Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that my local theatre should give ALL children a sweet after the pantomime and not just 4 who sit neat the stage. Should I complain?

99 replies

scrooged · 22/12/2008 23:12

I take ds every year to see a pantomime on christmas eve and every year they do this, ignoring all of the other children in the theatre. It really annoys me. They should give all of them a sweet or none of them but they choose 4 children from the more expensive seats, bring them up on stage, get them to sing and give them a bag full of sweets. I think it's unfair. Am I being unreasonable. I wish I hadn't have already brought tickets this year.

OP posts:
Original poster
scrooged · 22/12/2008 23:46

True skrimbo. I tell ds that they are the best behaved.

I don't expect my vocal ds to get a fair share, there's normally alot of upset children though.

OP posts:
Tortington · 22/12/2008 23:48

I wouldn't let my children have any non organic sweets, anything not from The Natural Confectionary company is really not worth it.

skrimbo · 22/12/2008 23:51

Never seen to many spoilt brats greeting over not getting a few sweeties at pantos, but have seen a few greeting when they have been hit in the eye by a stray quality street though, you think health and safety would do something about it wouldn't you.

BTW they don't choose the ones at the front because they payed more for there seats, its just it would take half the panto for children to wander down from the balcony wouldn't it.

Original poster
scrooged · 22/12/2008 23:55

Hmm. There's a section near the stage, another at the back and then the balcony. They are always the ones at the front near the stage. Every year. Never from the back which is just as accessible.

Maybe they shouldn't give them out. On the one year we went to see a play instead they didn't get children on stage or give out sweets and it was alot nicer.

OP posts:
islandofsodor · 23/12/2008 00:07

But thats part of panto. One or two children get chosen to go up on the stage and they get a goddy bag as a momento of the experience.

Buy your dc sweets if you are so concerned.

skrimbo · 23/12/2008 00:08

Yes maybe you shouldn't go.

Original poster
scrooged · 23/12/2008 00:11

I'm not concerned. I shall hide my face from all the upset children.

I have the tickets. It will be a waste if we don't go.

OP posts:
skrimbo · 23/12/2008 00:12

OH you haven't even been this year yet, so you are moaning about last year, you must have been realy traumatised by the whole experience

Original poster
scrooged · 23/12/2008 00:14

lol! We went last year and the year before, we did the theatre thing the year before that and the panto the year before that. It's always the same.

I hate the panto! I have nightmares about it. I'm having a panic attack just writing about it.

OP posts:
skrimbo · 23/12/2008 00:21

Actually I secretly hate pantos too, (not because of unequal sweet distribution), I hate all the rowdy kids jumping about, fecking rubbish jokes, crap acting etc etc etc.

This year DD's school all went and Granny went to help, she said it was pretty dire.

My DS is in his drama club panto, now that is a different class altogether, but unfortunalty they do the sweet thing, was lots of adults with SN that volunteered to go up, but they lobbed out loads of sweets and every audience member got skelpt with at least 3 Celebrations.

MinesApint · 23/12/2008 00:21

I sort of get your pov, but also agree with everyone else that it is something of a lesson in life. Equality is an elusive dream....they'll learn this sooner or later

Original poster
scrooged · 23/12/2008 00:25

I'm forever trying to get ds not to shout out. It was so stressful last time. I agree with the crap acting. On of them got stuck in the air for 10 mins last year after the winch thing broke. They don't lob the sweets out. I think it's mean on the little ones that don't understand what's going on though.

OP posts:
Original poster
scrooged · 23/12/2008 00:26

I suppose I could get quite tipsy before we go so I wouldn't really care.

OP posts:
SnowballsintheSky · 23/12/2008 00:30

OK, I really don't usually do this but if I read it rightly, you posted about a lack of sweets and a child having their limbs removed in the same post. I was about to be sympathetic and say that's life till I read that. A bag of sweets is nothing to be upset about, really.

SnowballsintheSky · 23/12/2008 00:30

Meant to add a friendly

TLESinChristmasStockings · 23/12/2008 00:33

I have been on stage when I was younger and out with the brownies....I got a massive bags of sweets and tat goodies and got to keep it all

skrimbo · 23/12/2008 00:35

Oh yes that has to be the way to do pantos pissed!, don't think I should go to DS's panto pissed though, I have to drive him home

Original poster
scrooged · 23/12/2008 00:36

It wasn't the same child. Honestly! He wasn't there. It could have been a sibling as they looked alike, however, the child who had limbs removed was not there IYSWIM. There were loads of them so I don't think they were the same family as the child with meningitis as he would have been there too.

I'm not upset about a bag of sweets, just how they do it.

OP posts:
Original poster
scrooged · 23/12/2008 00:38

Maybe that's where I've been going wrong. No wonder there's a massive que for the bar. Bugger! I've been missing out and suffering. I shall know better for christmas eve.

OP posts:
techpep · 23/12/2008 00:41

I understand where you are coming from, but children do have to learn that these things happen. Its always nice to make a fuss when others get things to teach our own dc to feel happy for others. At our pantomime, the treats were given to 3 children just before the interval, so by the end all was forgotten. Was your ds upset or do you think you maybe noticed it more???

maidenvoyage · 23/12/2008 00:42

take some sweets with you, problem solved

Original poster
scrooged · 23/12/2008 00:45

I do. I shall also be taking Vodka this year now.

ds wasn't upset. The little girl we were sitting next to was crying her eyes out though. ds wanted to complain on her behalf though and I had to pull him back. I like the teaching of encouraging them to be happy for others though. I'll remember that.

OP posts:
LikelyToExplode · 23/12/2008 00:58

What a lovely ds you have!

Original poster
scrooged · 23/12/2008 01:00

Thanks.

OP posts:
SueW · 23/12/2008 01:18

At our local theatre (well playhouse) there are nomination slips on the counter. You can fill this in and children aged 5yo-8yo-ish can be chosen to go on stage.

They get asked a few questions (name, who are you with 'You don't get your good looks from your mum do you?', what's your fave bit so far?') then they have to help sing the song. They get a goodie bag and go back to their seats which are all over the theatre.

Swipe left for the next trending thread