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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be irrationally annoyed that my child wasn't Mary

89 replies

TheSkiingGardener · 19/12/2014 18:48

It was a lovely Nativity, but I still can't shake this mildly miffed feeling that they weren't chosen to be Mary.

I have a son.

That's pretty precious isn't it.

OP posts:

leeloo1 · 19/12/2014 23:15

Dh was a bit p'd off that Ds1 was 'only' going to be innkeeper number 3 - I believe his words were 'why is that new kid going to be Joseph instead of Ds?'

I was outwardly much more chilled and restricted myself to 'helping' Ds with his role by suggesting some emotion in his lines and hand gestures, when pointing out aspects of the stable... and, with difficulty, I restrained myself from telling Ds he should ask Mary if she needed a hose connecting in the stable for her planned waterbirth, or if she'd been having acupuncture or natal hypnotherapy.

So imagine our secret joy when it turned out Ds actually had more lines than Joseph and got to lead Mary, Joseph and the poor child playing the donkey in a little dance too!

Clearly the excellent classteacher had seen Ds' talent and made him the star of the show.

Bulbasaur · 19/12/2014 23:20

Metalguru Ouch.

TheBookofRuth · 19/12/2014 23:30

Flapperty, Batman was also in DD's production, if that's any consolation?

jen44473 · 19/12/2014 23:33

For fwd planning and anyone thinking of which girl names to choose for new baby.. Try Mary.. Def will get picked for Nativity ...

KERALA1 · 19/12/2014 23:40

Beware if your child is biddable and good at reading - our family cursed forever to be narrators...

Maki79 · 19/12/2014 23:44

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the posters request.

JoffreyBaratheon · 20/12/2014 00:41

One of my kids - who even when he was 7 was so irreligious he made Dawkins look like Cliff Richards - was once forced by his C of E school to be Jesus in the Easter play. He was livid.

"Why do I have to be Jesus - I don't even believe in him!"
I pointed out as he was the only kid in the school with blond hair and blue eyes maybe they thought he looked a bit like (the stereotypical Western) Jesus. He is now a teenager and has never forgot the humiliation and outrage at being cast as Jesus.

One of my older sons was once cast as Prince Charming in the winter end of term play. The teacher confided in me the only reason he was cast was he was the only boy in the class who wouldn't kick up a fuss about having to kiss Cinderella...

Having the starring role isn't always good.

I was at school with this girl in the 1970s who was cast as the lead in the high school production (forget which one). We were doing Stagecraft so were watching a rehearsal and I made some remark to the teacher who had cast her that she was possibly the worst singer I had ever heard in my life. He kind of quietly agreed. We comfort ourselves thinking the all singing all dancing ones will amount to nothing in real life, beyond school.

In adulthood... she became a West End and TV star - song and dance girl. So some of those Marys end up in the limelight. Amazingly. She was bloody awful when she was 16, is all I know. (Went to a rough comp not a fancy stage school so her success was very shocking).

BreconBeBuggered · 20/12/2014 01:03

At the Nativity I saw this year, my attention wandered a bit and I thought Mary was one of the shepherds until I noticed 'him' holding hands with a reluctant Joseph. Perhaps casting conventions are changing and your DS will have his turn as Mary next Christmas, OP.

TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos · 20/12/2014 01:05

Who, Joffrey?!

UptheChimney · 20/12/2014 08:46

I love the way a jokey OP elicits deadly serious answers from those with PFBs.

FrancesNiadova · 20/12/2014 08:57

I had long blonde hair and blue eyes & was NEVER an angel or Mary I so desperately wanted to be an angel

My son was Humph the camel though

Kveta · 20/12/2014 09:01

DS's school were on the nativity on This Morning last week, and had a brown haired Mary :)

DS wasn't on it (they only chose Y2-6 for obvious reasons!), but in his class nativity he was the most sneery shepherd I have seen - spent much of it rolling his eyes at his fellow shepherds and sighing audibly :o He was so convinced that he was going to be a chef though, and was very disappointed to be a shepherd.

