to want to watch the Nativity play without toddlers screaming.

[windchime]

Another Christmas, another Nativity play, and another hour of sitting in the school hall listening to the screams and shouts of strangers' toddlers. Before the play started, the Head asked nicely if upset babies and toddlers could be taken outside because the children and staff had worked so hard on the play. But, of course, the play was totally ruined for everyone because of a few inconsiderate, ignorant and selfish parents NOT taking their child outside when they started (and continued) playing up. The school was filming it to sell as a dvd. Good luck with that.

Yanbu. I say that as a parent who watched her dc1's first nativity play from the back door in case my baby cried. If he had, I would have gone out. Babies and toddlers noise is unfair on the children performing and the other parents. I don't think my baby crying trumps everyone else's enjoyment. As it was, he didn't make a sound and I loved watching the nativity!

The crèche thing is s nice idea in theory. We ran one for two years during the nativities. It was awful though as so many parents said they'd NEVER left their child with anyone before. The children cried the whole time. Then their parents got upset. It was a disaster! We don't offer this anymore.

It's never going to be an issue for me as I have twins, but personally would much rather sit next to a screaming toddler than see someone miss their kid's first Nativity.

It really doesn't bother me much. I think it goes along with the wonky halos, mumbled lines and generally lovely amateur effect. I would be annoyed in a concert but at school it's just part of the family atmosphere I think. But maybe I've never experienced it at a very bad level. Now on fifth year of nativities though.

Yanbu.

Yes, mostly I agree with Quangle and don't find the odd shout or whatever too disruptive. To be honest at Nursery/Reception concerts you'd be hard pressed to hear a thing over the sound of them bawling out their lines and songs!! The only time I've been really pee-d off was last year when someone stayed in with a small toddler who was having a full on screaming tantrum - took them a good 10 minutes to finally take them out. Really inconsiderate imo.

I had to take toddler dd once. She sat under my legs with a comic, some rich tea biscuits, chocolate buttons and the promise of a treat after if she stayed quiet while we were in the hall. We talked about how important it was that everyone could hear the dc on stage over the days leading up.

The head was sat in front of us and was most surprised at the end when I put dd on my lap. She told me she hadnt known dd was there. To me thats the way it should be. I was really proud of her though.

YANBU.

Best HT I ever worked for banned toddlers and babies altogether after one disastrous year where screaming babies and badly behaved toddlers spoiled the previous year's performances, causing many complaints from other parents and much upset from performing children.

She also banned filming and photography during the performances but did have one performance filmed by a teacher which was sold at cost to parents.

She arranged a (paid for) crèche for the daytime performances.

As a teacher who spent hours writing and rehearsing Christmas performances only to see them spoilt by loud babies and toddlers with parents too selfish to remove them I thought she was wonderful.

YANBU if either, your child never caused anyone else to be inconvenienced or your dc was in a professional production. If neither of these is the case then YABU

YANBU. I just went to a production (at a Sat Drama school) where lots of young children (5-9 year olds) were getting the chance to perform their lines for the first time in front of a live audience; the jokes were quite subtle, the acting was subtle and the children weren't used to projecting their voices. And the director of the stage school asked very very politely at the beginning (she had obviously suffered from this problem in the past)if people could take out any crying children/babies in the course of the hour as the children who were acting had worked so hard and we needed to hear them say their lines. And what happens?

One mother decided her crying bored toddler was exempted from this instruction. Which meant the rest of the parents couldn't hear their children. And then no-one laughed at the jokes because they couldn't be heard.

So selfish.

Yeah, YABU, who gives a damn if you can't hear it honestly. I can tell you the highlights of the story if you like?
Seriously, it's about the children getting dressed up and being seen by their mum, dad and little sister or brother. They won't care if someone screams in the audience. Fair enough if this was a proper carol concert or something with real songs but if it's just a little preschool production with lots of shuffling by the people on stage I don't see the problem with a bit of shuffling (or wandering) on stage as well.

YANBU but you will always get the selfish self absorbed parents who not only refuse to take screaming babies out so they don't ruin the experience for other parents and children, but will then try to justify their rude behaviour by telling the people who object that they're being selfish, insensitive, thoughtless etc.

'They won't care if someone screams in the audience.'

Have you read the thread?
There are a number of people who do care. There have been dozens of threads on the same subject over the years, with people caring about the disruption caused by screaming and free-range toddlers.
Perhaps the objectors could just carry paintball guns, and add to the merriment by shooting at the parents of the disruptives? Filled with festive colours and glitter.
Less nativity, more pantomime.

I don't see the problem with a bit of shuffling (or wandering) on stage as well.

I do see a problem with it, as do others. You are one of those parents from hell I assume that allow their little cherub to wander on stage and disrupt the hard work all the other kids have put in!

Oh and I agree with a previous poster. You can tell on this thread who are the selfish, annoying, 'beaming while my child disrupts everything' parents. No doubt the same people who wag their fingers at anyone who complains and lectures them about being 'tolerant' ie putting up with their rude ideas of acceptable behaviour.

Yanbu! But unfortunately some parents think their rights trump everyone else's and won't take disruptive dc out. Our school runs a crèche for younger siblings and our old HT wouldn't let younger sibs in to the nativity! But now we have a new head who isn't nearly as sensible...

The dc have spent weeks and weeks working on the play, and if you've only got one line, for that line to be drowned out by a baby screaming is so crap. Totally rude!

That was a PITA a few years back at a carol concert. Soloist trying to sing with tears running down face with embarrassment, when empowered bratlet of a sibling decided to run up the aisle and embrace them.
I removed the bratlet and returned it.
Parents thought it was sweet.

YANBU, some people are very selfish and won't take children out if they are being noisy etc. I can quite see why many schools ban children from performances so as to avoid the situation after the children have put in so much hard work.

Even worse are the ones that allow little ones to roam the hall or climb on stage saying aww aren't they cute, no they are spoiling it and need to be under control.

YANBU Op, but there are a lot of selfish gits out there and some of them are even on MN.

Would be interesting to know if some of the posters who came on telling the OP she was being unreasonable and v selfish, have changed their mind after reading the majority opinion on here. Or will they be sitting there next week with little one screaming, running around or talking loudly through they play, firmly convincing themselves this is okay and anyone who shoots them an annoyed look is just 'not getting the lovely haphazardness' of a school nativity play.

So inconsiderate as quite often the screaming toddler baby can be left somewhere else it's not as if the date of the play is last minuite, poor planning and poor manners

It's a Nativity play, so that'll be about the birth of Christ, founder of Christianity, etc. Quoted in Matthew 19:14 or thereabouts:

"Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."

Ironic.