to think that school have lost the plot over Fathers Day

[mollyvickers]

Have changed name for this. DCs school (infant) did not make Fathers Day cards, so as not to discriminate against children who do not have fathers. This is a new policy- in previous years we have always been presented with lovely Mothers / Fathers days cards.

"not disputing that there is the odd soul who pulls his weight"

I realise this is disparaging to fathers who are the main carers, I apologise. It reflects my own narkedness at ex-dh and dh, who reflect the social norm, I think ;-)

sperm donor, not sperm Dad!

I think it's all bit shit and schools should make cards for 'special people' as there are so many different variations of families now.

This is probably intended not to discrimate against children like my children (I am a single mother, children donor conceived) but we have lovely fathers day things at our school and my daughter either writes a card to me or to her grandad. She's not the only one in the class by any means and it's really nice. As long as the school handle it well it's fine.

There are lots of educational benefits from creative activities. A simple card making activity can allow a child to practicing many different skills:- planning, organising/ordering, creative thinking, problem solving to name a few. Children also have different learning styles, many children are disadvantaged by the traditional teaching methods.

We sadly have quite a few widower dads at our school. So I am with the ones that say you either do Mother's Day and Father's Day, or neither.

They do both in the infants and neither in the juniors. The TAs in the infants know the families well, so manage to find someone suitable for the cards to by made for where mum/dad is absent.

Yes, I am all up for celebrating special people, be father(s)/ mother(s), grandparents, or other people that were are proud of / inspire us.

I think schools should make special people card on both mother and fathers day. So no one feels left out.

When my ds come home awas little he was made to make cards on fathers day (hasn't seen his since he was 4 months old) and he had no male role models I have no brothers and my father died when I was 12 so no grandad to give it too.

He used to come home a very sad little boy.

The school should be sensitive to all the childrens situations.

Don't forget the origins of Mothers' Day though. Fathers' Day is just a day made up by card manufacturers to get us to buy more cards!

I will never forget as a 9/10 year old, making Mothers Day cards at school and my best friend asking another girl in our class why she had written 'Happy 'Acting' Mother's Day' on hers - it was because her mum had walked out on her and her father when she was a baby.

Sadly and ironically, my BF then lost her own mum to cancer just two years later.

So whilst I am not a fan of political correctness I can see where the school are coming from. I work at nursery and we have Special Man and Special Ladies days - just as nice for Mums and Dads but also means we get to include grandparents, aunts, uncles, older sibling etc.

wiki

Perhaps you should just trust that the school knows the circumstances of the children, and there may be a very good reason that they don't wish to become playground gossip that they didn't divulge to you.

My DS did do a fathers (and mothers) day card, but it wouldn't have bothered me at all had school not done them.