Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Or am I the only mother who would rather stick holly leaves in my eyes that sit through the school christmas play?

55 replies

ItsAWonderfulCervix · 17/12/2013 18:19

Even if my PFB is the actual lead?

Lets face it, I wouldn't be going if PFB or PSB weren't in it.

I have a hangover. I am tired.

There will be singing.

It's a fucking Pantomime!!!

I have never been to a pantomime before. I have no yen to go to one. Audience makes me want to kill people. Child performers make me want to kick things.

The whole experience makes me shudder and I can't think of an acceptable excuse to not go.

Obviously I am turribly enthusiastic and supportive in front of the PFB but inside I am nauseous.

And did I mention the hangover.

OP posts:
Original poster
ItsAWonderfulCervix · 17/12/2013 21:25

Yes. It is.

OP posts:
HOMEQCRICH · 17/12/2013 21:26

No you are not.. I am so glad we don't have to 'endure' this torture any more.. The worst thing was that it was never an individual concert (as in year groups) it was a whole of infants thing so you couldn't even make a sharp exit once your little treasure had had his ten seconds of glory..( It was reception followed by YR1 , Year 2 )you had to sit there through 90 minutes of unfunny jokes and out of tune singing..

WorraLiberty · 17/12/2013 21:55

Between last week and this week, I've been to 6 so far and none of my kids have been in any of them (invited as chair of govs).

I absolutely love them and want to fit 2 more in tomorrow if I can Xmas Grin

LieborCookin · 17/12/2013 22:55

i think they are one of the privileges of having DC. For many reasons not least of which the feeling on the other side, of the children getting ready, feeling important, excited....

I'd rather sit through a million school nativties, than one more over bloated vile shite that is X factor.

pourmeanotherglass · 17/12/2013 23:05

YABU. I'd have loved to have gone to the school carol concert, and heard dd1 play her clarinet and dd2 sing with the choir - but couldn't get the afternoon off work.
I guess its different at primary school, as the 'other people's children' are kids I've known since they were tiny and had over to play, etc.

blueshoes · 17/12/2013 23:12

From the balcony, I stare deep into my son's eyes who is locked into mine beseeching me from the stage, "get me out of this shit hole" ...

hmc · 17/12/2013 23:14

I quite enjoyed Nativity but have had to fight inner demons concerning my bitterness at dc having such tiny roles (there - I've said it!)

fatlazymummy · 17/12/2013 23:51

I'm not keen either, though I will of course pretend it's lovely. I have been going to christmas 'productions' for 22 years now. The novelty has worn off
On Thursday I'm going to my teenage (autistic) daughter's xmas concert. It will make me feel sad and ,as an added bonus my daughter will get stressed, possibly to the extent of battering the fuck out of me in the evening. Just can't wait for the whole thing to be over.

Caitlin17 · 18/12/2013 00:34

It's the having to sit through other people's children's performances. My son's music teacher used to hold end of year recitals. In the early years this was ok as they performed youngest/ least experienced came on first so he'd be on early and as the older children came on the playing got progressively better.

Except he turned out to be really quite good so was on later and later and we had to sit through all the others.
Mind you best thing ever was a school concert which featured the P1 to P4 woodwind group. It was unbelievably bad and I almost couldn't breathe trying to not get a fit of giggles. I knew OH was the same, couldn't look at him, petrified I would just lose it completely as I might have been sitting next to a proud parent.

Caitlin17 · 18/12/2013 00:35

fatlazymummy I'm sorry I posted my very flippant post just after yours. I hadn't read yours.

IThoughtThat · 18/12/2013 00:45

YABU if your DC are the narrator, have a solo or are one of the main characters

YANBU if your DC is the hind legs of the donkey. or a snowflake with no lines

fatlazymummy · 18/12/2013 01:08

That's alright caitlin. Thanks for caring Xmas Smile
Hopefully all will go well.

Twinklestarstwinklestars · 18/12/2013 01:33

Ours was quite good this year and after being told by ds that it was 90 mins was surprised it was over in 40, even 5 month old ds enjoyed the songs. Our school quite often does plays/assemblies etc but they're only little once, will miss seeing what they get upto when they go to secondary school.

Theodorous · 18/12/2013 07:43

Happy tears?

