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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to tell you that you ruined the carol service

137 replies

Starrystar · 04/12/2017 20:36

Took my Rainbow to a girlguiding carol service tonight, put on for the local community. The Rainbows, Brownies and Guides did really well - sang beautifully and delivered some lovely readings and prayers, but the service was marred, and the girls distracted by approx half a dozen young kids shouting, screaming and complaining. And aside from a bit of half hearted sshhh-ing from parents rolling their eyes in a "oh bless them" sort of way, they were allowed to run amok.

I'm so annoyed - if you cant control your fucking children, take them home.

And breathe.

OP posts:
chiaseeddisapointmentagain · 04/12/2017 20:37

Why don't you actually say something at the time not make a post they'll never see? Too scared?

ghostyslovesheets · 04/12/2017 20:37

what a Christian attitude Grin

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 04/12/2017 20:39

Hopefully some mners seeing this post will think twice about letting their little darlings do the same thing.

Yanbu OP, I hate this.

JonSnowsWife · 04/12/2017 20:40

I'm so annoyed - if you cant control your fucking children, take them home.

Just checking, you're not a Sunday school teacher are you? Grin

WhooooAmI24601 · 04/12/2017 20:41

How young were they? For toddlers/pre-schoolers a carol service with readings wouldn't be especially thrilling. For anyone above the age of 5 a certain level of behaviour is expected (with the obvious exception of children who are unable to stand still/quietly because of additional needs/issues).

MaisyPops · 04/12/2017 20:42

YANBU
It's not too much to ask parents to keep their children behaving appropriately. It's not cute or funny when kids run around the place like everywhere is their playground.

Though no doubt someone will be along to tell you yabu and then by page 4 someone will ask you 'how can you be sure those children didn't have additional needs?'

Original poster
Starrystar · 04/12/2017 20:49

I'm pretty sure there were no additional needs and I'm not trying to be inflammatory, but these kids (probably around four or five in age) were so loud and boisterous, and the parents were absolutely ruled by their offspring. I'd have been mortified had my daughter ever behaved like that. It's nurture, not nature and if your kid is as irritating as that, you're not doing it right. Bloody wet lettuce parents.

OP posts:
pointythings · 04/12/2017 20:52

Not me, guv. I don't go to carol services.

Original poster
Starrystar · 04/12/2017 20:54

Ba ha ha ha!

OP posts:
MaisyPops · 04/12/2017 20:56

Starrystar
I know you're not.
Just there's almost always a couple of people who turn up on any thread that is a standard OP wants to let off steam because some 'parents let their children be badly behaved' and despite thr OP being totally reasonable (and the fact 99% of us would feel the same about a parent going 'aww' at bad behaviour), they'll turn it into some attack on thr OP.

Ragwort · 04/12/2017 21:02

Sadly there are some parents who just don't seem to see that their own children are misbehaving, at our Remebrance Service this year there was some ghastly lively child, calling out, giggling during the silence, just been generally loud and disruptive the whole time (clearly the younger sister of a Brownie) and the mother - who was not a Leader so didn't even need to be there - just looked on indulgently at her little darling.

Why do parents not see how badly behaved their children are? Angry.

My DS was no angel, but the second he misbehaved in any sort of 'public' event (or private event for that matter) I would take him out.

Julie8008 · 04/12/2017 21:03

I thought carol services were supposed to be fun, not professional concerts. Confused

SirGawain · 04/12/2017 21:06

what a Christian attitude. Being a Christian does not mean you have to tolerarate bad behavior from anyone. It might, however, influence exactly how you respond.

IJoinedJustToPostThis · 04/12/2017 21:10

Being a Christian does not mean you have to tolerarate bad behavior from anyone.

Ahem.

"Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 04/12/2017 21:11

Not so much 'fun' Julie8008 for the poor children who have put a lot of effort into rehearsals and their performance on the night just to have it ruined by young kids

HumphreyCobblers · 04/12/2017 21:15

It is not much fun for the child whose lines/song is inaudible through toddler screaming.

I have had two children who couldn't behave in this situations. I did not take them into concerts as I couldn't guarantee their behaviour.

SirGawain · 04/12/2017 21:16

IJoinedJustToPostThis I would advise against engaging in a game of Bible Ping Pong with me.

underneaththeash · 04/12/2017 21:16

You can always tell from these threads who the parents are who let their young children run amok.
It's fairly basic parenting to understand that you need remove your child from a situation if they are disturbing others..especially when it's something the children have worked hard towards.

NerrSnerr · 04/12/2017 21:18

I have been sat at home all evening with my children so I don’t think I ruined anyone’s carol concert but as the thread title says I did I’m sorry.

JonSnowsWife · 04/12/2017 21:23

I went to church for years, trust me the bloody adults who 'd stand there having a bloody gossip session talking loudly over the Sunday school teacher trying to teach was just as disrespectful as the 4yo who was only happy when punching some other kid/being equally loud, constantly.

You can always tell from these threads who the parents are who let their young children run amok.

Can you? My DS has ASD & ADHD, I don't take him to these things because I know he'll run amok and can't cope, trust me we've tried on a number of times before, (phones and headphones are a godsend - pun not intended).

Still didnt mean I got pissed off at the lady in front of me ay one of DDs school plays though. Who thought it was cute to let her kid run around all over and get up and down like a bloody yo yo throughout the whole performance. I'm a shortarse lady, I need your ass to sit so I can still see! Grin

leccybill · 04/12/2017 21:23

I'd have been annoyed too. Just teach your children to be quiet and sit still. SEN issues aside, it's not difficult.

Gilead · 04/12/2017 21:26

One wonders why someone so very judgemental is attending church...

mineofuselessinformation · 04/12/2017 21:26

Ghostly, this has nothing to do with being Christian, but rather more parents teaching their children how to behave on social occasions.

GoldenWondering · 04/12/2017 21:32

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

milliemolliemou · 04/12/2017 21:32

Perhaps mention it for next year - younger children at back of hall to be taken out by parents if they are over excited? Clearly chia it's awkward for a parent to say something at the time and not disrupt it further and ghosty why is it unChristian to hope younger children won't disrupt something their brothers and sisters have practised hard to present?