To feel really sad about this.

[Highlandfling80]

Dd3 started nursery class in a state school in September. Already we have had a letter about a Grandparents Day. Sound lovely a chance for grandparents to come into school and do a craft activity with their grandparents.
Unfortunately Dd3 has no grandparents. 3 out of the 4 died before she was born and the remaining one last year.
I just feel so sad that we are likely to have years of these days.

Imsick I see your point. Luckily we don't have family falling over themselves to spend an afternoon in school, so we've not been faced with that problem. I hadn't considered that it could be a divisive thing in some families...

It's like weddings with step-parents and who gets to sit on the top table.

I'd have been the kid at school without grandparents. However if this is handled well, maybe its a really nice way of getting all the kids to interact with older people in the community?

So those that don't have grandparents won't miss out.

At my school we have grandparents 'or significant others' day. I'm sure yours will be the same.

We had these when my daughter was at infants but due to all sorts of difficulties i would say only 50% had GP's there. None of my daughters lived close enough so one went for three years but the children who didn't have GP there borrow them from other children and the GP's ended up with little groups of children.

Do you have an elderly neighbour who would fancy it?

How many grandparents actually show up? We've never had a Grandparents Day, but both sets live too far away anyway. I would have thought that kids with a grandparent close enough to come, and not otherwise engaged would be in the minority.

It would make me feel sad too as it's a reminder of what is missing.. but I can't imagine the turn out would be high due to death, illness, being disabled, working, living far away, poor relationship etc. People who have youngish active healthy close-by grandparents are few and far between!

I can think of a couple of kids who DO have available Grandparents - these Grandparents do drop offs, pick ups and 'Stay and Plays' so are already part of the school community. The most likely Grandparent in my kids lives to attend is technically a step grandparent who juggles a job, a special interest that takes up a lot of time, still has one child at home, and a few sets of Grandkids. She is ace with my kids, but I can't see the benefit of her going to massive lengths to be part of their school life for one day. Others have a 2.5 hour drive.
I think the generic ones are better. Ours do 'stay and play' where any adult can be part of half a dozen activities in the hall. They do it twice, to split up the crowd, and so more kids are in class that the hall at any point in time.

Yes it is because it's a reminder that they are missing from her life. At least my older two girls have memories. I guess it is up to us to try and share as much as possible about them.

I will probably go assuming the school agree.

I went to one for my niece, I would have been a very young granny at the time but no one questioned it. Have you got anyone else who could go, someone in the family without children/grandchildren might enjoy being a pretend grandparent for a day.