People older than 35; did your dad go to school parent’s evenings?

[Farrings]

I asked my parents to look after our daughters for an hour (they’re primary age) so DH and I could both go to parents evening.

Both kids are at the same school so it’s no bother, and we care equally about their education, so we both want to go.

My dad (born 1943) asked ‘What’s parents evening?!’ He denied any knowledge of the concept, and said he’d never been to one. He has 3 kids who were all in school in the 90’s/early 2000’s.

To be fair, I’m not sure my mum went to many either… they’re not great with supporting formal education…but I was still surprised to hear my Dad say he didn’t even know what one was!

Then I thought, was this normal for the time maybe?

if you’re over 35, please vote -

YANBU - ‘My dad didn’t go to parents evenings either, (or maybe like, one time)!’

YABU - My dad DID GO! Or a few times anyway!

(Obviously whether or not Mum’s went is a whole other question, I will have to save that for another vote)

P.S This is Just for fun! X

YANBU NEVER - just barely attended my graduation. Everything was wife work

My dad worked shifts so generally wouldn't have been available. I think he would come to prize evenings etc but it was a long time ago.

Fwiw, with my own two kids at school now we wouldn't go together. Either me or DH goes and we update each other.

Never, not once.
My Mum went once I think when I was about 8 and won an English Literature award and it was being given at parents evening.
She never voluntarily set foot in my school ever again.
They were rubbish parents when it came to education.
Very much leave at 16, get a job, university is a waste of time.

Yes they did. ( 1970 to 1982 )My mum always went and my dad did if he was on shore ( navy) for both myself and my brother.
My husband and I both went to all our children's parents evenings (2005 - 2019) . It never occurred to us not to, as our jobs allowed it.

I highly doubt my father even knew what school I was at. Yes, really.

Same. Or what school year.

My dad went to every parents night, both primary and secondary school but he was a very involved hands on dad.

Both my parents went to my parents evening in the 90s. I remember them getting really dressed up to go as well.

Mine both went every time AFAIR.

Im 43 and my Dad was born in 1945 but they are both academic so education was very important to them.

It didn't rub off on me!

My Dad went but I know some parents just can’t make the times as they tend to be early evening.

I’m 40. My dad (well, step-dad) went to every parents evening for me and his biological children. It wasn’t unusual in my circle - parents at both primary and secondary really valued education. I’d say he was in a minority of dads when I was in primary school, but by the time my youngest sibling left sixth form the vast majority of dads went.

Yes and I'm ten years older than that. Most dads did from memory and that's primary and secondary

My dad was born 1942, he went to every parent’s evening for both my brother and myself. Same for my friends. He’s also kept every school report we’ve ever had even though we’re both approaching/in our 40’s now.

My dad was a shift worker. If he wasn't on shift he would either go with mum or care for us while mum went on her own.

My Dad (born 1947), went to parents evenings - they both did.
He was also the one who drove me around different universities in the UK to look at (despite his working class background and no other relatives having gone to university).

Yes once in year 11 but they did question my Geography teacher's knowledge as he didn't agree with an assessment mark for the course which was slightly awkward.

Nope not a one. I’m 46.

He was always at work during the early years of secondary then when he retired when I was 14 it was still very much mum’s domain. But then he also thought A-Levels were something you did if you messed up your GCSEs so refused to speak to me in the summer after y11 as I was planning on staying in education.* It was just a completely different mindset, one borne out of someone whose education was destroyed by WW2.

*Eventually, he got it. He looked round our forever home, and realised that it wasn’t just dh’s income that meant we could afford it. He told me he was proud of me, and how hard I’d worked to get the qualifications to get the job to pay for it. I miss him daily.

My dad went to every parents evening and used to take a post it set and pen to write down my faults, used to crack me up. But both my parents worked in education and were very engaged with mine. Had a little lol at the post it memory so thanks for that OP 😍

I’m 38

Yes, at least when he wasn't traveling for work. But my mother was not reliable and later absent. I remember one of my aunts also filled in several times.

But I'm late 30s and my dad was born in the 1960s, so there's a bit of a generation gap between him and yours.

On the other hand, my grandparents didn't provide babysitting services.

Yes. He was a school governor too so v involved with school.

My dad was the primary parent (I'm 38) he also joined the pta (wasn't called the pta back then but he did a lot of helping!) He later became a parent governor as well. He went to every parents evening, sports day, nativity etc and so did my mum, maybe I just got lucky on having very modern parents!

When I was a governor of a primary school, we looked at % of dc who had a parent/carer attending parents evening. It was a school that needed to improve and we wanted to engage with parents. This was around 2000. 80% had typically turned up. That was pretty static. We managed to get dc into a choir (heroic effort by a class/music teacher) and well over 90% arrived. Much bigger turnout for Xmas production too. Cups of tea on offer and we tried to be welcoming. Parents even apologised that they couldn’t come. Leafy lane schools nearly always get a decent turn out, others - it’s much harder work.

No

Generalising here but many dads worked longer hours as they were often the only wage earner. My dad only stepped foot on my school grounds once to collect me when mum was in hospital