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Original poster

Pls tell me parents are *not* playing this trick on their children

206 replies

tiktok · 01/04/2020 12:08

I’ve just seen reports on Twitter that some parents are telling their kids school has started again, seeing them get excited....and then telling them ‘april Fool!’ .....and videoing their distress and posting on Facebook for LOLS.

This is really upsetting me. I can’t believe people would be so cruel.

I am not sure I believe these stories. Has anyone seen these posts?

OP posts:
KatherineJaneway · 01/04/2020 13:14

I've seen one with the mum telling her DC there are no takeaways, no Nandos etc and she have to eat mummies food, kid was really distressed.

Original poster
tiktok · 01/04/2020 13:15

I'm sure most parents are capable of knowing whether their kids can take this sort of 'joke' or not, but wanting to avoid distress and upset is not being devoid of a sense of fun or humour.

I agree with the posters who regard deliberately making a child cry with disappointment is bullying. And as for posting it on Facebook...ugh.

OP posts:
TheSmallClangerWhistlesAgain · 01/04/2020 13:18

Even for those who are "all about the bants" and consider it all harmless fun, why would you wind a child up to a pitch when you've got to be around them all day? It's asking for trouble, even if you can't see that it's cruel. And a massive waste of time and energy.

TooMuchBloodyChoice · 01/04/2020 13:19

@Helmetbymidnight - was your question aimed at me? If so, no I didn’t video it and no he wasn’t remotely distressed, his response was “You’ll have to try harder than that to get me” then he laughed. Which was the point. No distress here at all.

EerieSilence · 01/04/2020 13:21

It's really idiotic. Our April Fool highlight was to sing and dance Baby Shark to DH while he was still pre-coffee and waking up so we made more fools of ourselves than him.
Otherwise, not really time for jokes.

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 01/04/2020 13:21

We gave DD a letter saying school was starting again and the Easter holidays were. Cancelled. She got a bit upset (at the idea of going back because she loves homeschool) then got furious when we told her April fool and now thinks it's a great prank and wants to try it on her friends.

I think kids need to learn to laugh at life a bit. She knows we love her and we take her upset seriously, we said sorry for upsetting her but she was over it in seconds. She's a very secure & happy girl.

I got blue dye in my shower gel and salty coffee. Grin

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 01/04/2020 13:23

KatherineJaneway, that's the same one I'm talking about. It's really horrible. That child is now captured on FB or whatever shitty SM.

BlueJava · 01/04/2020 13:26

Depends on what sort of friends you keep on facebook. I'm not aware that it's happening.

yoloPenguinsEatfish · 01/04/2020 13:26

*We gave DD a letter saying school was starting again and the Easter holidays were. Cancelled. She got a bit upset (at the idea of going back because she loves homeschool) then got furious when we told her April fool and now thinks it's a great prank and wants to try it on her friends.

I think kids need to learn to laugh at life a bit. She knows we love her and we take her upset seriously, we said sorry for upsetting her but she was over it in seconds. She's a very secure & happy girl.

I got blue dye in my shower gel and salty coffee*

All totes hilaire I guess... at least you didnt film her reaction and share it on social media I suppose, or yours to the salty coffee. Biscuit

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 01/04/2020 13:27

Obviously we didn't film it or anything and we certainly weren't doing it to deliberately upset.
The funny moment in an April fool is the moment you go 'April fool' and everyone laughs / groans.

She got more cross with me when I stopped her trying it on her little sister (who is too young and would be confused).

yoloPenguinsEatfish · 01/04/2020 13:27

bold fail there, sorry.

Anyway, it's after mid-day so all April Fools 'pranks' are now officially out of date.

Cissyandflora · 01/04/2020 13:27

How awful. Videoing distress of anyone is so terrible. How can people lack empathy like this?

