Or at least a little pfb?

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DS (pfb) is in P1. The school had some sort of travelling theatre group in yesterday who did a play for all the kids from nursery through to P3 ( Northern Ireland but kids aged 4-7). DS who usually has no problems whatsoever going to bed was terrified and in floods of tears. He said it was because he was scared of the monsters in the play he had seen in school.
He did finally go off to sleep and fingers crossed he will have forgotten it by tonight. I am a little sensitive however with regards to DS and sleep problems as he has only recently settled to sleeping through the night.

Anyway was I being unreasonable in having a word with the teacher this morning and suggesting that they might want to think again before having the same theatre group in next year. I came away feeling a bit ridiculous as I'm sure that whatever the play was about it was designed for the age group it was shown to and DS was probably being a little over sensitive. I don't want to be one of those mums who is always hassling teachers about their precious offspring.

YANBU. We have had this issue with P1. We solved it by putting P1 at the back of the hall. We had them at the front like a standard assembly but it was just too much for a lot of them. Sitting P1 at the back seemed to work.

Did you ask what the play was about?

I'm sure it was age appropriate, but some children are more sensitive than other. My 7yo is the same.

All children are different. I have a sensitive one too, he's easily spooked and cannot stand monster stuff. Halloween has to be handled gently! I think there is often a sense that once they're in school they're up for anything. I wouldn't make a stand about it but it wouldn't hurt to casually mention it along the lines of "He's a bit tired today...took him a while to get to sleep last night after the monster show."

The trouble is most children will be fine, but there will be something that upsets one child or another and why should all the other children miss out because one is a little bit more sensitive.
My dd got upset about war when they covered poppy day in infants, she was also petrified of theatre curtains when she was little (you wouldnt believe it after her performance of Caliban last night )

my dn had nightmares about egyptians when she did them in juniors

a friends ds had nightmares about the diaramas on a visit to stansted montfitchet castle.

Maybe you should have suggested that the teacher warn you before hand rather than change the theatre group

My DS was similar - hysterical about Halloween masks. I found he was okay if the mask-wearing person took it off and showed they weren't really a monster. I actually got that tip from his teacher who said it was what the visiting theatre did for the little ones - shame the one your son encountered didn't.

When DC2 was 2 or 3 she was really freaked out by witches. I had to lie to her and say that we are witches she still thinks were witches

I agree with Bruffin. They're all different. My DD1 is not scared by even the freakiest things but DD2 can have a terrible night due to one shadow. They do grow out of it though....I do think that next year, check which company is doing the show...and then you can choose to give DS a day off...

Let him watch Monsters Inc and tell him the monsters in the play were Sullys cousins so nothing to be scared of.

Aww that's a shame OP.

But if the majority of kids were fine, I can't see why they'd want to think again.

I think the Monsters Inc suggestion is a great one.

This is just a personal view, but I wouldn't complain to the school.

I think all kids go through stages where they are a bit scared by something, perhaps more than other children. It's sort of part of growing up, learning how to deal with that. I know it's distressing to see as a parent because all you want to do is to give them a big cuddle and tell them it's OK. But if this hadn't triggered it then perhaps something else on TV or in a book would've done. I spent the first couple of years at school being successively scared by a picture of Rumplestiltskin having a tantrum, a picture of a dancing skeleton, my own dressing gown hanging on the door, and my teacher's hands (they were really veiny). All normal, and part of growing up.

However, I would make sure that a line wasn't crossed by the production. I don't know if other people remember this, but some institution or other (the police I think?) put together a series of safety videos for primary school children to watch. They involved naughty children breaking into places that they shouldn't and then getting killed. And yes, they did show the deaths. A guy who broke into a building site got run over by a steamroller and squished to death. A guy who broke into an electrical substation was electrocuted. They were completely unsuitable for 8-9 year olds and I was absolutely scared out of my wits by them.

Monsters Inc is a great suggestion but for God's sake avoid the first scene (the little boy in bed which turns out to be a training scenario) as it used to have DS1 howling behind a cushion. :-)

Sorry- meant to say 'I don't know if other people remember this, but about 25 years ago...'

Thanks everyone. Sorry I'm a little late replying but had a very busy day. I did mention it to the teacher but more as feedback rather than a complaint. Apparently one or two others had to be taken out during the show as they were afraid.
i will be glad when DS gets passed this stage. He seems ok with watching things on TV at home but is easily frightened by stage shows or films at the cinema.