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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Excluding one child from birthday party bags

334 replies

seaclaidte · 08/03/2021 00:00

Would you blame me?

This child has targeted my DS with his nasty comments, including calling him a Paki.
He also put his hands around my sons neck. The teacher brushed both items off as boys being boys type of thing but that's another story.

Both boys are 9 years old.

OP posts:
Brainwave89 · 08/03/2021 09:35

The school's response is inadequate and I would not have accepted this. Aggressive and racist behaviour should have been challenged and properly logged. If this is not done, it is not clear and appropriate support action taken, it is not clear that this child's behaviour will improve. I would not leave him out of the class sweet bags though. It sounds to me like he has wider issues, and I would not single him out.

starfishmummy · 08/03/2021 09:40

I think it would depend. If your son is taking in half a dozen (or whatever) bags for his friends then its OK to leave a child out. If hes taking them for the whole class then no you can't. At my son's school any class treats were dealt with by the staff and theu would have had something to say about leaving one child out of a class treats.

Chimeraforce · 08/03/2021 09:42

Why's he invited?

Hankunamatata · 08/03/2021 09:44

In our school - teacher wont hand out the bags of there isnt one for every child.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 08/03/2021 09:45

When they go low, we go high.
So say the Obamas.
Or do one for each child, name them and put less in that childs bag.
Or save yourself some cash and scrap it.

Greenmarmalade · 08/03/2021 09:45

No! Not remotely acceptable.

This is not how you should deal with a problem.

He’s a CHILD and you have no idea of his home life or trauma he may have been through. Give him a chance to grow and learn.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 08/03/2021 09:45

The school are unlikely to cooperate with you excluding one child.

A child of 9 who's calling another child "paki" likely has some pretty poor role models at home so you are probably excluding a child who needs positive influence more than most.

ineedaholidaynow · 08/03/2021 09:50

@Chimeraforce it's not a party, just bringing party bags into class for all children apart from one.

lunar1 · 08/03/2021 09:52

I completely understand how you feel, there is a nasty little shit in DS1's class who has injured him more than once, called him Paki repeatedly along with other racist names. The school deal with each incident individually rather then expelling the brat.

They are 12 now and his behaviour gets worse every year. There have been a few suspensions and as the children get older they are all calling him out on his behaviour.

Even with all this, (and trust me I hate the child) I wouldn't do something for the class and exclude him. Keep the moral high ground. I know I've used horrible language to describe him here, but in real life I'm far more dignified over the situation.

mainsfed · 08/03/2021 09:53

The number of people minimising the racism and homophobia on this thread is depressing.

OP, maybe you could give party bags just to DS's close friends?

mainsfed · 08/03/2021 09:54

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

A child of 9 who's calling another child "paki" likely has some pretty poor role models at home so you are probably excluding a child who needs positive influence more than most.

Yes let's reward children for calling other children P*.

DenisetheMenace · 08/03/2021 09:56

“9 years old is still very young”

Disagree. 9 is plenty old enough to be aware of racism and to understand that it’s wrong.

mainsfed · 08/03/2021 09:58

Pictish

A lot of you seem to be focusing on the racial slur, which I agree is a matter for the school and they should be made aware of it, of course. It’s not a worse sort of insult though...the fat kid doesn’t want to be called names either.

Are you seriously say it's worse to call someone fat than it is to call them a P*? What is wrong with you?

mam0918 · 08/03/2021 10:08

@bridgetreilly

There is no party. Just party bags that are given out in class.

Huh? What is this new level of bonkers? If there's no party, there's no need for party bags. Which resolves the issue with this other child nicely. Move on.

Its hardly unusual, most kids take things in to share amoung the class on their birthday.

As the teachers hand them out at the end of class though Im pretty certain you cant exclude 1 child it has to be whole class or non.

CallmeHendricks · 08/03/2021 10:11

I'm surprised the school is getting involved with giving out party bags in class in the first place, let alone in the current climate.
But I would highly doubt they would do so if one child was left out.