PrivateD00r · 01/04/2020 13:28

I saw such a video this morning, the children arrive downstairs in their uniforms only for the parents to be laughing their heads off at them. When the kids realise its a joke, one cries, one says a swear word and the other storms off. The mother posted it and described it as comedy gold. I was horrified, I always thought she was a great mum until now.

givemeacall · 01/04/2020 13:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

VashtaNerada · 01/04/2020 13:32

Bloody hell. So glad none of my friends did something that unkind. I suppose theoretically there might be children out there who would get the joke and find it funny but I know mine wouldn’t. They miss their friends and the routine so much. I did a really stupid one this year (because I know they’d be upset if I did nothing at all). I told them there were tigers in the garden Grin It lasted seconds and they both laughed when they realised. I certainly wouldn’t do anything related to coronavirus though.

GoingtotheWinchester · 01/04/2020 13:33

I’m bemused by the people saying some kids are loving the long holiday. My Y5 doesn’t love school and is not missing it particularly but Jesus this is so much more than not being at school! Hmm

He can’t see his grandparents, his uncles and aunts, all his friends. He can’t go out when he wants, he can’t go to the shops, he can’t go to the park. He’s missing his holidays.

In such a short time normal life has been ripped from under them. How is pretending that this fucked version of reality is over and then telling them it’s a “joke” in any way funny at all?

I’m baffled.

Oranly · 01/04/2020 13:34

All totes hilaire I guess

Yeah I think that's pretty funny. You must be such a joy to be around with your biscuit sharing. Glad I don't know you in real life.

BrutusMcDogface · 01/04/2020 13:35

Yes, two videos on my Facebook feed. It’s so cruel. My dd’s friend’s little excited face when she thought school was on and the way she shot off to get changed. Heartbreaking.

Redredwine99 · 01/04/2020 13:35

People are horrible

Sammymommy · 01/04/2020 13:36

I can't wait for the "Granma died of Coronavirus. No. April's fool". You know some idiot is gonna do it. I hate April's fools. I hate people who think they are hilarious and whoever dares not agreeing "has no sense of humour" or "doesn't get it's just a joke".

If somebody managed to make me believe that a vaccine has been found and everything is over to tell me it's a joke, I wouldn't take it kindly (but I am an old fart without humour unlike those cool parents who know how to be hilarious).

ThinkAboutItTomorrow I'm sorry. i don't mean to be rude but all we have is your word. Of course you're not gonna say 'I am a a*hole, my daughter who is already struggling with the situation is feeling even more anxious and down now:. She showed you that she is ok with it because it is what you expect of her. She got upset in the first place, do kids need to be more upset at the moment? Did you really not see it coming?

I don't care how many people come and say "well I did it'... It was a cruel and stupid thing to do...

pigsDOfly · 01/04/2020 13:36

It's not about children who would be happy to go back to school being unhappy at home, as a couple of pps have implied.

One of my DGD absolutely loves school. She's 5 years old and loves all the things she's learning and all the friends she has, but she's missing them and missing seeing her teachers and being in the school environment.

She's happy and confident and has a very happy home life. Normally their weekends are full of busy activity and going places; she's missing that as well.

Missing school doesn't mean you want to be away from home.

She would have been incredibly upset if her parents has been the cruel types to play a stupid stunt like that on her; fortunately, they're not.

FabulouslyFab · 01/04/2020 13:37

I’ve found my people! - I saw this on Facebook and thought it was a terrible thing to do. I’ve never found anything funny about making children - or adults - cry.

Newcatmum · 01/04/2020 13:37

I saw one on Facebook of a boy in his uniform and school bag running up to the school gates only to be told by his mum "April Fool's"Sad.

mumwon · 01/04/2020 13:38

as stated by pp only if the dc is old/mature/canny enough to laugh with
But otherwise
for me any humour which involves humiliating another is just sick & as for filming it & putting on the facebook et al - I think its (a) bullying & (b) emotional child abuse - what else do these kind of parents do??
& I don't care that other people think

Original poster
tiktok · 01/04/2020 13:38

yolo: "She got a bit upset (at the idea of going back because she loves homeschool) then got furious when we told her April fool and now thinks it's a great prank and wants to try it on her friends."

How utterly lovely she wants to try the same thing on her friends. Spreading the joy, I suppose Hmm

Jeeez.

OP posts: