I cannot stand watching my child do dance /shows !

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Now I know what I put my parents through when I was a kid (which they also agree with ) and how mind numbingly boring it was for them to endure. My 12 year old regularly shows me dances /songs/ shows anything drama she's created with her self/ her siblings god it's so mind numbing to sit and entertain.
I know I'm being unreasonable but nope can't stand that part of parenting anyone else with me ?

Don't worry about feeling negative. My kids thought I was the best audience member ever . Even the guinea pig circus . So funny / bad / ridiculous I had to clap and cheer loudly. Easily done for your kids . Most shows didn't last too long anyway .

My only child, AuDHD, 12, insists on me watching every goal he's ever scored on Fifa 2016-2026 and plays it over and over again in slo mo until my eyes burn and my soul leaves my body. Dance recital seems like lost heaven to me 🙄

Four girls in my household (two have SEN) We had constant 'shows' when they were little, I used to narrate a storyline and they would dress up and act it out, the laughs we had will never be forgotten - mainly because we have some of it on old video tapes! 😅
We still occasionally watch them, even though all of the girls are grown up and we still laugh at them every, single time.
One day I'm sure you'll look back and remember it all with rose tinted glasses..

cannot stand watching my child do dance /shows

> Do the easy thing, watch somebody ELSES child do dance / shows Turn up, show support and willing to YOUR child - clap and make noises in all the right places. Focus your attention on, somebody elses child
Probably IN the circle anyway

I go to see my nieces dance shows to give them my support and show love but OMG are they boring! Expensive too, they're put on in theaters so all us suckers - sorry - lucky viewers, are charged at least £25 each for the privilege to watch loads of children dancing. My nieces are probably only on stage for about 15 mins in a two hour odd show.

Lucky! My daughter is a dancer and in the competition team. 8 hours of competition dance for 6 minutes of her dancing 😂

I understand but you will miss it when it stops. My DD’s used to concoct dance routines when they were younger and I thankfully filmed a few because they’re teens now and wouldn’t be seen dead. They did used to go on and on, lockdown was particularly bad for it! But sweet nevertheless now they’re older and too cool for anything of the sort.

There have been about half a dozen occasions, when at my mil’s house, when my nieces declared ‘we’re going to do a talent show’.
I was out of that house within 30 seconds.

I was terrible for this as a child. Obsessed with putting on plays and musical performances. Must have been infuriating for my mum. I staged a whole production of the rocky horror show, Oliver Twist, wrote a play about some eagles and one based on ‘the young ones’ used to pretend to be the band Queen with my siblings and put on concerts. It was never ending. I remember I friends mum looking bored stiff during one of many plays.

My kids do football and cross country (mainly DS14 at the moment) and it’s the exact opposite for me. Absolutely love watching them. I find his skills and ability genuinely impressive. Cross country races can get quite stressful, is he going to get injured, is he going to finish (never showed up at the finish in a big race last November, had twisted his ankle at the far point of the course so we were stuck not knowing what had happened) and worrying about migraines which he’s started sometimes having after exercise. But never boring that’s for sure!

It may sound harsh but I’m with you! Watching your kids perform and express themselves, either at home just for you or as part of a group/ hobby/ at school is one of the absolute joys of being a parent!

My son does swimming and I do find it enjoyable to see just how capable and skilled he seems when he’s in the water.

Its just watching a billion other kids swim up and down for hours that I don’t enjoy!

You sound lovely!

My three kids wanted to do a Strictly Dancing competition at home one evening. I gave them all 10, they were insistent that I scored them properly and not 'like a mum', so I gave them all a more honest score and they all started crying at my honesty...to be fair, I think I was pretty generous all the dancing was way below Strictly standards😁. They didn't ask to do any more competitions, although I still had to watch a lot of singing shows, and them hopping and saying 'Look mummy'. These days I just have to admire their delts, or triceps, or how much protein they've eaten that day, which is even more dull!

I should add that it's complete karma though as I quite frequently put on shows with my sisters, well into teenage years. The shame.

