To not attend sports day.

[EVIEeeee]

My kids have sports day tomorrow. Its a 9.30 until 3.00 event where we sit on the field amd watch 7s and under in the morning then we watch over 7s after dinner. Theres a picnic in the middle for kids to have with their parents. If you need the toilet you have to walk approc 5 mins to be let in the building. You have to bring your own chairs and blankets.

My kids are not keen on sportsday.

Would i be an awful mum to not attend when its landed on my day off. I would happily attend if it was a couple of hours

Glad you’re going! My late mum went to one of my sports days - just the one - as she was usually working. I remember it clearly.

Never went to a single sports day myself, kids never cared, didn't feel any guilt about it. If they'd asked or expected to do well in a race and wanted me to see I would have gone but it wasn't important to any of us. Things like school concerts and plays were though and one of us or grandparents would always be there for those.

Good to hear you'll be going. Your children will appreciate you being there. :-)

Ah well done for going! Hopefully you'll be pleased you went!

I tended to go to everything, and I always noticed the kids that were constantly looking at the door hoping their parents were going to walk through it.

I’ve booked leave for my DD7 sports day. Would I rather be doing something else? Yes, but she will remember me being there. As for the gates being locked, if you ask to leave they will let you out 🤣

You can carry a foldable chair usually with a strap over one shoulder, so it shouldn't be too bad? Or splash out on an Uber on the way back - it will help especially as you will have tired kids anyway by that point.

But... you're not at work? It's your day off?

If it's your day off and you aren't working you need to go, you can easily carry a camping chair with a carry strap, £10 from most supermarkets. If is too many things and not enough hands book bags, school bags, PE kits etc I used to just chuck it all into one of those large supermarket bags so you only have one thing to carry.

They have made it easier for Working Parents,it's far easier to take a whole day off than 2 half days.

I booked leave for DDs interschool athletics day (parents encouraged) as she's yr 9 and parents can't go to the schools sports day. She's throwing javelin and shotput and will be done in about 3 mins. I'll take a chair, a book, headphones, picnic, suncream and enjoy the lovely day.

Do your children play sport outside of school? A sunny day on a field certainly bets rany, freezing February Sunday watching rugby or 5 X a week sat in the car at swim training.

If it’s your day off I don’t see why you wouldn’t. Surely you miss other stuff while you are working (understandably so) so why aren’t you keen to get to what you feasibly can?

So glad you decided to go.

If they already don't like it then that's even more reason to go to make it a bit better.
Imagine how they'd feel otherwise seeing all the parents who have turned up and they're already not enjoying the day. If they loved sports day at least they would be happy and distracted from you not showing up

I feel your pain! Sports day was not my favourite either. Glad you're going for your kids though even if there are 100 other things you'd rather be doing. Sucks that it goes on all day, that seems ridiculous! Surely a couple of hours is long enough.

Its so important to show up IMO.

The smile when they see you and hear you cheering them on.

I go to every event and enjoy seeing my kids. It won't be forever.

If you don't go, most of the other kids will be sat with their parents and yours will be with their teachers. It's your day off just go - I agree it's a big old day sat on a field but you will get to spend time with your kids

Cannot believe some people are saying ‘don’t go, and keep your children off school for the day’.

Whatever happened to teaching your children to show up and be a supportive part of their community?

So glad you've decided to go. My DD's sports day was exactly this set up & every year there would be a handful of very upset children because they didn't have a parent/grandparent/auntie/uncle or anybody to have their picnic with at lunchtime.

It's shit for parents who just can't be there for whatever reason. Really shit. If it was just an hour of races (like a PE lesson) before the end of school where everybody gets to go home/after school club etc straight after as normal I feel it would be much less obvious who wasn't there & less upsetting for the child.

DD's school went one step further & incorporated sports day with the Summer Fair. So if you couldn't attend sports day, your child got to miss out on the school fair too.

It obviously isn’t practical to drag picnic stuff and blankets, etc by foot along with two children.

But I’d have thought anyone with children and a half hour walk to school would have made sure they had someone - another school parent, a friend or family member - they could ask for a lift as a one-off in this sort of situation.

I dare say it is all exhausting - but it’s surprising that parents are surprised at being asked to do normal parent things.

Obviously loads of parents will be at work, but if one can go to a school thing ..

Personally I would go!

I'm so glad to see you are going even if it's not your thing. I always remember my mum turning up to support ,and she wasn't into sports at all, but I was so it meant a lot.

I think your schools approach is wrong though, I suspect a lot of working parents wouldn't be able to make this without taking a day off, not ideal at all.

I think you need to go but it’s ridiculous it’s a whole day affair

I love my child's sports day. It's also an all day thing. We get scones though and if the weather is nice, sit in the sun all day!

Ive re-arranged work to get to mine tomorrow, granted DS loves sports day but its the picnic bit that gets me, I hate the thought of him going back into the hall for lunch when his friends are sat outside having picnics with their grown ups.
I don't enjoy sports day, especially as there's two days I need to go in for but I'll go for DS.
(Also my DD is in year 7 and parents aren't involved at all with the school so I figure I'll make most of primary days)

I attended my kids sports day once. It was a true nightmare. My kid is a sore loser. He kept running away in a strop; from his team when he failed doing something. Or stopped midway if he felt he gonna lose. I had to comfort him thru his sulking everytime. He didn't behave like this when I didn't attend his previous sports days. At the end of the games, he just left everyone and ran crying to his classroom. I ran after him and trying to explain to him and reassure him etc but nope, nothing worked. I have told him I'm not going next time if he acts like this again. He said he will behave, but he says a lot of things. Of course I hate going to sports day but I'll do it for him. I have attended other events and I hate going on them but I do it anyway. Sucking it up. I do love seeing his face light up everytime he sees me so it's worth it.