'Why isn't my child Mary' syndrome

[Pud2]

AIBU to get irritated by parents who complain to the school when their DC doesn't get a good part in a production?

It depends. If the Chair of the PTAs DD always gets the main part, it is the only speaking role and everyone else is just scenery, then it is annoying. If there are loads of smaller parts, with one line each I don't know how the hell my DC's school does it, then YANBU.

But does anyone actually do that? I think it is a myth. Nobody is bothered at our school.mary is usually a non speaking part and given to a shyer child

How old are the DC in question?
As a Primary teacher I can assure you that most of the time parts are not allocated based on any kind of acting skill. It's much more a case of: X has a louder voice, Y could do with the confidence boost, Z is a bit taller than some so could be the 'adult' role, etc.

All school governors including parent ones get front row seats at productions. The rest of us can't see a thing.

It can be annoying. When my son was in infant school there was a boy who always had the main part in Christmas productions aswell as any other shows put on the rest of the year. His mum was a teacher at the same school he's in prison now but that's a different story

Although saying that I do remember being devastated as a child when the part of Ariel (the Little Mermaid) went to a child whose mum offered to sew and donate all the mermaid costumes. Being given the role of Ariel's sister was a very poor second!

I was Mary every year, apart from 2 stints as the Angel Gabriel.

The joys of being blonde and angelic looking.

In dds class a teachers child has had the main part in every play they've done so far. She does do drama and dance outside of school but it is still shitty for the other kids.

I was a bit like you stratter5. ( is that you stratters? )

I usually got the main part in school plays and shows. DS has had a pretty similar experience. I'm not on the PTA or any other kind of school committee.

I think we both have loud voices and big smiles otherwise I don't know.

Mary was blonde?

As an aside, why did Mary always go to a blue eyed blonde? Mary would have been dark haired and olive skinned (not at ALL bitter, me. Nope. Cough)

I always used to wonder why Mary was always played by blonde children. She'd have been a brunette!

As the proud mother of sheep no 5 and pig no 6, I really don't care!

When the Dc's are bothered, I might be. YANBU.

I like your style tunnocks

there ARE parents like that and I'm always amazed at the cheek - maybe that's why they get their way as the teachers are

I called my DS Joseph as well tunnock, and the buggers still won't give him the leading role.

Half the work done for them already! What more do the want!? They can't say I wasn't thinking ahead for them. [anger]

Last year though, he was 'Best and Most Important King' and gave the best gift and looked the most handsome. And we still have plenty of time for world domination the leading role. He doesn't even leave foundation stage for another two weeks

Yes and poor little Herod and Balthazar seem to get typecast too.

It's July

Yes, I was the blonde haired, blued eyed, nice speaking voiced Mary in the first 3 years of primary.

Never really thought about whether it was fair or not, (clearly it's not ).

There was a governor's child in my DD1's year who got the biggest part in everything. Everybody was painfully aware and it didn't help that he was also an unpleasant and disruptive child.

When my DD2 went through the same school she was picked for most things and others never got a look in. She was a very good loud speaker but I'm sure she wasn't the only one who could have done it. It felt very unfair and I felt very uncomfortable about it.

I really don't know why schools do this. Why should one child get all the opportunities just because they are the best speaker, etc?

I probably should be grateful that one of my DDs was the chosen one but I'd rather she'd had fewer chances and DD1 had had a couple more.

I was always the bloody narrator, or the Angel Gabriel. Nice speaking voice, apparently.

None of us wanted to be Mary, you had to hold Joseph's arm and didn't get to say much

I was Mary. I have brown hair. I'd like to say it was my acting that won me the part but I was the Head's pet .

I wasn't given any lines but I improvised and every time someone came to view Tiny Tears the Baby Jesus I stretched out my arm in a regal beckoning gesture and said: 'I bid you enter'.

I'm beginning to realise why so many of my classmates hated me.

Good point, whyami. It's July, beginning of. And I've been drawn into a Christmas thread without realising.

Tuts

There's no closed season on bearing a grudge.

I'd have liked to have been the narrator btw but that was the Head's job. On balance, that was a wise choice. I was hated enough already.