Hmmm...the junior school Christmas play

[TinyGang]

So it's in the evening - well two evenings actually. Why does it have to be at night?

Younger brothers and sisters aren't allowed in case they disrupt things. Young children do disrupt things sometimes I suppose, but this isn't the west end fgs.

The age they say child guests can come is secondary school age up. That's older than the children perfoming surely?

OK. that explains why we have one evening and one afternoon performance. Presumably I take the afternoon off & take dd, and dh goes to see the evening performance.
BUT why the HELL don't they tell us, or at least let us know how many tickets we get, can we invite grandparents (the closest are 80m away) AAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHH

This is not even going into the fact that we have had NINE different song lyrics to learn - no music, as that would make life too easy for us parents. Luckily I have found (thanks to a previous thread) that 'out of the ark' who seem to write all the primary school's nativity plays have 4 of these songs online - well one verse & one chorus - so we can at least pretend to rehearse these.

DS is a dancing donkey in this production - OK he was Joseph last year, and I am sure that the fight that he and 'Mary' had last year as to who was to get all the presents from the three kings had nothing to do with it !!!!!!!!!

Debbiesmum - stressed at all at the moment by any chance

YES - How on earth are we supposed to teach our five-year-olds the words to nine songs - as well as the reading books.

Thank God he is just reading and I don't have to worry about spellings as well.

Debbiethemum, you are not supposed to teach the songs. The school does that. The words are just sent home as if you don't then the parents ask for them, or just to remind the children of any bits they are unsure of. The tunes are usually so catchy the children pick them up very easily.

I have had to confiscate dd's words as she has been "practising" with her head buried in them instead of singing out.

I take it this rule suits you then Daisy - either because you have only the one child / because you have more than one but are fortunate to have babysitters on tap etc/ or your children are older and you are past the rugrat stage.

Well as long as you are okay then....

not surprising handlemecarefully you are wrong - I have no babysitters, my children are young and I have more than one!
I just prefer not to have to strain to hear through other peoples rugrats screaming and causing chaos.

Rugrats

No children allowed to watch a children's christmas play Not very community spirited. Presumably these schools will be happy to take the toddlers when they are old enough to attend school. But they are not happy to include them now Surely they would be better including families in the 'school family'. And younger siblings love seeing the older ones in the play and vice versa. Well mine have, anyway. I must admit that I always made sure I was at the back and exited if the baby started crying.
Just think it's not in the spirit of the thing to exclude brothers and sisters. If mine had been excluded I doubt I would have seen many(if any) of my children's plays.

Our infant school does 2 daytime performances, one to include pre-schoolers and the other not.
Complaint - oooh, no evening performances for dads, moan, moan

Our junior school has 2 evening performances for all but only 2 tickets allowed per family.
Complaint - oooh, not fair, what about grandma, moan, moan

Our secondary school has 2 evening performances, again, for all, but charges for entrance.
Complaint - oooh, £5 a ticket, bloody cheek, moan, moan

You see, you can't please all the people all the time.

Spot on there, Wheresthehamster. Not everyone's going to be happy, I suppose. Can only try to please most. Glad I don't have to organise it and I have sympathy for the school staff who have to put up with all the grumbling.
Still think it's a bit off not to let the little ones go, though

I find you unfathomable Daisy...

You are well on the way to being one of those purse lipped middle aged ladies who glower menacingly at small children in coffee shops/ parks / shops...well pretty much anywhere really!

Message withdrawn

don't you think the children doing the plays get a bit bored when they have to do it so many times?
Not after an arguement just curious.

Oh I think the evening idea is nice, my mum (a teacher) never came to my school Christmas stuff because it was in the day.

But actually what do I know? Heh.

I have just had an end of year concert for my flute and piano students - my preschool classes went on first and then stayed for as much of the rest as they could/wanted to.

Even with numerous preschoolers in the audience it was fine. Everyone was being quiet because they were being entertained. My pupils need to learn to cope with distraction anyway - and old people unwrapping noisy sweeties can be just as bad.

I've just taken ds (3) to see Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and he was quiet as a mouse and sat still the whole time. I would be quite offended at the implication that a Junior school play would be too much for him.

lol handlemecarefully - I look forward to it

younger siblings not allowed at ours either, they see it during the day anyway, but only 2 tickets allowed per family, have not told my mother yet, or dared asked her to baby sit,! looks like me and dh will have to go on seperate nights if i don't pluck up courage to ask her...she has already asked me when it is

Phew! Glad you took that in the spirit that it was intended. I ought to have added a emoticon afterwards