Dragons live forever, but not so little boys

[MossGrowsFat]

Aibu to reject the suggestion that this summers leavers sing Puff the Magic Dragon?

Not least because of the drug reference, but because the parents will weep?

I'm going against the mood in this thread! I think it's a lovely song, perfectly describes children growing up and moving on. It's not maudlin at all. It's a sweet song. It has a Peter Pan quality (Wendy, John and Michael grew up and forgot Peter, but he came back for Wendy's daughter, Jane.)

And if it's just about the parents crying, definitely YABU. Parents are supposed to cry at these points in their children's lives

He doesn't leave a friendship with a dragon, he stops believing dragons exist.

It's about "putting away childish things" and moving on. No more imaginary friends and toy swords. It's bitter-sweet not purely sad. Honor Lee is the internal world of children's imagination.

by which I'm agreeing with you JestersTear, I think.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it or that its crying -sad tbh. But I've never found my children growing up sad ( and my youngest still plays imaginary games with his toy swords at home even though he's in his second year at secondary school ).

@Rosehugger no one is saying that you lose your imagination or no longer have one when you grow up. Rather, imagination grows up with you.

Developmentally, young children (in early childhood) can’t differentiate fantasy or fiction from reality. Then as we grow older and approach middle childhood we are able to understand that fiction/fantasy is not real.

If that does not happen and you really cannot tell the difference between fiction or fantasy and reality then something is seriously wrong and that would be sad.

Do you still believe that Santa is real? The Easter Bunny? Fairies, mermaids and other magical creatures?

Age 11 isn't early childhood - early childhood uis up to age 7 maximum. You leave the young child's absolute belief in dragons and fairies behind by the end of primary and develop the ability to choose to use your imagination creatively and to pretend to believe when it suits circumstances if you are developing typically - it's normal cognitive development and necessary for survival.

I love that song and I would be crying buckets to it

I can cry at the thought of a leavers assembly! I need no encouragement! But it's not about the parents feelings!

I think for the kids sake it should be uplifting, looking forward to their next stage of life!

half the parents bawling isn't helpful.

they need to choose something that gives the kids confidence & enthusiasm from their old school for their new school!

Perhaps replace it with 'The Laughing Policeman'?

Who coincidentally was (I think I can reveal this now) a covert member of the Regional Crime Squad - Drugs Wing in Honahlee. 🤐

It's a beautiful song and I love it, but would definitely make me cry at a leavers' assembly (maybe that's what they're going for!)

It's a lovely song, and I don't think it is particularly sad. As others have said, it is about growing up and moving on, which surely is suitable for leavers? I don't remember anyone crying over it when I was singing it at school.

Oh help I'm crying just thinking about it...

... because they become men. The song is about a child growing up and leaving childhood behind and makes me cry every time. It's. Beautiful song.

I can't bear that song. It's so sad!

Our school did “slipping through my fingers”…I started weeping at the first note! And not even my Dc leaving. Puff would destroy me!

Oh no definitely not!
Whoever came up with that idea is being sentimental and just thinking how to make the parents cry.

But as a child it made me cry too. I didn't really want to grow up (how right I was) and the song made me guilty and sad.

Year 6s need to feel hopeful and upbeat!

The parents are meant to cry in a leavers Assembly. That’s the whole point! I always get baby - first day of school - recent photos up…that sets them all off.

FGS if it’s ‘all about the parents’ please leave the kids out of the self-indulgent sob-fest!

Even reading the name of the thread made me well up

Oh god, it would be snot bubbles in public from me.

I don't really get all the crying at leavers assembly tbh. I was excited for them to be moving up to big school more than sad. However, if they'd sung Puff, I'd have been a sobbing wreck.

I sing this as a lullaby for DS when he's feeling under the weather. It's a sad song about growing up, not death, and there are no drug references.

Right, I'm off to go and find Puff!

The Abba song? Oh yes, that's a killer for sure.

Hahaha! Me too😋

@PorridgewithQuark Children are able to differentiate between fiction and reality by the age of five. If you don’t believe me then do some research on developmental milestones. Still believing in Santa when you are 8 years old doesn’t negate that. But, if you were an adult and still believed in Santa… well…

Also, early childhood is 0-5, middle childhood is 6-12 and then adolescence 13-19 then young adults and so on and so forth. You can research that too.