Mother's Day - should school do more?

[inquisitiveinga]

Disclaimer: I am absolutely not going to complain regarding this matter, I understand that teachers may have completely valid reasons for the below. My child's teacher is also FANTASTIC, she doesn't have children, and I can't help but think that due to this she perhaps doesn't understand the value of a handmade card?

My child has come home from school today and it's very clear that nothing has been prepared for Mother's Day, at least where their class is concerned. Usually a "beautiful" card comes home and it really makes my day.

Personally, I'm not bothered. I'm fortunate enough to have a husband who will not doubt ensure I have something from my 7 year old, and 1 year old (although I'm not really sure anything from her is warranted!). However, I can't help but think about single mothers in the class who may not receive anything (and who absolutely should).

AIBU to even be having this thought process?

Surely you get an annual invitation to audit your tomato plants?

My DS is in reception and it hasn’t occurred to me they might make a card

I have to admit, I did love my primary Mother's day (and Xmas etc) cards. They're really cute.

Best thing DS's primary ever did was in Lockdown - a poem for Father's Day that had the general structure but the kids had to add in their own words to personalise it for their own Dad/Grandad etc. Really lovely.

DS's was read out at his GGD's funeral. He loved it so much.

This year I've already been told I'm getting a whatsapp message with a link to Harvey Price singing a song about Mums.

Not sure it will hit quite the same

Sorry for your loss but everyone is different, my children found this extremely difficult and it just reminded them that most of their friends had their dads and they didn’t.

YABU

So many reasons.

”But I genuinely think I realised that the world didn’t revolve around me.”

It’s sad that - somewhere along the way - you seem to have forgotten this lesson.

Yep this. It isn’t a happy day for lots of people.

Perhaps there is a child in the class without a mother.

I think if kids are too young to think of it themselves (or don't have a father who can organise something), there's no shame in prompting your own child to make a card for you. Explain to them how you made cards for your own mother when you were little and how much they meant to her, then say you'd love it if they could make something like that for you, too. It won't be a 'surprise', but if you're expecting a card brought home from school, it was never going to be a surprise, anyway.

Op hopefully your children never have the misfortune to become the minority because it's awful and events like mothers' day highlight it all the more.

Sorry notnsure why l quote thebwrong poster but l agree with this post too

Hm. No. I'm just concerned for single mothers, like my mother, when she was single, when my dad died...

Maybe your seven-year-old has gotten better at keeping the surprise?

There are children in foster care, or some who dont have a mum. The school is doing enough already without sorting out these issues

People would think it was absolutely ridiculous if he had brought home a mother's day card - I realise that now.

@inquisitiveinga in the nicest possible way, it would be lovely to have cards made, but if the school are aware of a single child in the class who has no mother, at that age of course they are going to not do something for the whole class to protect that child. Please think outside the box.

I can't make mother's day cards. I'm a year 2 teacher. 6 of my class don't have anyone to make a card for. 😔

Do you not see the irony in your post? Having to make a card for a father who had passed away made you realise that the world didn't revolve around you, yet you expect it to revolve around others.

My DD is in year 4, she has brought home a handmade card.
I cover PPA for KS1, all the children made a card today. Another teacher covers KS2 and they also made a card. A child in school has lost his mum. He was spoken to separately and he said he would like to make one for her grave.
Unfortunately, schools don't seem to be able to win and if complaints have been received in the past it's easier to just not do it.
We never have trips now after numerous complaints about minor things. We only have visitors into school. Just easier.

No they wouldn't, that's not what people are saying.

While you were happy making a card for someone else, many children might not be comfortable doing this or having to explain why to inquisitive friends. Other children might comment why does yours say Nanny not mummy, and some younger children might not even be fully aware of why they don't have a mum and then suddenly become upset.
Also OP how would you feel if all children were offered the chance to make a card for a special lady to avoid it being specifically mother's and your child then came home with a beautiful card for a different family member and not you, and even then said the teacher said we had to make it for a special lady in our life. Bet you would have complained at that!

You are mad as a frog.

oh rubbish ! you are not one bit bothered or concerned about any single mothers in your child's class not getting a Mother's Day !

it's all about you !

Your child didn't make a card in class for you, her teacher apparently despite being a nice person and she doesn't have children decided to educate the children in her class rather than cutting / colouring / pasting / whatever.

YOU hoped / expected a card for YOU, to be done in school time.

its a difficult one. Families are so diverse these days, that someone will be upset with the making cards scenario. Which today, is you.

FWIW my kids bought me a shop bought card (with my money - ! ), and decorate it. Good enough for me, They thought about how it would make me happy and its all sorted.

Former single mother here, who will happily forego a school-made MD card if it helps other kids without mums.

But it's not up to schools to deal with the feelings of single mothers, however those women ended up that way. The main concern of schools is the well-being of pupils.

As I said up thread, I was so grateful on behalf of my children that their school stopped doing fathers' day cards after I was widowed.

Luckily my parents organised my children to make me a mothers' day card, but I would a million times rather have never had a card than to have put any bereaved child through the pain of having to make a mother's day card when they had no mother.

I suggest that you were a very unusual and fortunate child not to have been upset at making a fathers day card after your own father had died. Most children would be upset, not only at the reminder of their parent's death, but also to remind them how different it is to be a child who has lost a parent through death.