Tykeisagirl · 20/12/2014 09:03

What's wrong with being a narrator? I always wanted to be a narrator, you didn't have to prat about dressed in a tea towel and dressing gown, instead you got to wear your school uniform and read off a card.

Original poster

TheSkiingGardener · 20/12/2014 10:25

I know UptheChimney , I should have put in the title. Doh.

My favourite replies are from those that have read the title but not the actual OP though. Don't strain your attention span guys!

OP posts:

UptheChimney · 20/12/2014 11:02

I'm just glad I'm past this stage, and that actually, I had more important things to be concerned about than what role my 5 yo played in a bad piece of pretend-theatre.

JoffreyBaratheon · 20/12/2014 12:08

Two I better not say but I thought I was seeing things the first time I saw her on TV (as a glamorous hostess on a Sat night quiz show). Never saw her sing on TV but I read she went on to do lots of stuff in the West End. My old Stagecraft/English teacher must have seen some potential in her no-one else could see as when she was a teenager, she sang like a cat in labour.

She left show biz to raise her family. After marrying a famous actor who used to do sitcoms in the 70s. I saw her once on Friends Reunited and she was just on there as her old name, not her married name, and wasn't a bit starry but very sweet and friendly. I never knew her well as it was a vast school and she was in the year above but do remember thinking what a nice person she was. If anyone from that hellhole of a comp was going to make it big - I'm glad it was her.

Am sure the Marys from my primary school nativities in the 1960s are all the ones who were pregnant at 16.

Hakluyt · 20/12/2014 12:13

"Beware if your child is biddable and good at reading - our family cursed forever to be narrators..." Us too.

But also good singers and no stage fright, so always a solo. Which means we get death looks from other parents..............

JoffreyBaratheon · 20/12/2014 12:13

Forgot to say my youngest - now 12 - was an angel in the nativity. He started a riot onstage. I saw it begin as an ex teacher I have X Ray eyes when it comes to a classful of primary kids. But his teacher must have been a bit distracted because by the time it spread to the other 'angels', he had stopped and it was the others that got told off mid-play. They actually stopped the play to tell off the angels, then suitably admonished, it started again. Madness.

I saw it though and he definitely started it. He was an unusually cute child and so never got the blame for anything. The 'angels' were all stamping their feet and arsing around - strict church school so this probably counted as blasphemy. Or something. I have never been so proud.

Nanny0gg · 20/12/2014 12:17

I'm glad my dgc weren't in Reception this year. All the youngest children were villagers rather than angels. You couldn't even recognise them in their teatowels headdresses!

Nanny0gg · 20/12/2014 12:19

"Beware if your child is biddable and good at reading - our family cursed forever to be narrators...

Or with fantastic memories - you know the child, the one that's mouthing all the other parts? They get to be their own character plus understudy for all the children off with D&V. As they arrive for the performance.

hackmum · 20/12/2014 12:23

"My favourite replies are from those that have read the title but not the actual OP though"

Or worse, the ones who have read the actual OP and still think you're being serious.

DD was Mary twice, once in the preschool nativity and once in her infant school nativity.

hackmum · 20/12/2014 12:24

Also, I am dying to know who Joffrey's schoolmate was. Plenty of clues there.

QuietTinselTardis · 20/12/2014 19:32

Mary in my sons nativity sat and flashed her knickers to the audience. Her mum was hissing ""dd put your leg down and pull your robe down" so funny.
Ds was narrator number 19. He was brilliant of course and only slightly distracted when his voice boomed out of the mic and looked round to see who it was speaking

ElkTheory · 20/12/2014 20:38

Am sure the Marys from my primary school nativities in the 1960s are all the ones who were pregnant at 16.

Just like the real Mary then? She was also evidently a teenage mum. Perhaps the teacher who cast those parts was unusually prescient.

ClashCityRocker · 20/12/2014 20:44

When in primary school, I was cast as....the inn door.

My big line was 'knock knock'...

....to which my dad in the audience having possibly over indulged shouted 'who's there?!'

I love my dad.

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