To not take my young children to a school church service that starts at 7.30pm?

[ANTagony]

Note came home on Friday from the head ALL children will be taking part 7.30pm next fri. Sorry for short notice. The all was capitals underlined!

It's not a religious school. It's the first time both my school age children have had letters home. It's the first time we've had a letter home like this.

DS1 has ASD and really doesn't cope well with noise (he has 1 to 1 supervision at school). DS2 is just 6 and is fast asleep by 7pm. DD is 1 and is down by 6.30pm.

I don't want to go. The children really really don't want to go. DH says he isn't going.

AIBU to just ignore this or should I write and explain?

YANBU.

a) it's out of hours
b) you can opt your kids out of religious stuff. Most parents don't want to do that for 'collective worship' in school time because they don't want to make their kids different, but for an extra after school thing - of course you don't have to take them.

tell the shool that you are away for the weekend. As you don't like taking them out of school you are making the most of the weekend and going away!!! DS1 is a night owl and would be fine but ds2 would be a night mare. He's also austic and it would be far to much out of routine for him to cope! Good luck

At Christmas our school has a carol service at the church that all children are expected to attend and letters are sent home stating that, I think the ALL is stressed on the letter but can't remember however it is a CofE school, the service starts at 6 and is finished by 6.45 and if a child can't go for any reason then that is no problem. I think the ALL children are expected to attend is just to stress that this is a school event not them attending a public mass and the children perform a few songs from the Christmas play and the reception children get dressed up in their nativity costumes and do a couple of songs from their play which is nice as only the reception parents are able to see the play itself.

I do think however in this case there is a difference between a letter from a church school about a service starting at 6pm that says ALL children are expected to attend and a letter from a non church school for a service starting at 7pm saying ALL children must attend.

YANBU not to go and I don't feel you need to explain yourself to the school, non attenders at our school are not expected to explain themselves as everybody knows that at the end of the day it is out of school hours!

Some people work in the evenings, happymummy

Thank you for all your replies.

I sent a short email ds1 and ds2 won't be attending Fridays after school event. Regards....

New letter home today, reminder of Fridays St David's day concert! So the religious overtones are lessened.

Still we've made are short and sweet letter of unattendance so I can put all my toys back in the pram.