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Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

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Original poster

School parent evening

32 replies

Fourunderfourx · 08/09/2023 21:20

So DD has started reception and the school have advised there is a parent evening next week to provide information to parents, only problem is it's at 7 right when bedtime for my children will start, why does the school think this time is appropriate for parents of 4 year olds? My parents have offered to mind so we can go but my youngest will be needing to be breastfed and put to bed around then so not really fair on parents as she won't take a bottle. What do most people do? One parent goes and one stays? We bring the baby and keep her up late?

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saraclara · 08/09/2023 22:24

No way in a million years will most working patents be allowed to take time out from work to attend more than one information session. Many wouldn't even have been allowed the pre-start one.

You are in the tiniest of bubbles right now. My commute was 45 minutes each way, and that's not bad for round here. I wouldn't be able to 'pop out' for the meeting and back again.

For the first meeting they accommodated people like you. This time they're accommodating working parents. It's only fair and they want to allow everyone visit at least.
And of course the evening one still allows for one half of a two parent family to attend. Where both parents work, both were stuffed with the 1pm meeting.

frootitootie · 08/09/2023 22:24

Is this your first dc to start school? This is what it will be like so probably good to manage your expectations now. If you're working you will miss out on some day time info sessions/ sports days/ concerts etc. if you're not working you'll have to juggle bedtimes and parents evenings.

Main thing is to remember that only one group are really screwed and that is lone working parents.

cadburyegg · 08/09/2023 22:29

You don't need a babysitter, you have a partner.

I'm a single parent, if I want to go to one of these evenings I have to ask my mum or pay someone, unless I want to bring the kids with me. So it irritates me to no end when people bring their extended family along plus overtired babies and toddlers who interrupt the session and make it hard for other people to understand what's being said.

And I'm very grateful when schools make an effort to accommodate working parents. Most families don't have a full time SAHP.

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TinyTeacher · 09/09/2023 19:04

Honestly, it's totally fine for one of you to go.

I'm missing the one for my eldestvthis year as it's at 3pm and DH and I are both teachers so cannot take off time during term. The teacher has said she'll stick a copy of the handout in DDs school bag instead. No big deal. Its a generic evening where they provide information on the topics that will be covered etc. If you have any questions you can always write them in contact book/email teacher.

Sherrystrull · 09/09/2023 19:14

newfound · 08/09/2023 22:03

Our parent information sessions are always at 8am to accommodate working parents (school day starts at 8.30am, we bring the dc and they are supervised by other staff elsewhere). It works out for working parents and me who is at home with a younger baby. Parents evenings for individual children are from 3.30pm-7pm so I usually take an earlier slot so I can be there with my younger dc.

OP if we had a session at 7pm I'd want to be there so I'd be bringing baby along and take her out of her routine for one night. I'm bfing and she can usually cope if I bf and wear her in a carrier and she just sleeps through anything.

It doesn't work for all working parents. I'm at work at 7.30. 7pm is perfect for me.

GreenWheat · 09/09/2023 19:26

It's always a bit of an eye opener when your first DC starts school. You need to get your head round the fact that schools largely do what's best for the children, as they should. You might have younger kids but some of your child's classmates will be the youngest, have teenage siblings etc. As PP have said, step out of your bubble, you will need to be flexible when it comes to attending school things.

WheresMyChunkz · 09/09/2023 19:45

Having to adjust to the school's timetable for things like this was quite inconvenient for me at times, but it's just one of those situations where they can't please everyone. Also other people making decisions which affected my DC which I didn't agree with, but which were made in the interests of a much larger group. There have been decisions / choices made by the school where I honestly couldn't see their logic but just sucked it up and went along with it because I don't have all the information they do, and sometimes that's just what you have to do as part of a larger community. My interests / convenience don't outweigh those of the 100s of other families they deal with.

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