I do not like nativity plays

[ZippyPeer]

Went to my first one to watch my daughter, huge discovery that I do not like them. My view:
The play wasn't funny or an interesting story.
An irritating number of sexist stereotypes in the reimagined story - innkeepers wife fgs.
A few kids clearly actively hated being involved - not enjoyable to see them suffering.
Lots of the kids looking exceedingly bored or like they didn't really want to be there.
Reminded me of when I had to perform in them as a child and the literal hours of waiting around doing nothing during rehearsals and on the day and being told to shush and sit still - so boring.
Nice to see my daughter doing her bit and some of the other kids I know, and see the differences in the way the kids were on stage, but like, no where near enough to offset the other stuff...

Probably I won't go again and will leave it to the enthusiasts, but are there other people who feel this way?

Am absolutely bemused by the number of people who seem to love them.

Yabu - do you have no soul, the nativity is delightful
Yabu - it's a pain in the arse we all have to endure

Is this a joke post? If not you need to get a grip, seriously

🤣🤣

I love them. All the children looked they were loving it in every one I went to. I'm really sad that in KS2 they only do a carol concert so last year was my last year watching as a parent.

I volunteered to go today to sell raffle tickets for the PFA so I could stand at the back and watch it and was almost as invested as I was when my own DC were in it.

I mean I wouldn't go that far but if I were invited to do a talk at a random primary school and it happened to be on the day of their Nativity so I got to watch an extra random one that I had no other connection with I would genuinely see that as an absolute treat.

Christ, people actually have the balls to just get up and walk out? Wouldn’t happen where I live. Tiny parochial town. You’d be persona non grata.

I love it, personally. Until the end. My little girl always cries because she wants to stay with us rather than going back with her class. Fingers crossed not this year.

Thankfully my daughter is in a multicultural school who don’t seem to do the nativity. I am not complaining, I find them tedious and dull.

Same! I found a report card the other day from when my now adult son was in nursery/reception he played a sleepy child in one and a snowman in another, there were photos in with the report and my god I miss it.
Enjoy it while you can op, when it comes to Christmas having small children of this age is the best.
Christmas last year resulted in my 23 year old going out on Christmas Eve and not coming home until Christmas afternoon because he’d met a girl in the pub!
Boxing Day, he went to a party and the next morning I caught him trying to sneak another girl out of the door.
I’d pick a cute 3 year old covered in cotton wall balls singing Frosty the snowman any day of the week.

Do they mark events in other religions?

Probably not in first century Bethlehem tbh! I think you’re posturing a bit here, it’s not that fucking bad surely. If it’s not something you enjoy, fine, but also tough. Show up for your child.

We've got DS' one tomorrow. Can't wait, believe there's an Elton John medley at some point. He's sheep number 2 and has been practicing his "baa" extensively. I am looking forward to Mary and/or Joseph dropping the baby and the evitable yawning child who looks like they might nod off at any second. Tissues at the ready for my teary eyes and to pass to that one kid who's got a rotten cold but couldn't miss their big performance as Angel number 6.

Honestly I agree they are the most tedious mind numbing waste of time I’ve ever endured.

Thankfully I do t have to do them for many years now.

That said between my 3 DC i missed 1 play - harvest festival. My DS remembers this and has repeated often “nobody came to my harvest festival”

The kids remember, they look for family and know when nobody is there.

So for the sake of your DC I would recommend you suck up the tedium and plan to spend a few more years attending, they are as you know not forever.

Your last comment reminds me of overhearing my daughter speaking to her daughter after their Nativity. I heard her say Ask Mr Teacher if you can watch Twin Peaks after break, Odd, I thought, I know they'll be hyper but Twin Peaks seemed an odd thing. Only later did I find out it wasn't Twin Peaks at all, it was Tim Peak and my granddaughter was space mad at the time!

Actually learning about Christianity opens up huge parts of the curriculum particularly in literature and history. (Henry VIII, the slave trade, Shakespeare, uk government, Victorian morality etc etc).

We are a Christian country believe it or not - the church is entwined with the state apparatus and a major player in politics, culture and education, so it’s important that children learn about these things so that they can have their own informed opinions about it later on.

Maybe you should do some of your own learning about why they celebrate the nativity in schools instead of wanting to cancel it?

(I agree with you about the sexist sweeping though.)

I've never ever missed one of my DC's as they'd be heart broken if I didn't make the effort to attend. I always smile and act excited. If truth be told I also find it boring, and a waste of time. I'd rather school put the effort into other things, never said this in real life though, or everyone would think me miserable.

Not to mention the TA staff.

I mean it's a different vein of enjoyment to watching a really great musical or something like that. It's more a delight in seeing your child be part of something and it's usually quite sweet.

Because they enjoy seeing their kid being cute and getting excited for Christmas. Or it’s the nostalgia factor.

I can tell you that your pain watching is nothing compared to my pain as the teacher who has to direct 90 KS1 children to perform. Yes it's boring some of the time but opportunities to perform are so few and far between with today's curriculum that this is pretty much the only chance most children will get to experience being on stage. In my school, no child is forced to go on stage if they don't want to.

I dunno I think you are overthinking it. Like I live in Ireland and I have literally no choice but to send my child to a catholic school even though he is opted out of religion because we don’t practice. The teacher phoned and asked could he participate in the nativity play and we agreed he could because I just see it like any other play at the end of the day and to be honest I’m not at all religious but I don’t see the harm in my child knowing the story behind the holy side of Christmas.

When school finally bans "siblings" attending, it become a lot less hellish. No toddler running around screaming ruining the performance, babies kept at the back and removed as soon as noisy (because in theory they should not even be there, so parents DO take the hint)

It doesn't take much to make the nativity more bearable (and mulled wine as said above 😂)

Did your daughter enjoy doing the nativity? Did she enjoy you being there? If yes to either thats the reason to go. I like my kids nativity because im watching them, I dont expect much from the show, tbf cant understand most of the kids, they are just shouting out their lines, but they are all.so sweet and trying so hard, and imo seem to be enjoying themselves. I would go see everything my kids are in, regardless of the show because I am supporting them,I dont car if the show is rubbish. So my point is if your daughter wants you there, then go, even if it is tedious and boring.

Yanbu. State funded schools should not be prompting religious propaganda.

Sports day, nativity, children's parties, soft play etc etc.
do parents love them? No
Do parents do them because they love their children and want to share the experience with them? Yes

I’d give my back teeth to back there.

what a disgusting behaviour, imagine the poor kids looking at people leaving because they're bored.

Shame on them. Imagine how they would react if everyone else was doing the same when it's their own child's turn!