Four events this week at school during working hours…

[Breakfromschoolrequestsplease]

…followed by an email “have a great half term…here’s some homework plus a half term project”…and no doubt another virus.

Our school is very international, our children have friends from all round the world and from different faiths and cultures. Far more diverse than a private school in terms of meeting people from different backgrounds.

I do hope you will be unjudgmental and supportive should your daughter decide to be a SAHM. As you said, parental influence becomes less important, children like to do things their own way.

DT’s have always known we will support whatever choices they decide upon.

We’ve never pigeonholed DD into only being a mother - she knows she can also have a career. She’s had role models in her grandmother’s, aunts and myself.

Based on discussions this weekend and her reading this thread I can see her having children and an amazing career. Totally up to her but she’s very focused. DS and his girlfriend are talking about having a baby so hopefully first grandchild soon!

Mine grew up surrounded by a huge Indian family. They have had loads of positivity around motherhood, including from their own actual mother. Oddly enough they have their own minds and came to the decision all by themselves.

Awesome. It’s so great seeing them explore the world and get started in their careers.

That’s very exciting news about a possible first GC soon, what a joy and proud moment. Beautiful news!

DH and I live in Canada but have flown over to visit them this weekend and DS and his girlfriend are planning a trip to Nepal. We took DT’s there when they were 14 so lovely it’s had a big enough impact that DS wants to go back.

I’d be worried about SAH becoming a dead end. When your children are in secondary / older, what then? Starting over training to do something new when you won’t have the years and energy to get to a good level with it, or picking up something on minimum wage- that’s the reality if you’ve been out of work for all of the time your kids are in primary.

That’s when husbands tend to get resentful about the imbalance - I can’t blame them tbh. It gets harder and harder to make it look like a fair split of providing for the family at that point.

@ThankYouNigel you’re a bot, aren’t you?

They really do need to bring back that 😂 emoji on here!

I’m saddened how far removed people are from motherhood and marriage being prioritised in life. Modern societal brainwashing has not worked on me!

Where’s the evidence that people aren’t prioritising motherhood and marriage?

Aren't the things you've mentioned all part of having young children at school ? How lovely they get to enjoy all those special events that will give them happy memories of school for years.

I bet your life if schools didn't put on events like this parents world be moaning the kids are missing out.

I think it's a shame you see these events as an inconvenience.

The poster mentions she works full time. Not exactly realistic to expect to be able to miss numerous hours of work for school events during the working day.

Not true. Parents tell the school who they want as priority 1 and 2. Schools ring accordingly.

Not all schools follow the instructions

Where to start…declining marriage rates, rising divorce rates, lower average number of children per family, the modern, trendy child free movement, falling rolls in schools with primary schools closing (e.g. in London), constant negativity about motherhood, schools brainwashing kids about careers only from the moment they start school, men set up as the enemy of women and criticised constantly and blamed for absolutely everything.

Wow - someone has woke up in a bad mood this morning!

Unfortunately some marriages fail. Everyone enters their marriage positively but it doesn’t always work out. Both men and women are at fault. I don’t believe couples should stay together if they are unhappy.
Having children is a choice - it’s not an obligation or requirement to do so.
Schools with low numbers close - don’t see this as a problem. The money can be distributed to other schools.
I don’t see negativity about motherhood - most love being a mum.
Schools aren’t brainwashed children about careers but spiking their interests in the roles in the workplace. Parents should be supportive of this and encouraging. Would you rather everyone be unemployed?
I don’t see where everyone thinks men are the enemy and blamed for everything. Men and women have equal rights and responsibilities.

Your children are small for a such a shot amount of time. In the blink of an eye they are at secondary school where all the events are in the evenings.
Events at primary school last for about an hour max - what a shame for the child that either parent can't prioritise that one hour.

Not all employers are going to let employees nip out for an hour here and there. Why schedule events for parents when you know they will be at work?
DT’s primary school managed it better and held events at the weekend when the majority of parents aren’t working.

I went to as many of these things as was possible
fully appreciate them wanting to “involve” parents/carers but to send snotty emails out saying stuff was poorly attended isn’t very fair.

most people have to work and these events - especially in reception, seemed to occur on an almost weekly basis which becomes a bit un-manageable really.

Rubbish. What about the staff? Have they got to come back at weekends and the kids who do other activities on the weekend - why should they come back to do the nativity all because some parents can't schedule themselves to be available for their kids school events a FEW times a year (and that really is all it is).

It shouldn’t be a case of school v work. It should be a partnership with parents. Work is the thing that will lift your family out of poverty and provide a lifetime of opportunities for your kids. It’s not the enemy of family life, it enables it. If parents are to be at school events four or five times a week then they cannot work. How is this lovely family life then going to be provided? If everyone lives on benefits then how will the country pay for that? Or are we going back to the old Stepford model?

I’d say a few high-quality events arranged at significant notice is the best way to do it. Then parents can organise to be there.

If a school holds an event and the turnout is disappointing then obviously they have failed with the planning. They need to adapt the planning and maybe hold a better event!

It sounds a lot but it depends on how many dc it’s for.

It was the norm at their school that events were held at the weekend. Sports events, theatre practice, music festivals etc. Many weekends were centred around school life.

State school?
Never heard of that in my area.

No - private. Most pupils had two working parents and weekends attendance at events was very high