AIBU to think first day of primary school celebrations are excessive?

[EineyMiney]

Hi, we live in Scotland so today was DSs first day of school, starting primary 1. I’m just home from dropping him off and I can’t help but think what a circus!
We didn’t do anything special, just a normal school morning, no balloons, DH didn’t take the morning off, no grandparents came over. I was really trying to make sure DS wasn’t overwhelmed.
However, when I dropped DS off, there were multiple families with both parents, younger siblings, grandparents at the gate getting pictures. The school did say only 2 parents in the classroom but even this felt like too many and I’m not sure why it couldn’t be one parent per child.
In addition to that I noticed almost all the children had the bloody expensive optional blazers! Why? They are only 4 or 5!
Then I got home opened instagram and now I’m seeing plenty of children with balloons saying first day of school!

AIBU to think this is totally excessive and not necessary and probably not even good for the children who are just going to be overwhelmed.

Hadn’t you noticed that LIFE is a flipping circus these days. Absolutely ridiculous, no wonder so many people, adults and children become so overwhelmed with it all.
Just try to happy to be YOU and bring your children up how you want. There is a lot of fakeness out there, everyone pretending to be happy families and ‘making memories’. Life isn’t like that, it’s just life and often the reality is very different.

each to their own but I dislike all this stuff that’s just a circus for posting on the gram

About what. Your child starting primary school, or the over the top behaviour of some of the parents?

My DNiece is indeed a primary teacher, she was able to start an hour later yesterday as her DS was starting school. I think that should be standard.

I'm secondary & my youngest is 14. 9 years ago they were only in until 12 & I was given the day off.

😂 I don’t mind my kids I guess. No I mean i don’t care what other people do in that regard. None of my business

I've not seen the frilly uniforms. Anyone share a pic?

That’s ridiculous. I’m from a culture where first day of school each year was a huge deal and that was before internet existed

😁

I have just asked my Mum and it has stopped by the time my June birthday sister started in 1990.

I agree it made no sense to give the youngest the least reception time.

I have a friend who's living in Scotland. She put up a video on social media of her DD's last day of primary school and it was an absolute shit show. The parents were lined up in 2 rows facing each other and the kids came out to be faced with all these people shouting and cheering and recording them. My friends DD burst into tears, totally overwhelmed, she was sobbing. Friend still put this video up on her social media.

Then for the leavers prom her DD was clattered in fake tan, make up and dressed like an adult. She was only 11 at the time. I don't get it, we don't do this in Ireland, there's no primary aged prom.

I am SW Scotland and i remember my first day at school over half a century ago😯 All of the neighbours came out to wave and send good wishes to myself and the other 2 children from the street that were starting that day go off to school in our uniforms. When we returned they were there again to ask how it all went and give us a wee sweetie or a biscuit. Such a lovely memory. We grew up knowing we were part of the community.

Thank god we didn't have this when DDs started school. DH did take the morning off with our eldest but no photos or balloons or extended family. We went in the classroom for a few minutes and then came home.
DD2 it was just me there to drop off and she didn't even say goodbye just ran in to school.
DS only started two years ago and I did see posts on Facebook with loads of photos and family. I didn't see anyone actually do it at his school though.
It is ridiculous. It's the first day of school and making it in to such a big thing is surely a bad idea. Won't the kids be a bit confused tomorrow when they get taken to school with no fanfare?

DS5 told me to go away after 5 minutes when he started reception last year. It was raining on the day so we just had a picture inside and off we went. Both kids went in fine on their first days because we hadn't made a big deal about it.

If you think this is bad, wait until Y6 ends!

In Canada we stick them on the bus on their first day, like they will be doing every other day. Parents don't go near the school at all! We do however have a "meet the teacher " the day before, where the kids get to see where their classroom is and drop their supplies off. I have yet to see a balloon involved in any capacity.

I do usually take a photo of mine when they leave the house on the first day of school, which might or might not make it onto Facebook.

I agree it’s overwhelming. I suppose it maybe depends on the child. But many are not excited about their first day and I don’t think bringing the whole family round to signal how Very Important it is is going to help.

Its not too bad where I am, parents are in the playground taking pictures but there's no posing by the doors or anything like that. When DS started 1st grade last year they did have the 4th graders (who are their 'buddies') line up on both sides of them and clapped and cheered as they walked in behind their teacher which was rather sweet but not too much. No parents going inside at all, said goodbye in the playground, cried a little, and left.

The last day of school, however.... now that's a big deal!

Our P7s get piped out of school on their last day. My oldest is only P2 and I'm a greetin mess just thinking about it 😂

Oh dear I googled the frilly romper style uniforms, i don't really know what to say 😳

I like how some posters have decided that because their children benefitted from 'calm and matter of fact', it is the Universal Law TM that all children require this approach. As if there aren't an infinite variety of types of children, all of whom react differently to events and appreciate different approaches.

All of which to say, if a calm and matter of fact approach suits your child, then absolutely proceed in that manner. But if you have a bouncy little extrovert who likes a sense of occasion and some fun in the morning, feel free to follow their lead and create the environment in which they thrive.

Neither approach necessitates a sense of moral superiority. You aren't a better parent if you spend £50 on balloons,but neither are you a better parent if your defining characteristic is how little fuss you make about anything, ever.

Oh I do love a piper. Hopefully you'll hear the pipes over the screaming parents 😁

It’s none of your business whether people have bought the blazers or not and there’s nothing wrong with both parents doing drop off.

Looks ridiculous! I have seen some pics of wee girls in my area with ruffles all round their skirts, bows everywhere & even one with a hat ( think the film Madeleine might have inspired the hat) Another looked like little bo beep! Also Glasgow area.

To each their own but honestly that all sounds like a massive stress. The first day of school is either already really exciting for a small child or overwhelming, or both. When my 2 older kids started school it was just me/me and their little sibling. Photos taken at the front door in their uniforms. When my youngest starts maybe/hopefully her dad will take more of an interest in her than her siblings father did with them and come along on her first day, but there will be no grandparents coming and no balloons etc.

Btw, when my eldest was still at high school a few years ago there was a gaggle of mums at the school gate with their soon to be year 7 kids on the taster day all trying to get the perfect pics for Instagram etc and they all had a right go at my daughter and other kids walking into shot (just trying to get through the gates and into school on time!) because “you’re ruining the experience for them!” Wtf. Apparently some of the parents tried to walk into the school during the day to “just see how their kids were getting on/have a little peek”. Daughter’s friend saw one mum (presumably) holding her phone like she was taking a photo of a classroom containing some of these new kids. Luckily the deputy head also saw her and made her leave…

How do you think the "bouncy little extrovert who likes a sense of occasion and some fun in the morning" type children coped before balloon arches, photo shoots and whole families turning up at schools? Do you think they'd have been harmed by a few photos at home and off to school with 1 or both parents?