AIBU to think parents are overprotective??

[Teacher21]

I teach at a school with 25% Service Children...my husband is in the Army too. I have put together a fabulous day with our.local Army Units doing activities for the whole school. No mean feat for 285 children. The Army personnel want to give some water bottles, pens etc out to the children at the end of the day. Ive been told we cant do that as some parents may be offended!! Its the British Army, they are a real thing! Its not propaganda its a bloody water bottle. AIBU to want to tell the parents of their little precious kid to get a grip?

My DH was in the army, he was discharged on medical grounds before we met. He would be proud for our children to join, I would hate it.

However we both feel it's important we acknowledge the sacrifice these men and women make to keep our country safe and we have help for heroes badges and mugs, tops etc so a water bottle would be great.

If they are so offended by the British army then they wouldn't be going anyway would they.

Teen DS is in the British Army.

He's willing to put his life on the line to protect his country & folk are objecting that the army exists and dares to try to have good community relations and recognise the contributions they make (like employing 1/4 of the school parents). So many MNers turn nose up at military service with "not for people like us" attitude.

Thank goodness DS could join the Army before 18. Steady job, gaining skills, got drivers license, financially independent. I'm tempted to embrace a bit of snobbery next time I read a MN thread about feckless teen doing sod all at home.

If we didn't have an army, we would be insanely vulnerable and would be invaded in a heartbeat.
Would you like to live under a Russian government?
Honestly I'm absolutely completely all for peace talks first and foremost but we need to be able to protect and defend ourselves! Anyone who is against the army just needs a good dose of reality and common sense!

Is it a plastic, single use water bottle and a plastic pen? That would be my issue as a teacher and a parent.

The whole country isn't going to be celebrating Armed Forces Day though. It's a celebration day but observance isn't compulsory, and for most people it will probably pass with little notice.

I don't think it's unreasonable to have a day at a school about the Army as long as recruitment is not the purpose. Giving children the choice of taking the bottles/pens home is a good response.

We had a talk in school from the fire service and kids got pencils and stickers. Have the free gifts on a table near the exit and then if they don't want their kid to have one they can walk on past.

I'm sure some people object to there being an army presence where you are. I'm in NI and I think we all know that opinions on army presence are really divided. If I felt that strongly about it or would withdraw my child from the whole event but in reality i' d be confident enough that a water bottle wouldn't sway my children from the beliefs and values we hold.