My child’s school have changed the name of Mother’s Day to special persons day, what do you think?

[Rainbow03]

Have we gone mad or is this appropriate?

I think that is lovely and your daughter's kindness honours you more than a card would in my opinion.

I agree with you.

The OP has said it was the same at the last Fathers ' Day.

Perhaps some of the posters whining about a perceived agenda to remove women should take note.

They should either do Mother's Day or not mention it at all. There can be all sorts of reasons for any holiday to be painful or uncomfortable, but you'll never achieve a perfect equality of experience across all children. The best thing to do is to be aware that not all children will have a positive association with Mother's Day and approach it with sensitivity.

Changing the name isn't the answer, imo.

I like the 'Mothers and Others' suggested by a PP. But I agree it's nice to give options other than just fixating on mothers. A close family friend of mine died suddenly last year leaving behind a 3 year old and a two month old baby. Those children already have to be sad every Christmas and every birthday that their mother isn't there. Not having to be made to focus on that on Mothers Day can only be a good thing to me.

Something lovely to come out of a sad thread. Yes, Rainbow doesn't need a card. Her daughter is a precious little girl who embraces love.

I don't have issue with schools not celebrating Mother's Day (rough on children who don't have a mother) but no there's no need to change it.

I think some people need to remember they're not owed a piece of fondled paper with some paint and crafts in my school.

If you're a single parent with zero family or friends support and your kids are able to go into Card World whilst you wait outside so this is the only way you'll get a card, I appreciate I may sound callous. And I Don hope you do get a card. But some people are acting like its an entitlement that school spend their time and their resources on something that has nothing to do with them.

My only issue with this is; who is the special person? Will it not cause conflict if the child heads home with a card for cousin Mary but none for cousin Anna?

I’ve worked out your issue. Your child has made the card for Nanny instead and you are jealous, so you want that option removed next year so that you get the card. Jealousy is a natural feeling, just like empathy is for a lot of people, we all just get it in different amounts.

@ilovesooty apologies, OP had not said that when I posted, and my post was in response to another posters comment. But thanks for your help.

Hardly the school's responsibility.

Agree with this. My boys school are having lunch for mums or other special people. Works fine. Some of his friends whose mums cant make it due to work are taking their aunties

Yes a credit to the OP.

I'm in favour. When you think about children in care, children who have lost a parent, children adopted by single people or same sex couples, children with an absent parent, other children of same sex couples, children with a parent in prison and children living under an SGO it's actually quite a significant minority. Some of these children will have had a recent move or bereavement and be very traumatised. Many many schools do this badly (I'm in various adopter support groups and see a lot of posts).

When my mum died, I felt like a freak amongst my peers. I found it really embarrassing...like I was a total weirdo. Seems ridiculous now I'm an adult

No need to apologise. My issue is with the posters doing all they can to whine about some intention to erase women.

Oh, absolutely. In this situation then that class should just not do it that year. Ditto for where a child has just been taken into care. There needs to be a bit of common sense around when to adapt an event to make it more inclusive, when to offer support to those who need it and when to just bin it altogether.

hehe@Jujuj damn you foiled my plan for world domination. No seriously. I came downstairs last night and got swiftly sent bank upstairs to hear my partner and my daughter (not her dad) rustling around creating some monstrosity beautiful card for her mummy which by the sounds contains the worlds supply of glitter. I’ve seen the evidence on the carpet this morning. I’m happily catered for thanks by my beautiful daughter and sparkly partner.

Our school does this - for mothers and fathers day. There are a few children who don't have dads around and one little boy who has lost his mum to cancer.

If you see this as somehow related to trans activism or the erasure of women then you need to stop being so chronically online. Go for a fucking walk or something. I think I've been peakmumsnetted.

Can't wait to see !

What are you on about? How will her suggestion mean she gets the card? She's literally saying make both of them interchangeably special person day so then her DD could make the card for Nanny both times

It takes a special type of bitterness to read what she's posted and determine she's jealous her daughter did something nice for her own mother who's lost her husband.

I mean you could just read OPs post and you'd see that last June, it was Special Persons Day. Check the messages around 12:40

Omg it's not actually a conspiracy because they hate women!!

@Axahooxa if a child has just lost their mother the teacher should talk to the child and/or the adults in that child's life and decide what they would like to do.
Every child will be different.

I think it's a good and right thing and yes I think the same should also apply to Father's day. Its all very well fully grown adults whose kids obviously still have their mums but just imagine you're lets say a 7 year old child whose mum has passed away