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?

It shows a lot of things, but you take that interpretation from it if you want to.

Blimey. @LittleFingerStrength you sit down and explain that to a 5-9 year old child, it's hard enough of a bitter pill for an adult to swallow!

I was not talking about myself. I had a wonderful mother, and she lived into her 90s.

But not everyone is so lucky.

And it's not selfish or 'making everyone else miserable' to try and include these children. It might be selfish or miserable to cancel the day altogether.

Another vote for 'Mothers and Others'. Yes, there are children with no mothers so they need to be considered in a school setting. But they will have someone playing the carer role in their life. No need to erase Mothers. Just celebrate the Others as well.

I do feel like anything that recognises and celebrates someone or something that excludes anyone and is not 'all encompassing and global' is in jeopardy though.

This thread is wild.

I suggest those having the knee jerk reaction to it go and sit down with a 5 year old and say 'Sorry kid, lifes a bitch, but just because you are sad, doesnt mean the rest of us have to be.'

HAVE YOU HEARD YOURSELF.

You aren't even losing anything, pretty sure your husbands still have panic brought you a shit card from Moonpig.

God forbid a school tries to be inclusive.

Why can't we just ask these children what they want?! Or if they want to do it? I would have been content to sit in the corner reading a book... I never wanted the other children not to do the activity... I just didn't want to be forced into doing it myself.

Children should have autonomy in this matter. Their feelings do matter.

As long as Father’s Day is also amended, I think this is a good thing. I still remember being 5 at school and having to make a Mother’s Day card a year after my mum had died. Encouraging me to celebrate another adult in my life might have gone some way to making me feel less excluded.

Mad and disrespectful to mothers. By all means start a new special persons day but don’t remove Mother’s Day.

Its still....its still there. It hasnt been removed.

I should imagine that there could be several children who have maybe lost their Mother or in no contact with them.

I don’t have a problem with this. Kids don’t have mothers in their lives for many reasons.

I assume they will do the same for Father’s Day.

Because they are children, they need guidance - this is all Foucault nonsense again - they aren't mini adults, we leave in charge of making every decision.

Yes it's the most traumatic thing that will happen- loss of a parent- it's really unfair.

Destroying the fun and bonding others enjoy will not make you happier or change your situation, you just make everyone as miserable as you.

Yeah that's not really possible for a child at school, where the class spend the week making cards, writing poems, having assemblies etc about it.

Reading the OP I assumed it was because they have some children in the school that will struggle with Mother's Day, because they've lost their mother or similar.

No one is stopping individual families from celebrating it.

@LittleFingerStrength So ignore childrens feelings and crack on with what the adults want.

Sound mental. But I don’t like schools doing these days, it’s not inclusive at all. My MIL died when DH was at Primary and some of his most triggering memories are from the “why don’t YOU make a nice card for DAD or GRAN” sotto voice while other kids crane their necks to look at X with the dead Mum.

To ask the bereaved / abused child what they want to do is NOT taking the joy or the run out of it for children fortunate enough to have both parents. They can still do the activity. No one is trying to steal your bonding time, or stopping you from receiving your precious card or whatever.

Adults normally take time to think things through, unfortunately some people get the rage when others do ananwodon'revise their simplistic view of the world.

Haven't RTFT but they'd better bloody well do the same for fathers day!

Unfortunately this is my experience too. It was horrible. I'd have preferred to sit in the library or wherever while the other children cracked on with it!

Our school did a 'Special Ladies' day rather than mother's day and invited any ladies in the child's life in. There is a little one in reception aged 4 who lost his mother aged 2 or 3 so they are always very good around this and not using mother.

Strawman

This quite obviously is not about erasing women... this is about children who do not (for whatever reason) have a mother or father. I am sure they will do the same on Father's Day... for the same reason!

@LittleFingerStrength do you pride yourself on having little empathy? You are saying people like myself have a simplistic view of this... I'd argue you do actually.

@Aweebitpainful sorry you had to go through that too, horrible experience. Far better just not doing these things in school! I’ve been teaching ten years and have never done anything related to Mother/Fathers day with a class. Guess how many complaints I’ve received about it? Zero!