To feel just a little bit sad that DD isn't Mary in her Nativity Play

[Bearwantsmore]

... I know, I know! But if you can't admit it on Mumsnet, where can you?!

[Chubfuddler]

I was always the narrator. It never occurred to me it was due to reading ability. I always thought I just wasn't pretty enough to be an angel.

[akaemmafrost]

I was a narrator in Secondary school, it wasn't nativity though, but four of us had to learn huge parts of the whole play, I remembered mine and everyone else's so was prompting as well. Teacher in charge was very impressed and said I had a photographic memory smart arse. Was very proud.

[RabbitsMakeGOLDBaubles]

I was annoyingly picked as Mary quite often, and in my best (read worst) role had to sing a solo and two duets on stage. I don't like attention much, but I have a big loud voice and was dark haired and clearly spoken. And yes, in juniors and such I progressed to narrator. My most favourite school play role was as personal assistant to the director/drama teacher.

So far DS was the donkey in his first play, a wise king in his second and is a shepherd now in his third. I think DD will be a star of some description, no idea to be honest.

[echt]

DD worked her way from cow to king to Mary. The Mary part is a swiz. She gets to say nothing.

[Bearwantsmore]

I'm feeling a bit better now - at least she's nit a Christmas pudding or a badger! And perhaps IABU as, yes, she is an angel. Although it'd better be Gabriel or I'll be starting another thread!

Can you tell I was never Mary? I can still remember the goody-two-shoes (can't do strikethrough on my phone!) who got the role when I was 5. In fact I think this might be DD's problem... she's not been spending the run-up to the selection process perfecting her meek and mild "Mary" persona. Will have to coach her better next year.

Oh yes, and she is 4. In nursery.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

Catkins' my experience is identical to yours! I was Mary and hated it. I wanted to be an angel and wear tinsel, instead I got dragged round fabric shops and had to stand still for ages so my Granny could make my Mary costume. Being Mary is overrated.

[amothersplaceisinthewrong]

I feel sorry for the teachers who have to find a part for everyone.

Why is it that Mary is always played by a pretty child. She might have been really ugly......

[Cortana]

Lifelong narrator here. I sat next to the wee boy who did the sound effects. Never occurred to us that even if we weren't on stage we would still be in the corner of the video.

Somewhere out there is a grainy VHS of me and him using the coconut clip clop shells (for donkey sound effects) to give ourselves a smashing set of norks.

[Bearwantsmore]

I have a new theory that I'm going to cling to: Mary and Joseph are the offspring of Parents-Most-Likely-To Kick-Up-A-Fuss.

This makes me Wonderfully-Laid-Back-And-Emotionally-Stable-Parent so am happy with this.

[lunar1]

Ds1 is a sheep! The children with lines have parents who are always in the teachers face about something. Also there a a couple of actors children in the class, they have lines too. But apparently it was a random draw.

Hope they change it round next year, but I'm not betting on it. Maybe I'll have to become a pita too

[QuanticoVirginia]

Now as a child I realised very early on that I would NEVER be Mary because you have to have brown hair to be Mary apparently.

On the other hand I knew I would always be an angel because I had had long blond hair and angels have to have blond hair apparently.However for some reason i was always second angel and never graduated to actual Angel Gabriel which at the age of 5 was my dearest wish!!! I used to get a new white petticoat every Christmas to play my starring role and was very upset when my mother removed a little pink flower from the petticoat as apparently angels wear all white and no flowers were allowed!

I did quite fancy being a shephard however as you got to carry a soft toy sheep and wear a towel on your head.....

[Tryharder]

ds1 was Joseph a few years back. We were so proud. Until his performance when he picked his nose all the way through the damn thing.

[RugBugs]

Oh dear! I was Mary in my Y2 nativity and was most certainly not a pretty child! Wild curly hair and ears I have still yet to grow into.
I do remember my parents sitting proudly in the front row, until I got a bit carried away with the rocking and sent poor baby Jesus flying into the chorus!

I was also terribly envious of the donkey, they got coconuts to clap together for 'little donkey'.

[bulletwithbutterflywings]

Yanbu. My son is a towns folk. A Towns Folk! I ask yer.....

[exoticfruits]

DS was a Christmas pudding-we still laugh about it!

[Chubfuddler]

Actually there is a v famous actors child in DS school. Cannot wait to see what his child gets Mary I bet a million pounds

[Moominsummermadness]

I have four DDs, and not one of them have been Mary (although youngest is 9 weeks,so there's hope yet!) However, it was DD3's first year at school last year, and I felt that familiar pang of disappointment when she said she was going to be a star. What she didn't tell us was that she was going to be singing a solo. When she came on stage, I sobbed in to my programme. I would have been proud of her if she'd been playing the triangle in the orchestra though!

[lunar1]

The most pathetic thin is I don't think the actor parents would be bothered either way, and one of them is not happy as there ds is quiet as a mouse and you can't here him speak at the best of times

[Molehillmountain]

Oh-goodness-this was going to be a thread I started! I have obviously spoken most severely to myself, had a light hearted but truthful confession to a friend about it and then got on with being delighted that dd is a shepherd. I think it just confirms for me that dd is not a Mary "type" which I don't want her to be necessarily but a little part of me wants her to sit by the manger holding the baby and looking serene. But if I can't get over this how will I cope with (insert any future disappointment)?

[muttonjeffmum]

My DD, who was supposed to be an angel, ended up fighting with my friend's son, who was a shepherd. This was at the Sunday School nativity. The shepherd wouldn't sit down round the camp fire and my little angel tried to push him there. Little fists started flying and my friend had to break them up. I was too busy laughing to do anything. Now she is too big to dress up and is always a boring narrator.

[notwoo]

Ha ha. My DD is Mary. As others have said I don't think she has any lines.

I've had messages from other parents congratulating me on this achievement!

I didn't really realise what a big thing it was. I was the Inkeepers daughter (with lines )

[Molehillmountain]

Part of me suspects that dd didn't really stand a chance after being a nose picking angel last year

[TessCowDirect]

DS2 was a ripe mango!!

[shabooby]

Ours is a joint production with reception and year 1, the reception children don't have speaking roles, Ds is the innkeeper, is this a sought after role? When Dd1 was in reception she was the North Star, everyone had to follow her around the stage

[MammaBrussels]

I was Mary. I refused to smile the entire time because I knew how babies were made and I didn't want anyone thinking I'd done that with the boy playing Joseph . All my mum has is photos of me scowling the whole time.