About Christmas plays

[nativityhumbug]

I think they should be banned. In my school, we spend about 3 hours a week for 4 weeks rehearsing. The kids hate it and I feel we could spend the time doing something a lot morr fun... or dare I say it, educational. Aibu?

From what I read here most of the fun has been leeched out of schools in the UK so ffs let them have their Christmas play. I have three very different kids (though none that ever had a sniff of a "starring role") and they all loved the experience. Yes, it's a bit tedious as a parent sometimes sitting through another couple of hours after your darling has done their bit but every child deserves the applause of a full hall so I'll smile and clap until the end.

Mine have never been in a nativity or seen one.

I actually asked DS 14 yesterday if he knew the Christmas story and he doesn't. DD 16 does because they covered it in history last year, so I guess he'll cover it next year.

I teach year one and unfortunately We have had to cancel our Christmas play this year due to losing half the school (including the hall) to flood damage 2 weeks ago.
Children, parents and staff have been heartbroken - props and costumes were destroyed, lines learned and practised will go to waste, all that hard work and anticipation just gone.

We are going to have a "celebration" at the local church where the parents can watch and the children will sing their songs but it just isn't logistically possible to perform the whole play there.

Don't take these things for granted - I think you'd miss it if it was really taken away.

@crustycrab I am a teacher. I agree the children enjoy the actual performance but I think far too much time is spent rehearsing. I try each day to inject enthusiasm into the rehearsal but the majority find it dull.

@Wheredidigowrongggggg yes, it's fun for the children who have lines, but most don't.

@stardust40 this sounds perfect, 2 weeks before!

I hated these as a child too - like glueandstick because they involved too many children being "the chorus" and sitting about with nothing to do, watching the same 8 kids as last year rehearse the actual production.It didn't help that it was always a musical at my primary - stick the kids who can't sing in the chorus and make them watch the ones who can sing be fawned over...

Reception class nativities are ok but by juniors they're awful if you're not one of the stars, which at my primary hinged on your singing voice.

Thankfully they're an extra curricular at the primary my kids went to, as they are at secondary.

The arts should be part of the curriculum, but by doing varied things in music and drama and art lessons, not by devoting a big clump of time to something only genuinely involving 20% of the kids - children over 5 know when they're a bit part or surplus to requirements...

HoldMyLobster they covered it in history at age 15? I hope with intellectual rigour, analytical discussion of primary and secondary sources, examination of how the biblical cannon was compiled etc. ?

I do think we have to take a bit of responsibility for passing on cultural capital including the stories, mythology etc required to understand our culture ourselves, but doubt any child in the UK, where RE is compulsory, gets to their teens without having heard the Christian nativity story...

I used to love these kinds of things...

And I really do think that learning how to comfortably put on a show, speaking clearly and loudly to a large audience, practicing together etc are fairly important skills and experiences.

I went to my DB's DC performance last year and I really enjoyed it. It was lovely.
and they were all so proud of their little performance. And it was really obvious that the teachers did their very best to include everyone and give everyone a bit of the spotlight.

YABU. Many children love the experience...my own among them. One of my DD's says it;s the best part of the year..she loves acting and isn't very academic. She often gets a lead part and it's the one thing she shines at.

I think it's how the school manage it to be honest. My children did class nativity in year R, when it's still adorable!, yrs 1 and 2 church carol service, then in Juniors they had to opt in to drama club so everyone keen and its an evening show👍. They also do an opt in panto at the secondary(also evening). Personally I love them. The next 2 weeks are all concerts and events every evening, will be shattered but in the spirit!!

If there is one thing I hate about the British school system it is that small children are taught that time is incredibly tight and they must not on any account waste it on anything that can't be quantified.

Also think it can be good for children to learn to get some fun and pride out of being third lamb on the left. It is the job of the parent to shine with pride at the third lamb of the left and make them feel there is something special about it. The idea that nothing is worthwhile unless you are the centre of attention is joy-sucking. And for the record, none of my children ever had a star part.

My son and daughter's school did the same traditional Nativity every year. I saw the same play for about 8 years on the trot and I loved it! Nothing makes me feel more Christmassy and emotional than small children singing "Away in a Manger".
My children are adults and the grandchildren are in senior school and I really miss the Christmas performances. They all enjoyed the preparation and performance too.

My DD has been practicing for a few weeks now. But it's a couple of times a week max. They are learning the songs in their music lesson. Their 'outdoor' pe lesson (which they haven't been able to do due to weather) is rehearsal. This week is stepped up a bit... By the main characters missing assembly. And I think she misses art too. (Lead character). But she's loving it this year.

I've seen a variety of plays at three different schools. Once they had an Ofsted coming up so they couldn't practice to the week before. The teacher narrated, the children just acted, and the songs were sung with the CD. Still lovely.

Are your kids nervous? Then I'd understand it, I'd say it's tough getting up in front of all those parents

Yabu. All children should get the chance to experience speaking in public and plays are a great way to do this. State schools generally don't offer nearly enough chances to develop experience in speaking in public. It is why all my children go to drama /lamda classes as well. I know so many adults who are terrified of public speaking.

I hated it. I went to a small primary school and it was always the same kids who got the big parts. Fair enough they were the better readers but I was this ugly kid who was average at best when it came to reading out loud so I got minor roles. Was so boring just sitting around while the others practiced and the favourites were being fawned over.

I spent several years rehearsing plays with reception age children and I agree they hated it. Most of them got nothing from it and they were really bored. With a new supervisor we switched to just doing songs for the parents instead, the children still dressed up and the parents came to watch. A lot more of the children could participate and rehearsals were 15 minutes a day.

OUr school had a change of head a couple of years ago. The previous head loved her Christmas extravaganza. Three different shows put on by different parts of the school. The oldest group would start practising after October half term and would practice at least two afternoons a week. If your child had only a minor role or was a "singer", then they spent all that time sitting on the hall floor. The shows were horrific. A particular low light was Pirates of the Currybean which went on for about 2 hours.

New head came in, couldn't believe the time wasted, scrapped the shows. Now we have a short infant nativity, then the older children do carol singing. So much better. Parents SO much happier.

They are NOT an important part of the school curriculum and I say that as a teacher. It's all well and good for the children with main parts, but the ones in the choir and the one liners will be sat there for hours upon hours on end listening to others. I agree, they are lovely for parents to watch and to see their child but I really don't think people understand how much work goes into them. The story of Christmas could be taught so many other ways.

NeverTwerkNaked children don't learn about public speaking by being "in the chorus" year after year. Only a few children get parts they might get any educational or psychological benefit out of, the rest just get practice in sitting on the floor/ PE benches bored out of their minds for hours per week.

I'm pretty confident speaking in public and regularly have to do so in my second language which I don't speak perfectly, but I never once had a part in a school play...

It's all booted off at DC's school because the head has, actually, cancelled the KS1 nativity in order to give 6 & 7 year old's more time in the classroom. It has all kicked off big time.

Fortunately mine are both now KS2 but I would have been raging to have been denied my opportunity to watch DD as an angel or DS as an inn keeper. Mine are not especially arts/drama inclined but I think it's valuable for them to learn the discipline of learning lines/songs/routines and experience standing up and speaking in front of an audience.

I love them, as a teacher and as a parent