Chewingle · 08/03/2021 10:12

Op

You are an adult. A parent.

This is serious. Why the heck are you focusing on such a stupid detail as birthday party bags. Yes of course give the child in question one of the bags. You’re not 6 years old.

However, my goodness - if I was in your position and concerned about bullying and racism, I wouldn’t be thinking I could teach the child a lesson by a daft petty action like this.

I would be relentlessly pursuing the school to deal with this appropriately.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 08/03/2021 10:15

The school deal with each incident individually rather then expelling the brat

That's because its actually extremely difficult to expel children now.

However the school should be doing far more about the racism, its disgusting

ginghamstarfish · 08/03/2021 10:16

Surely kids shouldn't be handing stuff out at school given the present circumstances?

WhatFreshHell · 08/03/2021 10:16

OP ought to be asking a different question: AIBU to dole out party bags for a party that's not happening?

Leaving aside the "bad" child, it's a completely batshit idea. No party, no bags. If you absolutely have to, do as PP have suggested, and send in some mini bags of Haribo or something.

And, no, you obviously can't leave anyone out if you are going to send something to school (though I can understand why you might want to).

I would follow up the other problems with school - though do be a bit cautious. If your child is hearing bad language at school, it is not necessarily coming from this particular classmate. There are lots of 9 yr olds with older siblings who don't moderate their language when they should do. That happens in all schools (I remember one girl in my DD's class who used all sorts of choice language which she had learnt from her older brothers - and that was a small independent class of naice little girls).

The other boy putting his hands round your son's neck could either be a seriously vicious act, or it could be boys being boys. It's impossible to know. This sort of thing is a complete minefield, especially with children of that age. They are all capable of exaggerating, especially in order to get another child into trouble. They are also capable of behaving in deviant ways - almost always as a result of something they have witnessed or experienced at home.

Racism is not on, and the whole class needs to have this reinforced in PSHE or whatever it's called nowadays (again, no point singling out any one individual). This is something schools should take seriously.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 08/03/2021 10:19

Yes let's reward children for calling other children P*.

Where did I say that?
Theres a fucking huge difference between rewarding a child and not excluding one.

Do you really think total social ostracization will make this child less racist?

Of course calling another child that is totally unacceptable but surely the focus should be on trying to change the childs perspective/combat the racism at the core. I'm sure there was punishment for it at the time, if not then that's a matter to be taken up with the school separately.

pictish · 08/03/2021 10:19

@mainsfed

Pictish

A lot of you seem to be focusing on the racial slur, which I agree is a matter for the school and they should be made aware of it, of course. It’s not a worse sort of insult though...the fat kid doesn’t want to be called names either.

Are you seriously say it's worse to call someone fat than it is to call them a P*? What is wrong with you?

I'm saying that name calling is common among children and horrible under any guise, not just racism. There's nothing wrong with me.
Thundercats77 · 08/03/2021 10:20

As much as I would also not like to give the little shit a party bag, you will need to give him one.

You need to escalate these issues to the head. It is unacceptable behaviour and as a pp has suggested, escalate it to the local authority if need be. Very sad to hear the derogatory racist name calling still goes on in this day and age and such a young age at that.

This child has learnt this behaviour somewhere so it needs to be addressed.

Chewingle · 08/03/2021 10:23

@pictish

* I'm saying that name calling is common among children and horrible under any guise, not just racism.*

You don’t think there is a spectrum of severity?!

ChameleonClara · 08/03/2021 10:28

If a child hears their family, the people they love and look up to most, using racist terms, then at age 9 it is quite unrealistic to expect them to listen to teachers instead. This will however change as children grow up - when they stop idealising parents and start to have their own views.

Topsytur · 08/03/2021 10:29

I'm clearly in the minority here because would I heck give him a party bag after racially and physically abusing my DS Confused

What do people say about not rewarding bad behaviour..

OP YANBU at all and I'm sure if you asked people IRL instead of mumsnet you would get a very different response.

If you bully my child don't expect invites to parties, play dates or bloody party bags.

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