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

Both my parents went. My father was born in 1936, but then again, his English was better than mum’s.

My brilliant dad came to absolutely everything that was in the evening but wouldn’t have dreamed of taking time off work for a day event such as a sports day or harvest festival - he is genuinely still quite bemused by parents who do that now… I don’t recall ever being bothered, mum was there and all our dads were working dads (I’m in my forties)

I couldn’t say he never went to any (mainly cos I can’t imagine he wouldn’t have if he could have) but I have no memory of him attending. Was mainly my mum. However, my dad was in the army, so was often away or worked away for long periods of time. It was defo a mums job in our family.

Also with our children it’s defo a mums job. My husband doesn’t attend any not because he doesn’t care but they are usually before he would finish work x

This was true for me.

My dad would have gone as my mum didn't drive

No but neither did my mum 🤷

I’m 49. Both my parents went to all the ones I can remember. My dad used to get a bit dressed up for them - nice shirt and tie. I’m a teacher myself now and remembering this makes me a bit tearful every parents’ night.

I’m 42 and attended school from 1987-2001. My dad came to everything possible and always wore a suit. He respected the teachers but stood up for me and my siblings when the teachers were unfair.

When viewing high schools my dad even came along. I remember a principal seeing me holding my dad’s hand and him in a suit so he told my dad not to send me to his school haha! That school was extremely rough back then and I would have been eaten alive at it!

I’m 41 and yes my dad (born in 1947) went to every single one, as well as every school play, sports day etc. He was always there, always supportive and always heavily involved. He also came to my DD (his DGD)’s plays and sports days. He died almost 8 years ago and I miss him every single day, he was the best dad and grandad we could ever have asked for.

Nope I dont think he went to one! Im 37. But he worked away a lot when I was little and my mum was a stay at home mum until I was 10 or so. They did have quite divided roles, but they both pulled their weight!

My dad (born 1944) attended sports days or concerts when possible throughout all my school life and came to parents evening when I was in secondary school. Parents evenings used to start at about 7pm so it was mainly both parents who attended.

Yes my mum and dad used to get dressed up for it too 🤣

I'm 46. Dad came to all of ours (mine and my two sisters). He's a massive advocate of education, given that he left school at 15 and went into a manual skilled trade but wishes he could have done something else (nothing wrong with manual skilled trades BTW, it's just how he personally felt about being forced down a certain route at such a young age). So he always encouraged us academically.

Only dad went. My mum refused to.

No but he was working and they were from 4 pm ish
It was not lack of care that he didn't come .

My dad probably didn’t even know where our school was! Not even joking…he never went to a single school ‘thing’ for any of us (I’m the oldest of four).

Dad hardly ever went to mine because he was working or minding the rest of the kids ,mam always went . He did go when the younger kids time came and he wasn't working on the night. My parents were born in the 60s I'm in my 40s. I did all the meetings until recent years because husband would be away for work but he goes when he is around .

My dad's quite "traditional" and he went to work whilst my mum looked after us. My mum did work once we both started school, but she worked in a school so she was still around for all childcare. I don't remember my dad going to a single parents evening, or even hearing him ask how parents evening went. My mum went to them all though. I also don't remember seeing many other dad's there, so I think this was fairly typical of the times (90s-2000s).

Yep. I'm 40 and dad born in 57 he went to all, primary and secondary (to be fair my parents divorced in y9 so he would have had to have gone but went to all of them anyway) Not unusual to me, DH has been to all our kids ones and I see most dads at parents evening there too.

I'm 38 and my dad was born in 1951. He attended all of them. He worked but I guess they went to one of the later slots.

I'm a teacher now. You do get plenty of dads attending.

im 47ish and both my parents went to secondary & they both worked FT.
Primary my Mum/Dad or both went dependent on shift that my Mum was on. During my primary school years my Mum worked night shifts.

Never

YABU

No never

I’m 35 and my dad definitely did. Though I went to a expensive private school so he probably wanted to make sure he was getting his moneys worth! DP hasn’t been to any for his 2 older kids. He has been to one for our child, but she only started school this year.