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Original poster

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

552 replies

JudesBiggestFan · 29/11/2021 15:22

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!

OP posts:
TimandGinger · 29/11/2021 23:35

OP I feel your pain. I’m in Scotland which is even worse for restrictions on children. We were told last year that the vaccines would be the solution. That was a lie. So now what? Restrictions forever?

SleepingStandingUp · 29/11/2021 23:46

[quote llm24]@SleepingStandingUp

I know it’s not a competition and never said it was but kids go to school to eventually sit exams and come away with the best results possible

In twenty years time a kid who is 5 is highly unlikely to remember covid stopped them from being in a nativity over a 17 year old who had an awful experience in their last few years at school[/quote]
Which was exactly my point. Just because they're doesn't mean it's only a nativity play. It's "not a competition" except it is, as your "it's my child's entire future and your kid won't even remember" proves.

SleepingStandingUp · 29/11/2021 23:48

[quote Benjispruce5]@SleepingStandingUp tell Ofsted that because they don’t care, don’t want any Covid excuses and will put a school straight into Requires Improvement if standards aren’t up to pre pandemic. How can they be??? So many chn didn’t engage with home learning.[/quote]
It isn't my job to tell them. It's my job to tell my kids teacher how much we appreciate them still trying to fit in some fun and normal in amongst trying to catch them up.

TempsPerdu · 29/11/2021 23:52

These same kids who won't have a nativity can still access a whole lot of enrichment outside of school

This absolutely smacks of privilege. A huge proportion of kids can’t.

SleepingStandingUp · 29/11/2021 23:53

These same kids who won't have a nativity can still access a whole lot of enrichment outside of school now they're open. Whilst they're open. If you can afford it.

champagnetruffleshuffle · 29/11/2021 23:55

Totally agree with Tempsperdu as well. The children have had the hardest time throughout this and I totally get why you are upset.

Sorry if it's already been said but have you asked the school if they can still do it and possibly record. Or do it in March or something so they don't miss out?

Benjispruce5 · 29/11/2021 23:55

@SleepingStandingUp that’s nice but it won’t make up for the awful stress of being told you have failed the class through no fault of your own.

SleepingStandingUp · 29/11/2021 23:57

[quote Benjispruce5]@SleepingStandingUp that’s nice but it won’t make up for the awful stress of being told you have failed the class through no fault of your own.[/quote]
I'm not saying it is, I'm merely accepting that as a lowly parent I have no power being gratitude

SleepingStandingUp · 29/11/2021 23:58

*beyond

Refrosty · 30/11/2021 00:18

@TempsPerdu

These same kids who won't have a nativity can still access a whole lot of enrichment outside of school

This absolutely smacks of privilege. A huge proportion of kids can’t.

Oh please, please don't talk to me about privilege when it suits you. Please just don't.
Refrosty · 30/11/2021 01:00

I'm quite sure that many teachers find themselves in an impossible situation of trying to please parents, management/ofsted and the kids. All at once. Magicians.

MyBeautifulFlower · 30/11/2021 03:42

Yep. And did you see rhe pictures of rhe teachers awards ceremony on Sunday night. Packed to tbe gunells with not a mask in sight, before the hypocrites go into school the next morning, and their unions whine for kids to wear masks in classrooms

Italiandreams · 30/11/2021 04:32

@MyBeautifulFlower what proportion of the teaching world do you think was at the awards ceremony? And which classroom teachers do you think are making the decision about the nativity? Your comment is ridiculous.

Italiandreams · 30/11/2021 04:43

It’s not unreasonable to be disappointed, it is unreasonable to start the blame game.

Benjispruce5 · 30/11/2021 06:42

Also pretty sure the teaching awards would have required Covid passes and negative tests to attend.

Twizbe · 30/11/2021 06:48

@Benjispruce5

Also pretty sure the teaching awards would have required Covid passes and negative tests to attend.
Could not parents take lateral flows before attending nativities as well.

Pop a mask on, limit numbers (2 per family), have more than one session.

There's lots that can be done to mitigate the risks and still allow Xmas traditions

CallmeHendricks · 30/11/2021 06:54

@Benjispruce5

Also pretty sure the teaching awards would have required Covid passes and negative tests to attend.
Yes and I'm also pretty sure that they would have taken place before Omicron was even heard of and masks in schools again (in England) weren't a thing. But let's not let little facts like that get in the way of a good old bash at teachers, eh, @MyBeautifulFlower?
echt · 30/11/2021 07:15

@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!
If you cut and paste the reasons given to you by the school, and they must have written something, the posters might have more to go on, is it arbitrary, etc.
amillionmenonmars · 30/11/2021 07:26

Bloody schools. Trying to keep students and staff safe by cutting down on unencessary mixing of large numbers indoors in order to try to keep the schools open for education. How dare they!

