Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to expect parents not to drink at sports day?!?!

442 replies

KCAREYW1987 · 19/06/2017 15:59

Have just returned from a very hot primary school sports day. A group of parents decided to crack open a few cold cans of pimms at about 11am. AIBU to think that this is totally out of order at a primary school sports day? I mean I know it's not cans of super brew but still I would never dream of watching my little ones in the sack race while getting sloshed in the sun! Would love to hear other opinions on this.

OP posts:
StarHeartDiamond · 19/06/2017 19:28

Or, lager in lager glasses rather

LiveLongAndProspero · 19/06/2017 19:33

If she is having several units a day that is her own affair and none of your business. Your opinions were not sought. There are no medical or scientific reasons why an normally healthy person should not have say, 2 glasses of wine a day (could easily be 4 units) if they so choose. Or even more.

The proof of harm does not exist at that level.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 19/06/2017 19:35

Sorry, but that looks like a problem to me.

Hmm you've never even met the woman. Three half lagers would be about the same alcohol as 1 large glass of vino, what others may describe as 1 drink. You also don't even know whether when she says every day she means it literally or not. It's armchair diagnostics at its best.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 19/06/2017 19:38

livelongandprosper we are going to be accused of being defensive alcoholics in a minute Wink

LiveLongAndProspero · 19/06/2017 19:39

I'm glad you realise that, so stop doing it.
Whoever posted that is the only one who should be concerned with her own drinking, how about you monitor your own and leave other people to do the same?

Addley · 19/06/2017 19:40

It's not the amount each day that would worry me if it were my relative, it's more that it's every day. Even one drink a day would be making me wonder if there's a problem. Most people don't drink each and every day. It might not be a problem, but if you're drinking every day I think it's worth having a think about whether it might be something to be concerned about.

Louiselouie0890 · 19/06/2017 19:42

I'll never understand when or how a child's sports day turned into a place to drink alcohol. I find it bizarre.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 19/06/2017 19:43

I was agreeing with you livelongandprosper but hey ho some people will have an argument about anything......

MerchantofVenice · 19/06/2017 19:43

Louise It's because some school sports days are like celebratory picnics, and some people take the odd alcoholic drink on picnics.

HTH.

brasty · 19/06/2017 19:44

A few drinks is not three drinks every day. You are making assumptions. A few drinks may mean a glass of wine every night, and sometimes two.

MN seems to have some people who will defend excessive drinking, and others who think any alcohol regularly is a shuffle away from alcoholism.

MerchantofVenice · 19/06/2017 19:48

Addley I get that you're trying to do the whole concerned thing, but this thread wasn't really about how much other, totally random, people are drinking; it was about whether having a nice refreshing Pimms at a sports day was ok.

So the actual debate is about whether it's appropriate in the context, not whether individual posters might have 'a problem'.

Tbf if someone's genuinely an alcoholic, thy shouldn't be having a glass of wine in the pub on a Friday night, let alone on sports day... but that's not what this is about.

dinosaurbum · 19/06/2017 19:52

We get wine and nibbles at most school functions, we had a mothers day picnic and that involved Pimms!

I think it is slightly unreasonable for parents to bring there own as it could get a bit out of hand.

applesareredandgreen · 19/06/2017 19:53

I think this would have been fine if the school was selling this at an afternoon event but I think I would be a bit shocked to see parents taking their own alcohol along to an event at their child's school - particularly in the morning.

Caprianna · 19/06/2017 19:57

I think alcohol and school is a bad combination.

LiveLongAndProspero · 19/06/2017 20:01

Sorry, middleaged, I'm already pissed and confused about who I'm responding to!

Addley · 19/06/2017 20:04

I'm not trying to do "the concerned thing", just pointing out that drinking every day is not normal, in the context of someone commenting on a thread about drinking at school events saying she has alcohol every day Hmm I'm not concerned about the poster, frankly she can drink herself to death if she wants - entirely her choice; I have vices too - just saying that if it were my family member or myself I would consider it a cause for concern.

LynetteScavo · 19/06/2017 20:07

I also think it's fine if it's being sold, but not fine to pull a can out of your bag.

I personally don't like Pims, but a gin tent would be bloody genius.

The best thing about the summer fair is the cheap red wine

AvoidingCallenetics · 19/06/2017 20:07

Not sure why drinking during the day is seen as so much worse than a drink in the evening.
Some of these posts are totally hysterical - the country is not going to the dogs because parents have a couple of Pimms at sports day! I'm pretty sure that these grown arse adults, who make responsible decisions every day not to drink and driving, or walk home pissed with their dc in tow will not suddenly think 'ahh fuck it' just because there is a Pimms available!

The pearl clutchers need to stop infantilising other adults. If you don't want an alcoholic drink at sports day, then don't have one.

How much pimms would you need to drink before getting sloshed anyway - idn't it mostly lemonade and fruit? Not like they are downing bottles of scotch and snorting coke off each other's arses.

Floggingmolly · 19/06/2017 20:08

It all sounds very strange to me. At ours; you'd be frogmarched off the premises if you produced an alcoholic drink at a school event.
Wouldn't be surprised if it prompted a report to social services either, as they'd assume you had it bad.

SaucyJack · 19/06/2017 20:20

"The pearl clutchers need to stop infantilising other adults."

It's now infantilising someone to suggest that a morning sports event held at a primary school isn't an appropriate place to BYOB?!?

Dear Lord. Would you drink at a library? In hospital? At work? Is there anywhere you'd consider off-limits?

This thread reminds me of that alkie boyfriend Monica in Friends had who got pissed at the zoo.

AvoidingCallenetics · 19/06/2017 20:29

They are not getting pissed though, are they? And they are not at work or in hospital - they are chilling in a field for the afternoon, with a picnic probably and socialising with friends. I honestly can't see the harm tbh. I very much doubt that anyone is going to get hammered and behave badly - most adults manage to get through every day without doing so.

But like I said, if you don't want to then don't. It doesn't appeal to me either, but if some other adult wanted to, then I wouldn't think they were raging alcoholics. That's a huge leap.

Aducknotallama · 19/06/2017 20:41

At my son's school there is wine (free!) at sports day,
information evenings, parents evenings etc. At most school events and they also provide sandwiches/ cakes etc. When he first started I thought it was odd but a couple of glasses take the edge of parent' s evenings now he is 15 Wink

MrsHathaway · 19/06/2017 20:44

How much pimms would you need to drink before getting sloshed anyway - idn't it mostly lemonade and fruit?

Shit, I'm making it wrong. Ours is dangerously alcoholic! Maybe two parts lemonade and one part fruit to each part Pimps?

BandeauSally · 19/06/2017 20:45

Wtf is this need for alcohol to be at everything? I don't get it. Why do people need to drink at a school sports day?

Vanillaisboring666 · 19/06/2017 20:51

Both my kids schools have never served or sold wine or pimms . I'm jealous of you all that get offered it haha itv definitely would make parents evening more enjoyable