evenings. Sibling died before secondary school age and father and I were estranged and living in different countries by my teens so no attendance at secondary parents evenings.

My mum was a teacher though so I don't think for a minute my father would deny knowing what they were! I'm not 100% certain he didn't attend any primary parents evenings but also not inclined to take anything he says on faith even if he were to swear blind now he was at them all. 😂

HeyThereDelila · 25/11/2025 14:44

My DDad went to nearly all of mine and my DSister’s. We were born in the 1980s, he was born mid 1950s. My DM never missed one.

BetterWithPockets · 25/11/2025 14:44

OriginalSkang · 25/11/2025 14:21

My dad was born in 1939 and went to secondary school ones

Ditto. (Except my Dad born 1938…)

Avantiagain · 25/11/2025 14:44

My dad did the school concerts and plays when I was secondary age.

BedlingtonLint · 25/11/2025 14:44

No, he never did. He stayed at home with my siblings. Not sure why him and mum didn’t take turns because they were both very attentive parents. Maybe he just didn’t like schools!

Avantiagain · 25/11/2025 14:43

My dad didn't go. One parent had to stay at home to look after the kids and I think my dad may have felt uncomfortable at the thought of talking to teachers. I remember him asking my mum what had been said. This was the 70s and 80s.

Tobacco · 25/11/2025 14:43

My dad was born 37 and he went to them. He supported our education more than my mum did.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 25/11/2025 14:42

Every single one, I think. He was born in 1934. He drove, Mum didn't, so that was one reason, but he was just as interested in how we were getting on as Mum. Not unusual, IIRC.

BlackCatGoesHome · 25/11/2025 14:42

I remember him going to my first one in secondary school but I lived with him and my step mum at that time so they both took me. Don't ever remember him going to any others.

NannyOf8Girls · 25/11/2025 14:42

Only me, never their dad (my husband born 1954)...

JoanOgden · 25/11/2025 14:42

No, never. He was a university lecturer (born 1942) and did take an interest in my education, but any dealings with our schools were very definitely my mother's job. It blew my mind when I realised that some of my friends' dads went.

curious79 · 25/11/2025 14:42

Dad born 1938, CEO type roles, always went to parents' evening

pottylolly · 25/11/2025 14:41

I’m of 40+ and of Indian origin and in the UK town I’m from only Indian kids ever had both parents attending parents evening. All ethnic minority kids had at least mum or an older sibling. But only the white parents ever had 0 parents attend.

Looking back on it, I suppose it’s because it was a working class town and white people didn’t need formal qualifications at the time to get skilled factory work just connections (but people who weren’t white needed both).

I’m positive the reason why so many working class Indian kids got into office work / skilled service jobs / tech in the 90s is because they cottoned on early that if factories are requesting the same grades they might as well go for the higher salary.

Huddledinmyhoodie · 25/11/2025 14:40

1980s kid here and no, but as far as I remember the meetings were held around 4/5 so he wouldn't have been home from work. They must have assumed all mums were at home ! Dh and I both work and both go to our kids and at secondary we split the subjects according to what we know best.

SockQueen · 25/11/2025 14:40

I'm 41, dad born in 1952, he definitely went to some of them in primary and secondary. Couldn't be sure he did all of them, but he was involved!

Ineedanewsofa · 25/11/2025 14:40

Yes but only high school ones during GCSE years (and one other to go into bat for my sister who was getting a really hard time from a specific teacher).
He left school at 14 with no qualifications (dyslexic) so felt he needed to attend the later years to understand what we were doing!

WoollyRosebud · 25/11/2025 14:39

Both my parents went to all parents evenings, those that they knew about that is. We were given the letter about parent's evening to take home and on one occasion I tore it up. I was asked by my form teacher why they hadn't attended and told her it was Mum's bingo night and Dad couldn't be bothered. I got into a fair bit of trouble over that at school and at home when my parents found out

Tillow4ever · 25/11/2025 14:39

My dad didn’t BUT my parents ran their own business (a pub) so the opening hours meant only one of them could go as one was always working. He would ask how it went of course.