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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Sports day is going ahead?!

79 replies

SconeInSixtySeconds · 03/07/2013 09:14

In five minutes I have to go back up to school for sports day. I'd not know what the weather is like where you are but here it rained like a bastard last night.

I just slipped over in the garden while doing the chickens.

Yet my dc are expected to do running races! I am Angry and Shock

OP posts:
TheOneWithTheHair · 03/07/2013 16:41

At dd's school they have an arts festival every year. Everyone has to perform even if it's part of a choir. Some of them are shocking, some don't enjoy it and some thrive on the opportunity to show off their talents.

Why shouldn't the sporty dcs have a chance to show what they can do too?

HeySoulSister · 03/07/2013 16:44

oh god. arts 'festival',now that's dull!!

GrimmaTheNome · 03/07/2013 16:49

I don't understand why so many schools fail to make sports day fun. DDs junior school managed it - lots of team events (but chances for the sporty individuals to do their thing too).
They did cancel one year - forget which, a few years back but it was such a rainy season that they really could only have done bog snorkelling on the field.

BlueSkySunnyDay · 03/07/2013 16:51

But that's the thing SoulSister how you feel about an arts festival is exactly how I feel about sports day - how dull, what a futile waste of hours of my life that I will never get back

mrsravelstein · 03/07/2013 17:41

being forced to take part in an arts festival doesn't sound sensible either, i agree. but it's not something i've experienced in 4 different primary schools dc have gone to (we're not mad, we just moved a bit!) whereas sports day seems to be universal

FryOneFatManic · 03/07/2013 18:30

There may not be anything wrong in coming last, but that will depend entirely on the culture of the school in question.

At DS's school, there is a large unit for children with special needs, so all the mainstream children are very aware that they have friends who may need help, and are generally caring to each other. In fact, for the 400m race, one boy was so far behind that for the last 100 metres his friends gathered around him and ran with him to the line to a lot of cheering from the all the parents there.

(Yes, I know this sounds suspiciously like one of the stories on a recent thread, but this did happen yesterday. Just proves there are a lot of nice kids around all over the place [smile})

A friend has a child in a school that has a culture that coming first is best. Each man for himself and all that, so the children there DO feel humiliated if they are not in the first 3 for races/events they are in. So sad

EDMNWiganSalfordandBlackpool · 03/07/2013 18:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheOneWithTheHair · 03/07/2013 18:35

I get the point about sports days and arts festivals but IMHO if your dcs aren't interested and neither are you then you don't have to go and watch. They will survive.

If your dcs are interested then maybe it's nice as a parent to see them enjoying themselves? I don't go to every sporting event dd does as she's not that into it but I do go to any performing arts as she loves and excels at it.

I do think they all deserve the chance to showcase their strengths. It may not pay the bills in a conventional sense but surely giving a boost to a child's self esteem is good for them in the long run.

BlueSkySunnyDay · 04/07/2013 09:31

But it will only boost the esteem of the successful ones - the lumpy slow ones will have the fact that they are unsuccessful highlighted to them publicly. I cant even begin to tell you as a child how horrendous that was to me, I struggled to force DC1 to attend, as an uncoordinated lumpy child he was always "ill" on the morning. I am guessing primarys "sick" figures are higher than usual on sports day.

I will go as DC2 wants me to and, despite hating sport, will enjoy the bits in between where he get to sit and chat to his friends.

GrimmaTheNome · 04/07/2013 09:38

Depends how its done. If organised by teams - so that all the teams have their share of all types - then the 'lumpy' ones can get esteem from knowing they've done their best - and they do have a fair chance of being on the winning team.

theodorakisses · 04/07/2013 09:43

I imagine if you get wound up about this type of thing ten you are a very involved parent and probably rage about lots of things. I am sure your children will grow up to be much better than mine but I am still glad I have no interest in school politics and all that crap and only get stressed out when the wine is running out. School sports days for me are to be endured with a fast escape to avoid the PTA (more like PITA) mummies who live their lives through their 6 year old. Nothing makes me reach for the gin more than those people.

cory · 04/07/2013 09:49

I've often wondered why schools don't have maths festivals where pupils have to solve maths problems competitively in front of their families and friends so everybody can come and watch who makes a pig's ear of the equation.

Why aren't parents invited to see their darling stumble towards the finishing line of the French irregular verbs?

Spelling competitions in front of the grandparents and board of governors?

After all, the rationale for competitive sports usually advanced by its supporters is that life is competitive and they are a preparation for life.

Given that most children will be competing with their literacy and maths skills rather than athletics in later life, why are they not being prepared for this?

xylem8 · 04/07/2013 09:54

She was right to be 'wound up' as you put it, a child needed hospital treatment as a result of the school's foolish decision!!

Sirzy · 04/07/2013 11:09

I ended up needing hospital treatment after pe at school outside on the grass when it was perfectly dry.

Perhaps we should just stop children doing sport to prevent injury?

theodorakisses · 04/07/2013 12:55

The OP is just in a mood because she slipped on chicken poo.

theodorakisses · 04/07/2013 12:55

which was probably quite funny to an observer

Pimpf · 04/07/2013 12:58

I too hate sports and was/am crap at it, but I'm trying hard not to pass this on to my children so that they will be healthier than me.

xylem8 · 04/07/2013 13:08

Sirzy of course not, but it is a question of foreseeability of accidents and common sense.
I think a broken ankle resulting from a fall on dry grass would most likely be regarded as unfortunate, whereas on sopping wet slippery grass would most likely be regarded as negligence not least by the courts should the pupil sue.

GoldenGytha · 04/07/2013 13:14

I'm with Scone and MrsRavel

I bloody hated sports day at school (hated any kind of PE) and so did my DC.

Sports Day in the rain would just be an added torture for us, we were always delighted when it was called off!

Sirzy · 04/07/2013 13:18

Children fall simple as. Do people really stop children from playing because the grass is wet?

Voodika · 04/07/2013 13:20

Maybe they could all be wrapped in bubble wrap and cotton wool and the grass dried with a hair dryer?!

xylem8 · 04/07/2013 13:35

sirzy It is not 'playing' on wet grass though is it.It is running as fast as they can.I don't know how old your children are , but at 11 some are adults size and moving very fast! The force behind a fall at that speed can cause significant injury.

xylem8 · 04/07/2013 13:37

running on fresh snow I think would be fine, running on ice would be different.

livinginwonderland · 04/07/2013 13:43

So you really keep your kids inside when the grass is wet? I've seen 11 year olds charging around playing football and they run much faster then than they do on sports day!

theodorakisses · 04/07/2013 14:17

It is 48c here and still they are having outside play. Nobody has broken anything despite the fields being constantly irrigated. Luckily no chickens either as I have heard that they are a slip hazard.