Alcohol at primary school disco

[tiredoutgran]

or am I just being a miserable old fart? My children attend a primary school that has mainly 'well heeled' families. There is to be a welcome disco for the reception families with the whole school invited, the invite states that alcohol will be available or you can bring your own. Am I wrong in thinking that alcohol does not belong at what is essentially a party for children. I get the impression that all the parents will be sat glugging beer or wine and chatting away whilst totally ignoring what their children are doing. Don't get me wrong, if you have a family/friends party at home and have the odd glass of wine then that is different but I really think that at this sort of thing the booze should be kept out of it.

They're not fun for the children who can't attend because their parent is controlling an alcohol addiction. Many of these children will not be there because their parent may not be able to be around alcohol. They are very anxious times for children with parents who are problem drinkers (not necessarily alcoholism, but embarrassing or binge drinkers).

These problems can be navigated successfully with time as parents and children get to know eachother. But I think it's a bad idea in this instance.

dione it's not going to be fun for a child whose parent has a social-phobia, or a personality disorder, or any one of a number of challenges. As someone upthread said, schools shouldn't have to assume the worst all the time. The vast majority of people at a school function will behave well whether or not there is a lukewarm plastic cup of wine served or not. No one on here is telling stories of fights, or sex, or anything other than a bit of silliness, which could happen anyway.

Jeez it's not fun either for the kids who won't get taken to the BBQ, because Mum's on a diet and doesn't want the temptation.

It's all ifs, buts and maybes. Meanwhile life goes on.

All our PTA events have a bar! Makes a fortune, plus helps parents put up with loud disco ... Nobody ever gets silly.

If all it took to make life better for DC of parents with MH problems was for me to forgo a plastic cup of wine at their first school disco, I'd do it.

Oh dear god...

Oh FFS!

I thought you meant alcohol for the kids!

Of course it's ok for tge adults.

You old farr

Dione okay, I'll bite. How does my not having a plastic cup of wine help the dc of parents with MH problems? Are you equating all alcohol issues with MH, or all MH issues with alcohol?

If all it took for the socially-phobic mum to come along to a school function to get to know other parents was a glass of wine I'd happily buy her one.

Not suggesting all folk with genuine social phobias need is a glass of wine of course

Well I would. I would rather schools made the first social gathering as inclusive as possible than drink lukewarm wine from a plastic cup.

Shoot me.

Never seen a rat arsed parent at a fete or evening school do. Most of them are driving home, for one thing! The evening events are adult only to be fair, fete booze is mostly Pimms or mulled wine variety. Bizarre that someone might treat it like a night out.

Down, you were the one who brought up "social phobias" and "personality disorders". I was addressing your post, not equating anything.

I was pointing out that people with social phobias wouldn't enjoy the social setting. Just as worra was pointing out that people on diets won't enjoy barbecues. The point is that "totally inclusive" is impossible given the huge variety of challenges people face, so why just choose issues with alcohol as the one you are going to address?

Dione why have you decided the cups are plastic?

Does it build up a better picture of a wretched child looking on with a Daily Mail face?

Either way, it's just a nice but unnecessary event.

People will either choose to go or give it a swerve, but I'm sure there won't be any tables thrown and adults pissing in the playground.

My dc's school hold a farewell party for year 6 pupils and their parents at the end of the summer term. There is always too much alcohol available, paid for by the pta. This year a number of dads and the Head got wasted. They stood watching the kids disco, making fun of certain people including my ds (who was oblivious thankfully). I'm still fuming. It's so inappropriate. If you see a child's school event as an opportunity to get drunk that's really sad.

worra I decided the cups were plastic, as obviously the parents will be so shit-faced that you have to stop them glassing each other or a random child. It's the obvious next step ;)

My dc's school put on a childrens music evening recently and provided alcohol. I wasn't expecting it but it was quite nice. They probably thought it was a necessity in order to cope. I did attempt to get rat arsed, but unfortunately there was a maximum of 2 glasses per person. Shame.

There is a difference between being uncomfortable or exercising willpower in a social setting and having to avoid that setting at all costs on the advice of HCPs.

I would rather have those parents and children attend the first school disco than have a drink in my hand.

dione I sincerely hope you are not saying that people with MH issues can just exercise willpower to overcome feeling "uncomfortable" in social settings.

Dione you've taken this thread to a new level of batshitness.

Do HCPs really recommend recovering alcoholics stay away from the school disco then? Wow! Presumably they also have to live in the middle of nowhere so they don't walk past pubs, and do the Sainsburys shop online so they can avoid the booze section?

Frankly i suspect there are far more chronically shy parents for whom a glass of wine will calm the nerves enough for them to make meaningful contact with other parents thus paving the way for them and their children to become part of a mutually supportive community, than there are recovering alcoholics who would have attended had it been a dry event.

Hey maybe all those alcoholic parents you're so keen to support can just exercise a bit of willpower!