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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be unhappy with this school trip?

487 replies

IWannaHoldYourHand · 30/09/2015 22:29

Ds2 is in reception and has come home with a letter advising us of a school trip to a farm in December. The cost is a reasonable amount for the farm that will be visited, however the main focus of the visit is having lunch with Santa, and receiving a gift.

It is the visiting Santa that I feel odd about. I see this as a very family based event, and not something I would expect to do with anybody else, or without his sibling. We wouldn't even refer to him as Santa at home, and it just feels strange to me.

I have spoken to the head who informed me that this will be backing up their learning for that term, and advised that I have the option of attending, but it still feels wrong to me. So is this normal, do schools regularly take a trip to visit Father Christmas?

OP posts:
Mehitabel6 · 01/10/2015 11:32

School and home is a partnership- not battle lines drawn on the playground!

Only1scoop · 01/10/2015 11:33

'Fc is about parent child relationship and doesn't work in a group'

Wow ....hope your DC fit into YOUR exact model of Christmas expectations.

BoboChic · 01/10/2015 11:33

A partnership requires each partner to know their own role and respect the role of the other partner(s). It becomes a battle when each steps on the other's toes.

BoboChic · 01/10/2015 11:34

"Wow ....hope your DC fit into YOUR exact model of Christmas expectations."

Yes. We as parents were the ones choosing, funding and delivering FC on Christmas morning. No-one else's business to interfere.

pickledsiblings · 01/10/2015 11:35

I've never taken my DC to see Santa.

BoboChic · 01/10/2015 11:36

No right thinking parent would, pickledsiblings. Nasty commercial business.

Mehitabel6 · 01/10/2015 11:36

Thankfully schools, nurseries and those involved with young children will continue doing them as the norm and those who don't like it can opt out. Sad for their DCs though but they won't turn the tide. As a parent I should complain loudly if one killjoy parent were to try and dictate school trips- especially if it was just they were precious about FC and claiming him as their personal province.

ConfusedInBath · 01/10/2015 11:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

reni2 · 01/10/2015 11:38

No right thinking parent would Wrong-thinking parents must be really common then, they might even outnumber the right sort Grin

Shutthatdoor · 01/10/2015 11:39

No right thinking parent would, pickledsiblings. Nasty commercial business

Once you start throwing around assumptions on others parenting skills, you lose any point you may have had although you didn't have any

Mehitabel6 · 01/10/2015 11:39

Quite clearly people do interfere BoBo - if I run a Christmas Party at my house and FC arrived there is nothing you can do- I can't see why it is something I need to mention. You would seem a bit silly querying party invitations and asking plans!

Mehitabel6 · 01/10/2015 11:41

Anyway- it gives them all a laugh in the staff room!

Alfieisnoisy · 01/10/2015 11:52

Yes to be fair they did reiterate that he had "done Maths" over the course of the term.
I think the first day he did "making cakes instead of Maths" it was more a case of "let's just try this to see if it helps". It did help.

I am a convert to the making stuff fun if it facilitates learning. My point is that you don't have to be sitting in a classroom to do this. It can be done in so many ways.

My son still struggles with Maths but achieved so much with baking. He is now virtually on a par with his peers.
All down to good and supportive teaching with an openness to try other ways of helping him understand.

reni2 · 01/10/2015 11:54

The more I think about your "No right thinking parent would" comment, bobo, the more offensive it becomes. No right thinking parent would let their child to smoke aged 7 or climb into a tiger enclosure. Beyond that I think it is unbelievably arrogant to make assumptions about how right thinking people parent. Right thinking indeed.

Alfieisnoisy · 01/10/2015 11:55

Ah you are on a wind up BoBo.

Very apparent by your post of 11.26am.

I call that a personal attack upon teachers tbh. Consider it reported.

bigmouthstrikesagain · 01/10/2015 12:32

The school is part of the community, they are there teaching, caring for and enriching children's lives. If they do the job properly. A TRIP TO A FARM IS ENRICHING, EDUCATIONAL and also important if the children are from an urban environment. A visit to see FC as part of the day will be fun, the children are participating in Christmas related activities throughout December, some more educational some just fun. School should be contributing to the up bringing of a well rounded individual not just data input. It is a pretty weak argument from bobo to criticise schools for providing a range of experiences, staying inside watching a Christmas themed film in class, is far more problematic from that pov than going out on a trip that includes a Father Christmas.

Funinthesun15 · 01/10/2015 12:49

Lots of 4 year olds are bored silly at school and resent being patronized by teachers with IQs well below those of their parents. Or indeed their own

Aren't you a piece of work. Nasty, rude and tbh down right ignorant!

ladymariner · 01/10/2015 12:53

Seems to me there are several very ignorant people on here, yes bobochic I'm looking at you particularly though I suspect you are combing your hands as we type

Successful schooling is about sooo much more than just academic stuff, although nobody is disagreeing its very important. However, the nurturing and caring that a lot of children need, and which bobochic seems to consider useless, means that actual learning is then able to take place. Perhaps if certain people actually took the time to look outside their own situations they may be able to see this.

And yes, op, the teachers will have been highly entertained by you.....well done!!

SirChenjin · 01/10/2015 13:10
Grin

This thread has taken a very funny turn in true MN fashion! OP (and others) - if you don't like it, keep your child off school and stop bleating.

RoseDog · 01/10/2015 13:17

[csmile]

RoseDog · 01/10/2015 13:18

How do we get the Christmas smilies to work?

Santa at Christmas for children..the sheer horror of it Confused

reni2 · 01/10/2015 13:24

Add in a farm visit and they are certain to fail their GCSEs 11 years later, they might miss a phonics session after all.

whois · 01/10/2015 13:43

This is hilarious. Thanks for the laugh!

My mum never took me to see FC. Not sue how I survived that terrible lack of FC grotto.

Luckily my best friends nanny took us both one evening.

Prettyeyedpiratesmile · 01/10/2015 13:47

OP have you got nothing else to worry about? YABVVVVU

Nancyanne · 01/10/2015 14:07

Sounds like a lovely school trip to me. Your bigger problem will be when some ponsey parent tells their child that Santa isn't real, when they're only about 6, and that kid tells the rest of the class. Happened to my kids. I had to convince them, that the child only thought Santa wasn't real cos he didn't get any presents, thru being naughty (and he was a very naughty kid). Thankfully they swallowed my explanation, and we had a good few more years of believing. Still remember DD asking me "how come everyone in our family buys us presents, except you ....and you're our Mum!" Er...