to think it's very sad that some parents can't be bothered to take their children to the school christmas fair

[emkana]

And before you all start I know that there are 101 very good reasons why some parents can't take their children.

But some could and just choose not to and I think that's sad for their children and sad for the school.

Ain't going to kill them not to go. I think there's more important things to get worked up about. YABU. But don't mean it in horrid way, I just don't think it's a really big issue, in the big scheme of things, missing a Xmas fair is not really going to have a significant effect on children's health or development or emotional wellbeing.

Plus there's worse things than being a little bit lazy at times, especially when it's about something like this.

I don't want to go to the school Christmas fair.
I don't like fairs or fayres.

And I am out of the house for 13 hours every day and at the weekend I love having absolutely nothing planned.

It's not sad, it's just that some people don't want to go. Fair enough imo. oops unintended pun there

I don't even think it's lazy actually. I think it's an OPTIONAL activity.

I'm with you - we do a mix of family activities that we all enjoy at the weekend, and if there's something like this that we don't want to do, we don't do it, and I don't feel guilty about it. We always have a nice time and DSD is a well-adjusted and happy little thing.

well tbh I wouldn't like more people to turn up, it's so crowded. Makes me feel totally claustrophobic because I hate crowds anywhere.

I think I would have given it a miss myself if dd hadn't been performing on stage. Inconvenient time and everything - from 5 pm on Friday

its 7 miles away (SN school) and not on any bus route. Am I excused?

tortoiseshell are you the family Von Trapp?

Liesel - I sometimes wonder that! Next week dh is taking the kids to the school carol service - I can't go because I have a concert, dh is singing in the 'adults' choir, ds1 (6) and dd (4) are both singing in the key stage 1 choir, and I've no idea what ds2 (19months) will be doing through all of this....

IME, most kids do enjoy school Christmas fairs but how does anyone ever KNOW that another parent is "siting at home" on their "fat arses" being a "lazy fucker" unless that specific parent tells them that is the case ? ....

.... which, I'd have thought, they are unlikely to do.

IF someone readily told me that, then yes, I'd think it sad their kids missed out, but otherwise, what other people do (or not) about Christmas fairs doesn't prey on my mind too much.

This thread is so refreshing! I've had 2 nightmare Xmas Fayre experiences, so glad to hear I'm not alone. This is 1st year we only had relatively brief tears from only 2 children.
I don't blame anybody who skips it out.
And I have been on the PTA on the past, the things that are their biggest money-spinners are the same things that usually create the most tears in my lot. So nothing I can change about it.

We didn't take ours because we were visiting their grandparents 50 miles away, that's how lazy we are.

We went this year, I still LOVE going, maybe I am a big kid still!

Some of my fondest memories of Xmas growing up was the Xmas Fairs at school and as both my parents are teachers I often went to 3!

My DD1 loved taking her own money and being able to buy things herself.

I can see why people might not like them, as they can get claustrophobic, but I hope I never stop loving them.

There's a big difference between not being able to take your children to the fair and not being bothered!

I do think its sad when I hear parents say they can't be bothered to take their kids along. It is not for the parents - it is for the children and to raise money for the school.

I took my DSs last night to theirs, not much fun for me (I get stressed when they go off in different directions, I don't like crowds and am 37 weeks pg) but they loved it. They took some money each out of their piggy banks and used it for whatever they wanted and I paid for them to do a 'make and do' activity each. They came home with a few bits of tat (which they were really pleased with), a decent raffle prize and huge smiles!

I did do my 'time' with Xmas fairs and PTA. So glad teens school fair is held in their hall which is inaccessible to my wheelchair.
My other son is HE'd and the youngest is SN (to far no bus) but to be honest I loathed them. And the summer fair. I helped every farking year doing face painting or manning the stall and DH bought the kids. Overcrowded, tears, crap to buy and then overheard teachers sneering at the PTA 'do-gooders'

I didn;t go this year for the following reason

I could not be bothered

fighting through a packed school, with people tripping over the buggy, DD getting hit in the face with peoples' bags, spending a fortune on crapola that DS will be bored of after 10 minutes...

I spend every weekend on my own with the children due to DHs work, and I don;t want to spend it doing stuff that I don;t enjoy that makes things stressful.

does that make me a bad parent?

DS has not even mentioned it

furthermore, i donate to the school in many other ways

DS's first xmas fair was today and despite the rain, it was heaving.

Spent the best part of £30 but DS had great fun - took a liking to the ring toss but we did get a bottle of wine as a prize.

There was a classroom where only children could go in and pick a pressie and have it wrapped with fancy ribbons etc so DS bought one for his favourite aunt and one for his granny.

Glad we went and cant wait to see how much the school raised.

I suppose you could be "sat at home" because you're "broke", Emkana, to be fair..

We didn't go to DS's this year. I am run off my feet doing different things for different people. I just decided it would make the day (yesterday) unecessarilky complex! So I am so not torturing myself over it!

Can't be arsed to read the whole thread, my main reasons for often not doing the xmas fairs are...................

Being skint and not wanting to waste what little money we do have on plastic tat that DD will want for an hour

It being crammed in the school hall, with all the parents, children and pushchairs cramming in there after school - neither myself nor DD handle crowds well.

If it were on a Saturday then I would be more likely to go.

Ours was a nightmare, I'm claustrophobic! Had 2 glasses of mulled wine in as many seconds! Wouldn't blame anyone who didn't go, dd was dead keen though.

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