Harvest festival

[gallifrey]

My daughter's school is having a harvest festival celebration next week, it is going to last for 40 mins.
I also have an 18 month old DD who will not sit still at all for 1 minute let alone 40. They have a policy where if a small child makes noise then you are expected to take them out of the school hall into the corridor. So basically I will be out in the corridor the whole time then!
WIBU to explain to my older daughter that there would be no point me going at all? She is bound to be upset but I have never missed anything of hers at school before.

I can't even think of anyone to leave her with as all the other Mums I know will be there watching their own children.

Give it a go and see how your 18m old gets on - she might surprise you! Tell you older one you'll be there but might have to leave.

When I had to go to DD's school Christmas assembly with DS, one of the teaching assistants took him off to play while DD's class was on so I could watch her. You never know, you might get lucky too!

take buttons, toys, anything that will delay the wriggling. I did this last week and managed to watch half the assembly. Ds was chuffed that i saw at least abit of it

I might put the toddler in a straight jacket and gag him for the Christmas show

Been there, done that. Go very early and get a good seat at the front. Take loads of snacks and treats (it's a one off, make it easy for yourself). Catch your childs eye asap at the start of the performance so she knows you turned up. Then if you can't keep the 18mth old quiet a second longer you can nip out the back without feeling too bad. The pther thing I did was to let ds2 play or potter in the corridor whilst stuck my head round the door into the hall every now and again. It's a juggling act but it is mostly possible and won't last forever!

Any chance you and one or two other mums with wriggly shouters could share the toddler watching between you so all of you get to see at least some of it?

You are not allowed to take buggies in to the hall either, so she will be on my lap wriggling and screaming to get off and run around!

Oh well I just asked her and she said that I might as well not bother going as it's rubbish anyway!

Result!

She will appreciate the fact you came, even if you did spend all your time in the hall. Tell her you saw it from where you were, and that she was great, obv! For you there might be little point, but for her it's really important. I'm sad my parents never came to stuff like that (still!) it would've meant the world to me.

I had this last week. DS is only 4 weeks old and I said to 5yo DD2 that I might not be able to come in for the harvest festival if he was crying. I ended up bfing him in the staff room so I could go in, and when her class came out she searched and searched for my face! It meant more than I realised, if I'd not been there because of the new baby I think she would have been rather sad.