My DS plays the oboe. Its a beautiful instrument but not so much in the learning stages. Imagine the sound of someone strangling a goose.

I've also sat through many learner music performances which can be rather painful but worse, the honking, fart sounds and screeching that comes out at random can be hilarious and so having to keep a straight face can be almost impossible.

I am regularly reminded of one of my favourite book quotes which is “there is no worse sound in the world than someone who cannot play the violin but insists on doing so anyway.”

I don't think you're being unreasonable. We all have parts of parenting we dislike more than others.

I love the shows and imaginary play personally; I'm a writer so it's all par for the course. I love seeing my DS's imagination flourish and am enjoying watching where it takes him. We're always being told by parents at nursery that their kids chat excitedly about our son all the time. At his parents evening we were told he had 'leadership' qualities. Both me and my husband recognised this as what we'd done as kids; created involved, complex games that were in effect plays or shows, which other children became invested in and wanted more of! It was only as an adult I realised not everyone can do that. And here both me and DH are now, making our livings doing more or less the same thing. Pays well too!

I can't imagine being so invested if DS excels at accountancy, although I'd still support him, obviously. Accountancy is necessary too...

Oh honestly!

I love my DC (now both at Uni) as much as any mother.

I am pretty creative in hobbies and work - I love music/art/theatre/film/dance and have encouraged all these things in my DC.

I have enjoyed shows and performances and silly dances and terrible magic shows over the years...

But MY GOD there are limits.

Daily recorder recitals and 'freestyle' dance shows that go on for half an hour and have to endlessly re-started because of a mis-step, that involve lengthy intervals, ticketing, fussing around seating and multiple costume changes, are to be endured not enjoyed.

Wanting to stab yourself in the eye after the fourth attempt at 'Oh Little Town of Bethlehem' on a squeaky descant recorder, does not make you a shit mum.

Yeah I suppose the set up of both running and football doesn’t involve sitting through lots of other stuff like that! The most tiresome it gets is the travelling and the hanging around beforehand as you have to be early and that’s no more than an hour normally (although sometimes an hour in the wind and rain etc). Looking forward to track and field season now 😀

Ah that’s wonderful! My eldest plays the flute and at his last woodwind school concert the single oboist played Gabriel’s Oboe by Morricone and reduced me to tears! Completely wonderful in amongst all the slightly tiresome jazz (not a big fan).

Now my kids are teens the standard of the concerts is extremely high actually, can’t complain there, but I do remember the screeches and farts from primary!

I am not a parent but if I were to find out that the endless fashion shows, plays, concerts and everything else I put on for my parents and my friends parents where mind-numbing or boring I would have been devastated. I am a natural born performer but opportunitues were limited in the depressing backwater town in which i was raised so I had to make-do and express my creative juices to those who were there. Get you head out of your arse and support your children in any way that makes them happy, it is NOT about you!

My children & now my young grandchildren are talented in mainy fields including music, sport, theatre, dance & performance. I've always been a huge supporter of both generations making the most of their talents along with accepting their enthusiasm to show me what they can do. If I had the time I would happily watch them & encourage them all day long. I consider it one of life's pleasures & far from being boring or a chore. As far as going to shows or various types of competitions, I absolutely love this & that includes seeing all the children take part.

Sorry, I can’t agree. I bloody love everything she does, even if it’s objectively a load of crap. I love seeing her being creative and interacting with her mates. It’s lovely.

I feel the pain in so mentally exhausted from caring for my autistic daughter and never actually shuts up because she has a vocal stim when it comes to making any sort of effort to listen to my other kids or anyone for that matter I just can't I've got nothing left to give and if you are not into it then it's ok to not be interested but maybe just say ok quickly and maybe tell them I love everything you show me but can we keep it for say after tea or before tea ect to try and not hurt feelings ?

We don’t sit there with a face like a slapped arse. When they’re doing their ‘bit’ of course we’re encouraging and tell them how fabulous they are. We’re just glad when it ends.