To be annoyed they've cancelled my son's nativity

[JudesBiggestFan]

I'm just so tired of the arbitrary and pointless decisions that rob children and parents of yet more joy.
Last year my son had his nativity play cancelled at preschool. This year, the school (after designating him a shepherd and giving him a line...the excitement!) have cancelled again. Because Covid. Never mind all the pubs, restaurants, Christmas shopping, family parties that all the kids, teachers and parents will be going to.
The nativity is some kind of super spreader event that must be forfeited!
It's not going to make the news, but I'm just so bloody tired of it all. He'll never be this little and innocent again...I tolerated it last year but my patience is gone.
Anyone who wants to be is jabbed, we have lateral flows, it's as safe as it ever will be.
Yet the commercial stuff can go on, but the pure joyful ness of a kids Christmas nativity can't. Just wanted to vent really. No point complaining in real life anymore!

I hear you! My kids are older and they’ve got to wear masks all day in school meanwhile nightclubs at full capacity. Makes me sad too.

Are they not even doing it for themselves? Our school doesnt do any parents on site events, but the kids all still do the normal events just to a much smaller audience.

They managed to stream the last year one on a specific password protected site.

Nursery is missing a trick here they could sell DVDs

It’s a shame they aren’t doing it and recording it for parents to watch but I don’t have any issue with schools deciding they don’t want the hall jam packed with people at the moment

Not in UK but we are not supposed to sing indoors in classes so rehearsals would have been impossible.

The most cases I’ve seen have been in schools. So I’m not surprised.

Totally agree OP, it's shit and it just feels neverending now. There will always be new variants, so I don't see when we'll ever be "allowed" to live life normally again and actually plan things with any certainty

It's sad for you but transmission in schools is very high and it's presumably been risk assessed as unwise.

It's sad for you. But it's also sad for everyone else. It's not pointless. I know it's shit but I tell you what's been really heartbreaking this year - watching my good friend grieve the loss of her 42-year-old, previously perfectly healthy sister. It shocked me so much and it makes these cancellations... not easier, exactly, but the reasons a little more tangible.

My daughters school cancelled it completely last year, but this year they are streaming it on a secure link.

Transmission is highest in 5-9 year olds currently. I can understand why!

Ours is going ahead but being filmed by a professional company so we all have to pay £15 to watch it!

Ridiculous! You can get drunk and snog random fuckers in a nightclub but you can't have a nativity.

Yes I feel for you

Why not at least do the liturgy within the school?

We’ve not been told if year 3 will be allowed to participate in the nativity as so many of them are going off with covid

I’m not bothered for my sake as a parent just for the kids who are missing out

@LettertoHermoine

Ridiculous! You can get drunk and snog random fuckers in a nightclub but you can't have a nativity.

It's not the same thing. It's been explained why already.

Ah, I totally sympathise. The first nativity is a special thing for parents. I wonder if it’s because so many young children are off with covid (or will be off?) and that would make rehearsals and performances a nightmare. One class in my son’s primary school has over half off with covid at the moment. It might just be a near-impossible job to arrange a nativity this year. Just thinking 🤔

YANBU - DDs is supposed to be next week, they have done nothing but practice it for the last 2 weeks and I am dreading them cancelling it

That is sad. We had things filmed last year instead

Seems concerts are still going on though this year

Yanbu. Cases are high but hospitalizations and deaths are not, especially if you look at the rates among vaccinated people.

cases don't matter if they aren't making people really ill

YANBU

I’ve not so much as set foot in my sons nursery. No chance in hell of any Christmas events. Have to pick him up from outside wearing a mask. Yet can do most other normal things, stand in a crowded Christmas market etc. So much they are missing out on

I'd rather they cancel than see people get ill. I want school to last all the way to term end. That's more important.

Ours is being recorded and parents/families can watch it later.

@DeepaBeesKit

Yanbu. Cases are high but hospitalizations and deaths are not, especially if you look at the rates among vaccinated people.

cases don't matter if they aren't making people really ill

My thoughts exactly. Cases doesn't mean anything and it makes no sense to base decisions on case numbers alone.

I really hope my own DDs doesn't end up cancelled. It's her last one (year 2) and she's got a part and lines, worked so hard learning them and she'll be devastated if it doesn't happen. Not a life changing event obviously but, like so many kids, she's missed out on a lot already and this is one that she won't get a chance to do again. The schools cases have been very low since the start though and they seem pretty competent in assessing the actual risks so I'm hopeful.

My DCs are older (yr5 and yr7) but until I read this thread I hadn't thought about the fact that my younger one isn't practicing for an Xmas show as would be usual at this time of year. My yr7 has been for an in-school one (so just for the other years), and there may be a music club performance though he's been quite cagey with the details!
But it's surprising how quickly you get used to the new "normal".
I do understand why schools are doing it, but I don't see why they kids can't do it and it be filmed, that's what my yr6 DC did last year.

No one knows enough about Omnicron at this point in time.

It’s pure soul sucking misery. I agree 100%