to be really annoyed about school Christmas plays

[bellissima]

...when they pester you to get a horribly complicated costume (god knows how working mothers cope), make them learn their lines every night (age 6), ration out the tickets and THEN, when inevitably some are ill (in DD's class's case quite a few with some horrible croupy cough thing) refuse to postpone the thing or at least do a rerun next week. DD devastated, insisting she can go in etc (she can't) and I'm CROSS. It's not just one or two inevitable absences but quite a few. grrr. end of rant.

YANBU to be annoyed but I think YABU to expect them to change the performance times just because your DD is ill.There might be even more kids off sick next week !!

i couldn't do a whole camel...maybe just a toe

bellisima - wht costume did you have to produce? LOL @ a camel.

I can't decide if YABU or not.

ditto to madamearcati. I can see why you'd be annoyed but they can't be expected to change performance times simply because some (many) children are ill. What about working parents who have booked time off and have scheduled an important meeting next week? Can you imagine their AIBU post if the school decided to postpone the play?!

yANBU

Forked out loads on a FC costume (whyc an't they keep the basics in stock or share? 3 classes doing same play at different time fgs).

Then they annouce you have to pay for tickets,maximum 2a family,no siblings.

Dh has exams all that week and didn't get dates in advance so I bought a ticket in hop, just the one as Dh would have tolook after DS4.

Exam clashes,ds2 in tears as I can't go. I pop over tot he schoolwith the lunch money ds1 has left home, Secretary says 'Oh goodgirl I knew you'dnot let him down'- then relaises I hadn't come for the play and snorts.

WTF am I supposed to do? No family locally, use a CM forrespite twomornings a week but wrong days and I couldn't afford the extra. So apaprently I am letting him down? Not them, by banning siblings then?

have had to fork out £12 for a DVD I will watch once. Fuming.

We had to do camels last year. They wore yellow t shirts with a cushion shoved up the back they looked like a row of Quasimodo impersonators.

Sorry back toOP(in a rant mood,s hould avoid MN really)

I think they could have managed an extra rerun rather than a whole reschedule perhaps?

Can't decide if YABU or not, but I feel your pain re learning lines. My DS (age 3!!!) has about 6 lines to learn, but it turns out it's a lot for him, and I bet my little toe that he's just going to stand on the stage like a smiley cauliflower and not say a word. Apart maybe from "I have a wee miss".

does sound off peachy. dds school do keep basics in stock, help you cobble together anything unusual, hold it in a church with loads of seats and don't charge unless you want a dvd which was £7 i think last year.

OP it is hard when they miss things...dd missed loads of xmas things in reception as did most of her friends...yanbu to growl and rant given the work you put in but yabu to expect a re-run

I haven't encountered many of the problems people seem to have with plays.

The school provide most of the costumes.

There is no ticketing system. Just turn up and watch the performance and hope the toddlers in the audience don't fidget too much!

A few children have lines to pratice - no big deal.

I've never felt disappointed with my child's part.

Illness - agree that it would be sooo frustrating if one's child is ill on the day. However it is unreasonable to expect it to be rescheduled. Just very bad luck.

I think of the nativity play as one of the highlights of reception/infants. So glad the schools still do them.

Blanket ban Riv,possibly due to DVD filiming but they have agreed wit with other school, they did mumble something about maximising revenue- parents spend moreon tea / coffee etc perhaps? (schoolstruggling due to falling role,anyone who has read my posts over the years will know why the Infants feeder has caused a falling role).

whoops - should have read "practise" above

(OTOH ds3 has his first play at his SNU today, they ahve managed to get him to do a speaking part (H is for hillside) and there is no pricing / sibling ban / etc.

Have tickerts and cover for ds1'splay ioon Friday,sadly ds1 is no longer in it as he has refused point blannk. Grr PMSL

not fair to them if parents can't go either though

and mostof us leave- it only matters ifMum is there when LO walks in and after anyway IMO.

they do twopeformances(no evening ones,blanket ban with new head on anything after 5 including parents evenings), but one isfor GPs and pne for parents, both charged

Sorry OP willleave now, sorry for hijack

YANBU re lines and costumes. I get annoyed by the short notice of my step-son's Xmas play -they only tell parents with less than 2 weeks to go and having to take time off work in the middle of the day isn't always easy.

YABU a bit about wanting them to reschedule or replay the play because your DD is sick though. Really sad and awaful for your DD to miss it, but kids get sick, and if they replayed every classes play until every kid had had their chance the teachers and caretakers would be very frustrated!

When DD is better, why not get some popcorn in, invite grandparents or neighbours to pop round, and get DD to do her a little private show in costume in your front room, so she can still enjoy all the applause etc?

Our school has 2 performances of same play - no siblings to the one performance I can go to due to work commitments. DD going to be upset, so hoping I can get someone to go in my place.
Only 2 tickets but on the plus side, we do not have to pay.
YANBU

I think YABabitU about then changing the performance because your dd is sick.

We have to pay £1.50 a ticket to see dd's school play which is fine because they provide the costumes. They also do 2 performances one in the afternoon and one in the evening which is great as it means I don't have to arrange time off work.

I think it is unreasonable schools expecting parents to make difficult costumes.I personally love making stuff but I can see if you don't like it ,haven't got a sewing machine or are on a budget it would be very stressful.
Fortunately our school is inundated with offers from clever grannies to make costumes for anyone who might struggle.

I'm not annoyed about it - I think it's fun! I am however pleased that dd1 in reception for her first nativity is an angel. We did receive a list of requirements from school and I was very pleased not to have to produce a donkey or a camel! ( Riven - was the school you were talking about in North B and start with an E...?)The instructions for "camel parents" say "Brown tshirt with stuffed hump and brown trousers" = instant camel! Similarly apparently brown/grey trousers and t shirt = donkey.

Just realised I didn't really answer the question - I think it's not really practical to reschedule performances because of sickness. It's unfortunate if your child misses out but just one of those things...

I'd have the hump if I had to make a camel costume.

Message withdrawn