to think that you don't need to go to every nativity performance?

[spookyskeleton]

The infants nativity play is on 3 times this week (once in the afternoon and 2 evenings).

It seems that a lot of the parents are going to all 3 performances AIBU to think that this is unnecessary and defeats the purpose of spreading out the attendees over the 3 performances.

Am I missing some unspoken parenting rule that says you need to go to every single performance that your child ever does??

[OutragedFromLeeds]

Three performances is excessive, but generally I would try and make sure someone was at each performance. I don't think they would be horribly scarred if there was no-one there, but they definitely prefer it if someone is there and wherever possible I aim higher than 'not horribly scarred'.

[OriginalGreenGiant]

I'd imagine at that age there a quite a few children who'd be unsettled/upset if they didn't see their parents in the audience each time

Oh God, this is filling me with guilt every time I think of it.

It was the ds's first Xmas concert today, which neither me or dh could go to (work). We're going tomorrow night. Mine AND dh's parents, and my two sisters were there today so they did have 'someone' there.

I'd told the dc who was going today, and that me and daddy are going tomorrow. But I didn't specifically think to say we'd not be there today.

Ds1 (age 6) 'got' it and hasn't mentioned it. Ds2 (agg 4) came out of school today very excited, talking all about the play. He said he saw xx (all the family) and then frowned and said 'I was looking and looking for you mummy but I couldn't see you. Where were you watching from?'

I reminded him we were going tomorrow instead and his little face absolutely crumpled. He hadn't realised it meant we wouldn't be there today. He said he remembered all his words and x and x happened which was really funny and he'd really sad that we missed his first time of wearing his costume and being in the play :( He's been quite downcast tonight.

So next year op I'll be one of the silly buggers buying two lots of tickets and taking time off work to go to both!

[Ilovehamabeads]

I went to both performances. The excitement on my child's face seeing me there and waving to me made it worth the effort of having to sit through it twice. In my defence, other families there had extended family members watching and we didnt have that option so it was me or nothing.

[Mehitabel6]

I am really surprised they are allowed to. There are generally fire regulations about numbers and a very strict number of tickets per child.

[capercaillie]

I only went to one performance and explained to them that this was the case. Never occurred to me to do otherwise. What has annoyed me is that I've heard that some of the parents who went twice sat in the front rows both times. Selfish and rude.

[MillionairesShortbread]

If everyone goes to all of them I'm bot sure of the point of multiple performances!!

Our school only does it once and nearly everyone has a parent or grandparent.

Preschool does it once (and toddler group) and I think most people have at least one person there!

[SunshineDaisiesButterMellow]

Dds school do two performances. One in the afternoon one in the evening. Each child could have two to tickets and babies under 2 could sit on knees.
I got two for the evening so me and dh could watch.
After every one bought their tickets we got a letter saying that anyone who wanted extra tickets could get them from the office first came first served.
Dd wanted me to come to both as she had a special singing and dancing part and was a bit nervous. So I went. She is 5. I'm a sahm at the minute so can do it.

[ProfYaffle]

It's not an option at our school, space is limited and tickets strictly rationed. We're lucky to get tickets to one performance, let along many.

[dragdownthemoon]

We are allowed 2 tickets per family. The performance is done twice, so we can get one for each or two for one of the performances. I would only ever go once. I think it is very unfair if I take a ticket for a play I have already seen which potentially means another parent cannot go at all. I always explain to my kids which performance i won't be at and if I know someone else who is going, tell them to wave at so-and-so's mummy.

I find it very odd that someone would not want to go to a child's nativity at all though, and I think at age 2 they would miss you most because you can't explain properly that you won't be there, and as soon as all of their friends are waving at mummy they will realise theirs isn't there.

[flowery]

I think it's good for a child to have someone there for each performance. DS2 had his yesterday, one in the morning, one at 5.30. Families were allowed two tickets to the performance of their choice, then extras on a first-come first-served basis. DS2 had someone there for both.

[Bumbiscuits]

My six year old's nativity was on once in the day and then again the following evening. Like last year I went twice. First time with a close friend and second time with DH & DD1.