HairyGrotter · 18/12/2013 08:08

I managed to wrangle out of it thanks to work, DP had to do the honours and sit with my mum watching a god awful play that had fuck all to do with anything festive Hmm

I saw a video clip of it, thank you, work

SoldeInvierno · 18/12/2013 08:11

I absolutely hate all the school performances and having spoken to other parents, I know I am not alone. We endure them with a smile for the sake of the children, but I find them painful. Even more painful because we have to sit in plastic chairs for almost 3 hours for the Christmas concert.

Waitingforflo · 18/12/2013 08:18

Our school is small so the Head believes they ALL need a part. It is truly awful. Plus, she has her favourites (always has had, can't complain), so they have to get proportionately more to reflect that. There are a couple of kids there who are incredible - one has the loveliest singing voice, one can play any musical instrument (not in a young kid way, but in a way that makes even a nasty old sod like me feel as if there's something in her eye), but they don't get much 'airtime.'

Last night was stunning, as always. All boxes ticked - weeping parents; the looks between the smugs as they exchanged glances about the wonders of their children; Head trying to get as much attention for her as possible, a raffle that went on for so long I'd have given a kidney to get out, and 99% of children hating it.

I absolutely agree it's for the parents - and the Head. All the kids who have been here over the years to play with mine have a look of horror on them at this time of season, and they ALL talk about how much they hate it. Still, given that I still have the nightmare of last-day-of-term-Xmas-service to get through, maybe it won't seem as bad on Friday.

IsThatTrue · 18/12/2013 08:23

I hate them. Most of my friends are of the 'happy tears' variety. I don't even get goosebumps, just a numb arse and a grumpy baby (although he is lovely and quiet throughout so far)

If the kids wouldn't mind me not going, I'd be our of that hall faster than you could say 'nativity '.

Theodorous · 18/12/2013 08:46

It's the yucky parents that spoil it with smugness and competitive wailing. Makes me nauseas

IHeardMummyDissingParcelforce · 18/12/2013 11:21

' If you don't like it and your kids don't like it then I'd write a note explaining they don't want to be involved, problem solved.'

Do you seriously think that this would work? Because I think it's very, very unlikely to be feasible IME.

Besides which it's probably a curricular requirement to take part. I don't mind them taking part in it. I just don't want the school to think I want them to do a production in the first place, because I really don't mind if they don't.

SomethingkindaOod · 18/12/2013 11:50

Nativities are great, easy, cute and fairly predictable. Pity the children in our school who, in my DNephew's final year got to perform 'Snow White and the 7 Jockeys'. Clips of which (performed by a different school) are on YouTube. I think/hope that one has been consigned to the 'never again' pile by the teachers. I saw shell shock on the faces of both the children, the teachers and most of the audience afterwards..

NCISaddict · 18/12/2013 11:54

The best thing about having reasonably grown up children is that you never have to sit through another school play ever again.

Even my Mother, who dutifully came to every play/concert I was in, later told me that if she had to sit through another rendition of 'Go tell it on the mountains' played at funereal pace she would not be responsible for her actions.

5Foot5 · 18/12/2013 13:37

I love them and have never missed any. Last week at DDs school Christmas Carol Service I came over all emotional when I realised that as she is now 18 and in Upper Sixth then this is the last one I am likely to attend. Sad. Well until I become a grandmother anyway Grin

motherinferior · 18/12/2013 13:43

I don't mind school plays. I will even put up with concerts (it helps that the only musical child I own is musically promiscuous so at least she's in most of the stuff. And that the other one has Ears of Cloth though alas has thespian pretensions).

It's sports day that I will not go to. I will not Ever. Not ever. I explain nicely to the teachers it makes me want to take up smoking so that I can go and smoke behind the bikesheds. And that I get flashbacks. I explain my flashbacks in some detail and eventually they let me off Grin

HECTheHeraldAngelsSing · 18/12/2013 13:44

yep, I hate them too. I'll get myself shot on here for saying it but I just don't find other people's kids cute. I barely find my own cute much of the time Wink. There is no 'ahhhh' from me when a snot nosed kid mumbles their way through an achingly painful rendition of rudolph the red nosed reindeer and eats a bogey halfway through.

My kids both have autism and the school used to give them their bit first and then let me take them home. I was chuffed to escape.

I know. I'm scum. It's vile. I'm unnatural. Don't care. I escaped an hour of annual torture that you all had to sit through so ner ner. Grin