'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?

I agree, waterducksback. I'd much rather see one of the shyer more reticent kids in a main role, even if they forget their lines/fall off the stage/whatever as opposed to one that's all jazz hands and stage school smiles. And I certainly don't go to nativity plays for cultural purposes - if I want to watch a 'proper' performance, I'll pay and go to the theatre.

I write our Year 6 production each year.

Lots of the lines are not allocated to start with, then I hand them out as we rehearse, making sure they go to children who are focused and enthusiastic in rehearsals.

One mum came in this year to demand that her son should be given more lines. Since he had just spent the entire afternoon talking through everyone else's scenes, hadn't bothered to learn his current set of lines and mucked about with another child's prop, breaking it, I wasn't terribly sympathetic...

this comment quite surprised me:

.because frankly it bores me shitless when some staggeringly untalented, mumbling, hesitant child stumbles through a few lines.

I mean, really? Even if you say it as a bit of a throwaway comment, what a sad attitude to have.

Oh, come on.

It's LaQ, she's yanking your chain because it's fun to see you getting your knickers all twisted. Besides, she has a point, school plays are intolerably dull.

Remember not everyone knows LaQ these days!

DD's school have found a way around this, they have 15 Marys and 15 Josephs. Each class in KS1 has two roles assigned to it, last year DD's class were sheep and shepherds and the year before they were stars and kings. Each class says a few lines or sings a song, it's chaos but no one can complain that their child didn't get a good part.

Good point, thorn

Did I actually say these days

Yeah, you PO, it's LeQ. She is speshul and if you don't get it! you probably drive a green Xsara Picasso or something. Think on, and don't rise!

She's a troll then? Righty-o.

No, I didn't mean that she was a troll!

Oh ok. I thought you were saying that she derails discussion with the intention of winding people up. Isn't that trolling?

People that try and derail a thread halfway through are the same as trolls cruiks

err... thread in process of being derailed!

DD1 (5) was a star last year (blonde long hair - I thought general angelness might feature in productions)

She was the star that had her back to the audience looking at the backcloth all the way through the group of Star's song. I had a few grins from other parents.

Then sports day last week she was in the 'fast girls' race. One of the grinning parents from Christmas commented that she looked like she was on form. I replied that she'd lose focus and look around at everything. Yup.

She's having fun though. We're working on her focus. She's a daydreamer, but then so am I, so I'm teaching her that the trick is to put the thinking to one side and concentrate for a bit, and then reward yourself by picking up the daydream thinking again.

It's best not to take the 'bait' ( or goad), then they soon get fed up and skulk off somewhere else.
(Don't think there are any on this thread though)

Elfycat, my children are daydreams, as was I

My DD was a penguin in her Y1 nativity.

There was a disappointing lack of explanation as to why there was a penguin in a barn in Nazareth singing along with the camels and donkeys.

Still - she enjoyed it and the costume was relatively easy.

See, have an issue with LeQueen and you have to deal with her gang - it's like Mean Girls.

Mean Girls were funnier though. Also more clever.

Mind boggles at image of penguin in a nativity scene :) (long way from the north pole)

Still, as long as your DD was happy! It's good when the teachers improvise.

Prefer Heathers myself!

Of course she's not a troll. FFS now I remember why I left.

All of you bitching and griping, 'typical AmDram', calling troll, and making remarks about Mean Girls, etc; you should read back your own comments.

Far, far nastier than anything LaQ has said on here. Oh, the irony of you calling troll and sniping away. It's a lighthearted thread, it's supposed to be fun and jokey. You just make yourselves look humourless and mean spirited.

My issue is more with you lot automatically jumping to her defence (never seen anyone more able to defend herself here than LeQ) in typical Mn sycophantic way than with what she was actually saying.