I don't like the thought of them performing and not having at least one person in the audience.

[MrsMaker83]

If it stops other parents being able to attend any performances at all then yanbu and they are selfish buggers.

The school should keep to one performance per family/person though.

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

DH and I went to the first performance for each child.DS did ask if I'd be there for the next one too but I just said the other mummies and daddies that haven't seen it will come to that one. He seem v happy with this. At our school tickets are strictly 2 per child.

[Songofsixpence]

My DD has anxiety, horrible, crippling anxiety. To the point that she's been worrying about her show for weeks. Hasn't been able to sleep this week and had to be coaxed into school this morning. As a result, I do try and make sure there's one of us in the audience for each show. She loves taking part and once she's up on stage she's fine, but the build up is always really difficult for her

We have 3 shows and each child is automatically allocated 2 tickets per show and if there are any left over/returned, they're allocated first come first served. There's always plenty of tickets and it's never a sell out. We only use 3 of the 6 allocated tickets and always return the ones we don't need

I'm going this afternoon, DH is going tonight and then I'm going to the last one tomorrow. There's a million other things I'd rather be doing than sitting through the same show twice but needs must

[Tryingtobecalm]

We have four shows. Two matinees and two evenings. I went to all of them. We have no one else around and dh can't get time off work so I am all they have! Even the older ones would be crushed if I didn't go as they like having someone there. We don't have a set number of tickets per child. You can buy them in advance or on the door. The thing that annoyed me this year was that we had to pay for siblings, who also attend the same school!

[ElfontheShelfIsWATCHINGYOUTOO]

I wish mine did 3 I could go too, to all three....I think one of the loveliest things in this whole big nasty and evil world is the special innocence of the school nativity.

[randycheeseburger]

they have 3 and my sons school, we went on Monday, they give out tickets for each but if you don't have a ticket you can still stand at the back. My son asked us today why we hadn't been to one yesterday but we told him other mums and dads will want to go and see their children.
I never got to see my eldest sons for the first 2 years because I was working so make sure I do now.

[CalamitouslyWrong]

Our school had a up to 4 tickets per child policy allocated on a first come, first served basis. Ds2 had a vomiting bug on the first day after the letter came home, so when we handed in our slip there were no tickets left for the afternoon performance we'd requested that was the only one we could attend. Luckily I managed to swap some stuff around at work so I could go, but DH had things on at work that he couldn't get out of.

It was very annoying to find out about all the people who's gotten themselves all four tickets, just in case but hadn't needed them so had given them to friends etc, especially the people who had three children in the school so had taken 4 tickets for each performance! Of course, it's much better to take as many as you can get when you know you aren't going to need them...

I realise that the school can't really win in these situations, but it would be nice if the other parents weren't so utterly selfish. Same with the fuckers in the second row who stand up to see their child better and prevent anyone behind them from seeing anything. I think school perormances bring out the absolute worst in parents.

[halfdrunkmulledwine]

I only went to one performance of DS's nativity (he's in school nursery) but my mum went to the other one. I don't think I would have gone on both days, however, as it was quite crowded and I think they did two performances so that people could be spread out over both days.

[ilovechristmas1]

cant think of anything worse going to all three performances

one is enough

i have three children,2 are teens and it really has not hindered them

[arlagirl]

Three nativities? Christ, could think of nothing worse.

[spookyskeleton]

Glad I am not alone in thinking 3 nativities is too much. It really wasn't great on the first performance so I couldn't think of anything worse than sitting through it twice more just to hear DS2 say his 2 lines

[Hulababy]

At my school the only time we do multiple performances is when we are performing at school and won't be able to fit all parents in the hall in one sitting. In that case we have tickets - free of charge but only 2 initially available per child and on a selected day - and once they've run out for a day, then thats it.
We do get the odd parent who tries to come to both - if we are nto bookd out this is fine; if full then we have to prioritise those who haven't already been.

[TheBogQueen]

It's never occurred to me to go to more than one performance