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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:
nayals · 25/11/2025 18:44

My dad was born 1942, he went to every parent’s evening for both my brother and myself. Same for my friends. He’s also kept every school report we’ve ever had even though we’re both approaching/in our 40’s now.

Londonrach1 · 25/11/2025 18:41

Yes and I'm ten years older than that. Most dads did from memory and that's primary and secondary

JemimaTiggywinkles · 25/11/2025 18:40

I’m 40. My dad (well, step-dad) went to every parents evening for me and his biological children. It wasn’t unusual in my circle - parents at both primary and secondary really valued education. I’d say he was in a minority of dads when I was in primary school, but by the time my youngest sibling left sixth form the vast majority of dads went.

Miyagi99 · 25/11/2025 18:40

My Dad went but I know some parents just can’t make the times as they tend to be early evening.

Mamai100 · 25/11/2025 18:40

Mine both went every time AFAIR.

Im 43 and my Dad was born in 1945 but they are both academic so education was very important to them.

It didn't rub off on me!

Hobnob90 · 25/11/2025 18:38

Both my parents went to my parents evening in the 90s. I remember them getting really dressed up to go as well.

Skyflyinghigh · 25/11/2025 18:36

My dad went to every parents night, both primary and secondary school but he was a very involved hands on dad.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 25/11/2025 18:34

Wordsmithery · 25/11/2025 18:32

I highly doubt my father even knew what school I was at. Yes, really.

Same. Or what school year.

Wordsmithery · 25/11/2025 18:32

I highly doubt my father even knew what school I was at. Yes, really.

CurlyKoalie · 25/11/2025 18:32

Cherrycola4 · 25/11/2025 17:42

Neither parent went. Did they even exist in the 70’s & 80’s?

Yes they did. ( 1970 to 1982 )My mum always went and my dad did if he was on shore ( navy) for both myself and my brother.
My husband and I both went to all our children's parents evenings (2005 - 2019) . It never occurred to us not to, as our jobs allowed it.

LifeSurvior · 25/11/2025 18:31

Never, not once.
My Mum went once I think when I was about 8 and won an English Literature award and it was being given at parents evening.
She never voluntarily set foot in my school ever again.
They were rubbish parents when it came to education.
Very much leave at 16, get a job, university is a waste of time.

IKnowAristotle · 25/11/2025 18:29

My dad worked shifts so generally wouldn't have been available. I think he would come to prize evenings etc but it was a long time ago.

Fwiw, with my own two kids at school now we wouldn't go together. Either me or DH goes and we update each other.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 25/11/2025 18:28

YANBU NEVER - just barely attended my graduation. Everything was wife work

SusanChurchouse · 25/11/2025 18:27

My dad (born 1943) was a teacher so very well aware of what a parents evening is! He didn’t really need to go to mine as I went to the school he taught in.

PyongyangKipperbang · 25/11/2025 18:27

Charlize43 · 25/11/2025 18:25

My father went or they both did. My mother (French) was of the opinion that a woman's greatest asset was to be charming, well liked by everyone, and desirable to men. A very French 1950s attitude. I suspect the nuns at the convent found her rather frivolous and were therefore more respectful to my father.

The nuns could be quite cruel. Certainly my first early lessons on witnessing how women can be nasty to other women.

My fathers family were catholic and they all utterly loathed the nuns. They were instrumental in my father turning away from the church. As he said, how can these women claim to be working for God and Jesus when Jesus himself would be disgusted with their behaviour?

NoraLuka · 25/11/2025 18:26

My Dad was born in 1950 and never went to any, although he would have known what they were. He never really paid any attention to school, not sure if he even knew what options we’d picked or anything like that.

ExH, born in 1976 has been to a grand total of 1 parents evening and we have 2 DC who have both left school now! He says he doesn’t do meetings 😂

Charlize43 · 25/11/2025 18:25

My father went or they both did. My mother (French) was of the opinion that a woman's greatest asset was to be charming, well liked by everyone, and desirable to men. A very French 1950s attitude. I suspect the nuns at the convent found her rather frivolous and were therefore more respectful to my father.

The nuns could be quite cruel. Certainly my first early lessons on witnessing how women can be nasty to other women.

Peridoteage · 25/11/2025 18:21

Yes my dad did but they did not both go to the same ones

Even now DH and i often can't both make it, so one of us does - sometimed dh, sometimes me

Crambino · 25/11/2025 18:21

I’m 39, yes my dad went. But, he was a teacher and a school governor…

eta: he was born in 1935

Chillymornings56 · 25/11/2025 18:21

Im in my 50s, DM late 80s, DDad no longer with us but would have been 90. Both parents went to all my senior school parents evenings.

Jan24680 · 25/11/2025 18:20

Lynz301 · 25/11/2025 14:21

My dad didn’t really go, but he was / is a long distance lorry driver so wouldn’t tend to be at home during the wee. He knew what they were and probably would have went if he could have tho.

Same here. Or he was looking after us.

AngelinaFibres · 25/11/2025 18:19

My father was born in 1937. He was a child psychologist so he went to every single one of the parents evenings for the 3 of us right up to A levels. He cared hugely about our education.

Shufflebumnessie · 25/11/2025 18:19

My dad (born 1943) definitely went to parents evening. I distinctly remember the feeling of worry & anxiety waiting for my parents to get home from it, in anticipation of hearing yet again how crap I was doing and how disappointed he was (even though I was trying my best, school just wasn't 'my thing'). I used to go to bed before they got home just so I could avoid yet another soul destroying lecture!

Bemused89 · 25/11/2025 18:15

Over that age and yes, it was a thing right the way through primary and secondary for me. As a teacher now we have to actively chase parents to offer alternatives and still we can't catch them all. Some parents. Just. Aren't. Interested. 🥴

Sharptonguedwoman · 25/11/2025 18:15

Nourishinghandcream · 25/11/2025 18:09

My parents were born 1929 & 1930 and yes, they both went to ALL our parents evenings (as did just about all the other parents).
A single parent there was the exception, not the rule and usually because the other parent was working (shift work).

Going off topic only ever so slightly, I genuinely cannot remember any of my friends coming from a 1-parent family.
Shows how things have changed.☹️

I don't think we knew. My immediate friends, obviously I knew their families but many years later I met someone from my class who was a child of a single mum who went out to work cleaning in the evenings. In school, I'd have had no clue.