Poppy on kids sports kits

[HelenHen]

This seems to be a big thing now, but seems very unfair.

How can a kid choose to not wear a poppy if its being handed out by their coach before a game?

Not everybody chooses to wear a poppy, for whatever reason... many people do and that's totally ok... but it seems harder and harder for kids to make the choice.

YANBU. Regardless of where the team is, not everyone wearing the strip will be British (or comfortable wearing a poppy even if they are British). We're Irish and (hopefully obviously enough) wouldn't be happy with it being assumed our DC would wear a poppy.

Well this post says they did have a choice, so what's your problem as it now seems there isn't one.

Again... I'm not debating it. There are many reasons out there in the public domain if you choose to Google. I don't need to explain my reasons. If the rbl say it's optional, then it should be optional across the board.

Embroider a patch with the words 'Conscientious objector' and sew it over the Poppy. 🙄

You may want your child to wear one, but surely it's not hard to think of reasons why other families may feel differently?

Then they just don't wear it. There's no need for all the drama.

At Primary age, they will have a lot more simplistic understanding of the meaning... it is simply an emblem which shows remembering all those killed or injured in war time.

The political side is an adult understanding.

(Personally I think that special ones for a sports kit is just virtue signalling and meaningless)

Read my original post again...

"How can a kid choose to not wear a poppy if its being handed out by their coach before a game?"

I raised it with them afterwards.

This is where I am with the poppy.

I'd go further and say as a symbol it's been weaponised and fetishised.

Yes. Do this OP. Then everyone will know that you object to Poppy wearing and why.

I happen to have some respect for conscientious objectors actually.

Honestly I usually try to leave it and not say anything but there usually comes a point when it's forced on my kids or into my home... and then I need to say something

I agree with you @HelenHen that on principle, we/the kids should get to choose which ideologies to promote and support.

But I don’t understand what you want out of this thread?

You aren’t asking us a question, you aren’t wanting to debate the poppy, your club and coach don’t have a problem with your child/you declining to wear a poppy.

What were you hoping for? As I said, I agree with your position, if you’re looking to see who agrees with essentially freedom of expression.

And I stated don't like it don't play for the team.

And your reply was 'Thankfully the coach and club believe otherwise' so was it a problem or not as your replies don't make sense as it seems the problem is solved.

Nobody should be obliged to wear any sort of political emblem, and particularly not a child. And the "they died for our freedom" brigade can sod off. Wars have always been grubbier and more complicated than that, and not everyone wants to share in the misty-eyed glorification of millions of working class men being slaughtered for rich men's interests.

Some kids, even at primary age, have a much more in depth and nuanced understanding of politics than some adults. I went to school with a girl like that. It's a different type of gifted and talented (she wasn't great at actual schoolwork, but she could tell you everything about apartheid or human rights crimes in China). I can well believe this is coming from DS not from OP.

Obedience and a desire to fit in with authority at all costs are facets of how fascism starts and is allowed to spread. The people who object, promote difference of thought and opinion, and question authority are the ones who we should be listening to a lot more. Even if you disagree on the actual point at the time.

Shut up and be the same as everyone else, don't question anything, just tell your child to conform, don't do anything to rock the boat... Is that really what they fought and died for? My Granny (WAAF and war bereaved) and Grandad (Desert Rat) were right Bolshy so-and-sos and they gave more than most in WWII. They wouldn't have put up with the militaristic poppy mania.

And no, children, newsreaders and celebrities shouldn't be pressured to wear poppies. Forced virtue signalling is awful.

You said it more bluntly than me. I totally agree with you.

I don't think a child can object though because it's their team and their beloved coach and it's the only emblem they are given in the entire year. I'm saying it's putting kids in a horrible unnecessary position.

Why can't it be opt in instead of opt out?

The point of the thread is to remind everyone not to presume that everybody is OK with the poppy. There have been posts here saying they don't know why anyone wouldn't be ok with it. Maybe, just maybe, they'll learn something from this thread or choose to do a little bit of research.

There are threads about literally everything. Why should I not be allowed have this one?

I swear some people on here would have been giving out white feathers.

Thank you. You raise some great points. I will be chatting to my DD. She can of course choose herself. I was going to encourage her to conform. But you're right... I will encourage her to conform IF she wants to. I will talk to her about having the courage to dissent IF she wants to. Wonderful post. Thank you

Oh I'm so sorry I must have misread, I thought it was DS. 🤦‍♀️ I can't edit now.

I would not want a poppy on my kid's sports kit.

But why should she have to choose the poppy over her team and sport? 😂 that is awful what you are suggesting. Put up and shut up?

Yes, indeed! Though my sense is that the doctrinaire ‘wear a poppy’ mindset comes less from loyalty to the idea of the dead of the world wars than a vaguely contrarian notion that not wearing a poppy is virtue signalling and ‘being awkward’.