Honestly! You do know how many schools are struggling to stay open at the moment. When covid starts to spread through the school and staff are off ill it is almost impossible to get supply in to cover. Then the school will close during the day.

There is a reason why you can't go into the GP surgeries and sit in the waiting rooms, and why you can't get into a dentist without an appointment. There is a reason why medical professionals are wearing masks, and being extra cautious about having visitors. Of course, none of this seems to apply to schools, which is why covid spreads so quickly - especially amongst all of those unvaccinated children,.

Yes it's sad there are no nativity plays. It will be devastating if there are no in class lessons.

metellaestinatrio · 30/11/2021 07:28

@BogRollBOGOF

It's just a nativity (x2) It's just a Christmas fair (x2) It's just a sports day (x2 but you can watch the football/ tennis on TV) It's just a residential trip It's just a class outing (x2) It's just a disco It's just trick or treating It's just a scout camp It's just two birthdays It's just a birthday party (x a lot!) It's just a holiday It's just Christmas It's just a swimming lesson (or half of your allowence) It's just an open evening It's just a parent's evening It's just seeing your mum's face as you walk out of school after holding it together all day It's just a kiss before you walk through the school doors each morning It's just 10 minutes waiting for your sibling (do not play! Keep your distance!) It's just a play ground It's just SEN support It's just 6.5 months off school without access to friends (when you can hear the key worker children at playtime from your garden) It's just to keep granny safe (even though the care home rules banned you from seeing her and it's now over two years and you barely remember her)

Good job kids are resilient isn't it eh? Hmm
It's just a nativity after all.

Absolutely spot on. I could not agree more.

Luckily our school seems to have more of a “can do” attitude than some and is currently planning to go ahead with the nativity, with two performances and parents split between the two. We also managed a parent-attended (in masks) class assembly a couple of weeks ago - the first time we’d ever been inside the school, and my child is nearly 1/3 of the way through Y1.

Last year we were told the purpose of the restrictions was to buy time until vaccinations had been rolled out. That has now been done. Are we going to continue forever in this weird, restricted world where small children seem to lose out most of all?

Thebackofbeyondandback · 30/11/2021 07:30

¥There is a reason why you can't go into the GP surgeries and sit in the waiting rooms, and why you can't get into a dentist without an appointment

A rather dubious reason until recently, and not without pretty serious ramifications..

kungfupannda · 30/11/2021 07:44

Yes, it looks like my youngest’s school is going to have a parent-free nativity again. I’ve never been to one of his as he’s only year 1. If it was part of a robust package of restrictions, I wouldn’t have an issue, but they’re prone to making slightly random, isolated changes/restrictions that don’t actually reduce mixing to any great extent, due to the same combinations of people mixing in other school-related contexts.

WotgunShedding · 30/11/2021 08:02

The DfE tweeted this on Saturday (so after omicron was known about):

educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2021/11/26/can-christmas-plays-nativities-and-other-festive-events-in-schools-and-nurseries-go-ahead-this-year/

GaolBhoAlba · 30/11/2021 08:02

@TimandGinger

OP I feel your pain. I’m in Scotland which is even worse for restrictions on children. We were told last year that the vaccines would be the solution. That was a lie. So now what? Restrictions forever?
This is where i'm at (utterly scunnered, frankly). I'm also sick of hearing people say its 'just for now'. There is absolutely nothing to suggest ANY of this is 'just for now' - quite the opposite, everything points to permanency! Really interested to hear what the 'just for now' oeople know that I dont - enlighten me, how does this end?
Elephantsparade · 30/11/2021 08:14

Can i just give a slightly different perspective. Last year our nativities were recorded and sent home to parents for free. Parents in particular felt incredibly sad missing out on this right of passage. But many of the children coped with december so much better. There were less rehearsals and less performances giving more time for other things. A lot of children get very little out of the nativity and feel immense pressure and are out of sorts for weeks. And every year there are children whose parents cant come and they feel sad.
I do understand that performing is part of the national curriculumn and its a big tradition, but they can perform to other year groups and then bigger auidiences as they get older. I think the nativity had got too big and pressured in some schools anyway and needed scaling back.

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