AIBU to think a three-hour sports day is too long?

[DriveVerySlowlyPastNumber23IWantThemToSeeMyHat]

AIBU to think a whole school 3 hour sports day is ridiculous?
11am - 2pm.
A range of activities.
DD is in Reception.

DH and I generally don't go to school events, unless DC specifically request my presence. My DC understand that every school event one of us attends is an extra day in holiday club in school holidays. They much prefer spending the time with us, rather than watching them speak 2 lines in a school assembly or throw bean bags at sports day.

School events take part during the school day, you carnt have reception class doing an evening sports day. You carnt expect the whole school to come back in the evening for weekend for sports day because at least half wont show up due to other commitments, bedtime for the younger ones. You carnt expect school to work to your schedule. It's school, the hours are 8.50 to 3.10 ISH. If you expect school to run to your specific schedule you are crazy. Why should all these children lose their sports day just because you work? Sports day is about the children not parents

Also, you’re only in reception. You’ve got a long way to go yet and it only increases when you’ve got residentials, school plays, rehearsals, random award trips, activities you pay for them to join and then they put on a show in school time. All sorts.

It’s not even a day 🤷🏽‍♀️

So be prepared…?

I moved to forrin when dc where still of 'sports day age'.
here sportsday is a whole school day. strictly no parents. activities for all abilities incl taskmasteresque brain challanges. and the highlight is a game of capture the flag.
dc come home dirty, with some scratches and bruises and many, many great memories.

and I as parent don't have to feel bad about not being able to take the time off.

Comes in pretty handy though when most people work for a living and stay at home mums and benefit claiming is so frowned upon on here. I agree with OP it's long. All 4 of my kids have only ever had sports days that max 2 hours, 1 hour for infant school. Unless you have got a child who is particularly sporty, three hours watching yours and others' kids run round a field is tedious for both parents and kids.

lots of parents don’t go

ex teacher and that is pretty standard timings.

Well you either don't go ...
or you take the time off.

You'd have to take time off whether it was 1 hour or 3; even if you have a company where you can book time off by the hour, 1 or 2 extra hours is not going to make a huge difference to your holiday allowance for the school holidays.

Putting it across lunch hour will help some working parents who will use their lunch break to minimise the leave required. They are never going to find a pattern that works for everyone.

Would you rather children didn’t get to participate in activities like this?

I regularly take a whole day of annual leave for sports day...one DC in KS1 and one DC in KS2.

It's the sort of thing I plan at the beginning of the year...need one day for sports day and a half day for the nativity.

So be prepared?
I have 3 children in 3 different schools. 3 separate sports days. DH and I divide and conquer.

So it sounds like the sport day is too short rather than too long? Shorter than a normal day?

Don't go then

Those are sacrifices people make when they choose to have kids.

So don’t go!
lots of parents can’t make sports day. It doesn’t have the same importance as say the nativity play or parents evening
The kids enjoy it. It’s a day of playing games.

3 hours is fine and totally normal. However, it would be better if they chose morning or afternoon though so you could get away with a half day rather than plonking it right in the middle of the day and making it a complete right off. I agree they haven’t considered working parents at all especially if they’re insisting on a 2pm pick up. But it is what it is, school won’t change and if DC is only in reception you’re going to have a long road ahead of you if you get annoyed every time there’s an inconveniently timed sports day, play, school trip that requires parent helpers, music recital, navity etc. etc. etc. Personally I’d use the annual leave for this (or get DH to) as DC will appreciate it and if you don’t have enough days for the summer holidays then book camps.

OP - schools have a "cycle" and once your child has finished their Reception year you will have an inkling what it is (although it can change by year group).

For my DC this was
-afternoon harvest festival (October) KS1 only - an afternoon
-nativity (December) 2 performances KS1 only - evening
-parents' assembly (timing differs by age group) - hour or so first thing after school start
-parents' meetings (one in November, one in February) - random time in day for KS1, in the 3.30-7pm period KS2
-end of year play or similar KS2 (July) - afternoon
-sports day (and reserve sports day) (June) - random time

So you can plan what parent goes to what or if both do or neither does (or potentially grandparents can if you have useful local ones) and what annual leave you need.

Any length sports day is too long.

Ours is all morning this year. They changed it from afternoon because they ran a bar and it all got a bit boozy! Our PTA does raise a lot of money from the bar. 😆

A 3 hour sports day or even a whole day sports day is not unreasonable

Finding it difficult to take time off work (usually fairly near school holidays) particularly if you dont wfh or have a flexible timetable is also not unreasonable

OP this is just life as a working parent. Schools do activities during the day, and sometimes parents are invited, which means taking time off work if you want to attend.

Would you prefer the school not to have a sports day, nativity etc at all? Because that’s the alternative.

I always studied the school diary religiously, and booked the time off in advance where I could. But my kids knew I worked, and that sometimes I wouldn’t be able to attend. I’d just ask another parent to take photos for me.

But as frustrating as it can be, I would suggest you try and enjoy it. Trust me, these years fly by, and before you know it the sports days and assemblies are all over. I actually miss those days!

Well don't go. It's not compulsary

My childminder used to attend on behalf of the parents she looked after kids for

How would you like the school to do it OP? How could they change it to suit you? Or would you prefer it didn’t happen at all? What do you want?

Sports day at s hool isnt exactly a new concept.
Im 61 and we had sports days in primary school. My mum and dad didn't always ho because she worked in a factory and dad worked shifts.

My kids had sports days and I couldn't always make it because of my shifts so my SIL would go and cheer the children on and take pictures. They would then proudly show me their medals and certificates when me and their dad got home.

Life doesn't always follow a neat pattern.

They're doing activities for the full 3 hours on a carousel. 10 minutes on one activity, move to the next. yes, the children can cope with that. If any do struggle, there's teachers and support staff to help out.

Im not sure what your gripe is.
Is it about the school having a sports day and the kids are going to be doing something for 3 hours or is it because its on a school day and they leave early or is it because you are a working parent, like the vast majority of people.

I think once you have been you will think differently there is usually groups moving round smaller activity’s then a few races they are not active throughout all of this but it’s not just reception the staff have a huge job of organising everything it’s a stressful time for them.

Same here!