Can we have a definitive list of acceptable/non-acceptable behaviour at school Christmas concerts?

[Hassledge]

For example, it is not OK to let your 5 year old stand on the seat/bench. That's the same as an adult standing up for the duration. Being a child isn't the same as being see-through.

It is not acceptable to risk bringing a loud toddler and then when said toddler decides that running around and screeching is what they want to do most, stay put. Bring them out. I don't care if that means you miss the show - the alternative is that a hundred + other people have the show disturbed. Do the right thing.

It is acceptable to do a lone risky descant during the "Sing choirs of angels" bit of "O come all ye faithful". No-one went for it this year, and I was gutted.

What else?

Oh come on - someone somewhere must have done some judging, surely?

A lady with a pushchair came in late and stood right in front of DS and I who were on a bench at the back. V annoying!

if they ask you not to take photos, don't spend the whole play standing up (in front of me so i couldn't see) taking photos.

I had a screaming toddler sat right next to me screaming he head off, i was vidioing the play and all you can hear is this screaming child and the camara it bouncing up and down also as the man with the child was bouncing him up and down, which wasnt helping one bit !!

I went to a school play in the spring with a 3 year old, 18 month old, and rotten morning sickness. My kids (of course) played up, just as their older sister came on stage.

And what hapened then? I didn't take them out. Two lovely mothers came to my rescue, took one of my kids each and let me watch the play. They have older (well, primary school aged) kids) and remembered how tough it can be.

So maybe a rule for the Christmas play should be, if you see a parent struggling with their toddler, YOU offer to help. Season of goodwill and all.

If the of you go to watch your children in a play and your younger ones play up, take it in turns to look after the younger one. Do not get a bouncy ball out and start to bounce it, inducing great laughter from said child. (hurumph)

DD had her nativity today and I'm in the bad books with the school mum's mafia for my 'bad behaviour' (probably) .

I volunteered to help the children get ready for the play, so I wasn't able to bag a seat by getting in the school hall early. It was tickets only so DH waited outside for me till I'd finished helping.

We got to the hall and there were only two seats left - right at the front in the middle - so we took them. But we are quite tall, so we were then hearing lots of tuts and moans behind us.

Sod the short-arsed grumpies I say!

awww You make me feel bad now dublinmom

If you are allowed to take photos and do bring a camera, don't attach a paparazzi-sized flash to it and then take continual photos of your child. The othe rparents sat around you would prefer not to be blinded for five minutes.