Nativity performance disappointment

[FruHagen]

Due to COVID restrictions it was not possible to go in person to see my sons nativity play. This is the first play any of my children have been in so I was looking forward to it... instead it was filmed.

So we watched it tonight and my son who is 8 was the worst performer in the play. He seemed to be quite happy but he didn't use the microphone and held a shepherds hook in front of his face the whole time.

All the other kids were like stage school kids with strong confident performances. So I was quite upset and disappointed and blamed myself for not practicing enough with him.

Can anyone relate or care to share their own nativity dissatisfaction.

I had obviously thought it was going to be a magical experience that I would cherish forever

@FruHagen

Seemed to yes

That’s all you need to know!

he played the part of a washing line

The ONLY appropriate reaction to any child's performance in ANY school production is an effusive enthusiastic congratulations. !

Anything other than this smacks of a parent with very strange priorities. Because it simply DOESNT matter ..

There are a thousand and one things to get stressed about throughout childhood. THIS isn't even in the radar..

I loved reading some of the posts on here. Hilarious! I LOVE school plays (mainly because of the shit that can go wrong - kids are so unpredictable!). My son, aged 3, was a shepherd at the Church Nativity. I’m quite short and couldn’t see exactly what was happening as I was a few rows back, but I noticed people sniggering and then looking back at me. Turns out that my Shepherd was having a sheep fight with Mary and a couple of other shepherds. Sheep were flying everywhere. Over a decade later and it is still talked about (oops!)

Its shit for those of us who didnt get to see any sort of nativity this year. But......we have decided to dress up in nativity outfits this Xmas. I mean, yes we were drunk when we decided this (I say we, not the kids obviously! Me, my grown up kids, my sister and my parents.) DD (9) will be Mary as she was passed over several times. I understand why, she is so good that the other kids would have felt intimidated by her :o:o

And we will hopefully be recording our Zoom nativity for the rest of the family......could be brilliant...or not..... :o:o

I think school plays/nativities are very over hyped. As a lone parent I always ended up stuck at the back while two parents, grandma, aunt and the neighbours were in all the front rows for one kid 🙄 there was such a fuss when the tiny primary limited tickets to 2 per child. Someone's baby/toddler always drown out the play with their own wails and it was about a million degrees.

However the kids all enjoyed it and if I got if glimpse and a chance to wave at mine I was happy and they were happy... jobs a good un!!

Forget all the #makingmemories guff they just wanna see you for a wave and wear a star on their head 🙌

In fact I think our best one was when my ds was in year 4 and felt really sick halfway through and we got to leave early before it had finished! On the way home he said he wasn't I'll just wanted to come home so we went for a McFlurry 😂

I think school plays/nativities are very over hyped.
I think you are probably expecting something that isn't actually on offer. Teachers and children practice for weeks but it is (or should be) all about the children's enjoyment. It is never going to be a polished performance.

I agree CaptainMyCaptain, and disagree with some of what you say Monstermissy36, in that I think you are contradicting yourself, in that, the 'wave' when they see you is all about the memories. As you say, it is about the dc enjoying themselves. I remember ds being 'Pole carrier 3' one year (4 people had to hold a canopy over each of the wise men as they 'entered from the East') . I was as excited to see that show as when he had what you would think of as bigger roles in other performances.

My younger brother was once cast as Joseph. He picked his nose, wiped the contents down his costume, wrung the neck of the toy lamb a teacher gave him to hold (to stop said nose picking) and when the narrater announced that the wise men had brought presents, perked up and yelled "wow, presents!!!".

This story is now legend in the family.