PARENTS: Please don't ruin the nativity plays by filming all the way through them.

[Spidermama]

This year I've decided to speak out in the hope that I may be able to get through to some people.

Every year it's been getting worse. Why do parents insist on ruining the live event of a nativity play by filming or taking pictures throughout. It really upsets me and I see how uncomfortable it makes the kids.

You wouldn't do this at the threatre. Put the gadgets away and enjoy the live event.

You can't capture it on film anyway.

Well, at the same time as filming with the ipad her small child was standing on a seat next to her. we had left our small ds at home, but several people had brought younger siblings who sat happily or went along the side and watched form there. So dh went and asked her to get the child to sit down - if she had not been waving the ipad around she would have been focussing on the child!!

Glad to have so much support!

Those of you brave enough to admit filming, it doesn't matter that you are sitting down. The people behind still have your little screen thing flickering in front of them. Annoying. Also, surely you can't enjoy the live event so much when you're trying to capture and keep it.

Yes that is true. I would prefer not to film but feel very sorry for my husband who will never be able to see his kids in a school assembly or concert. I wouldn't find a screen in front of me at all annoying as I am not easily distracted. It was way more annoying that the mother in front of me who is reasonably tall decided to sit on her coat to make herself taller so she was completely in my way. She also cried loudly throughout which is understandable but as it was the 5th year in a row her child had a solo so I thought she would be used to it!

LOL at 'she also cried loudly'. I always fight back tears. Sometimes I've actually made myself have a good cry before going to the nativity play lest I end up being led out of the gym hall sobbing and snotty.

I support you OP. I have no idea what the rule is at DS's school as this is his first year but I really, really hope they're banned.

I hate this so much, I suspect it is people who Facebook all the time. It seems like the same mindset to me.

I am very surprised that schools allow filming. How do they get around any children whose parents will not give permission for them to be photographed? There's always a handful in a school. Do they just not let them be in the Nativity? The reason I say this is that schools can be dropped into special measures if they are not seen to be following correct safeguarding procedure by Ofsted.

All schools should have a teacher filming and sell a cheap DVD. The teacher can be selective about who gets recorded in this instance; it makes cash for the school and everybody gets to see it.

I'm also a teacher and it makes me very that I will probably never see DS in a school production. If I did manage to wangle time out of work to see it (highly unlikely) then I would be furious if I had to sit behind someone with a camera. I want to enjoy the production. And yes, I have loads of family who would like to see it, so a DVD would be nice, but I still would not sit there and film it myself as I think it is really unfair. Standing at the back isn't so bad, but I'd still like a teacher to do it.

Our school charge £14 for an official DVD and there is no garantee you will see your child for more than a second. I have filmed in the past, but only for the 10 seconds my DD did a bit, as DH can never make the performances.
I have also filmed for a couple of other mothers who, rather than being cross with me, have asked if I could do their children.

I would rather have someone in front of me with a video camera, than with an out of control toddler shouting all the way through my DDs 5 seconds of fame which happened last time. The mother had seen her child already so wasnt bothered about keeping the sibling quiet for the rest of the performance :(