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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Christmas cards for the class and others

40 replies

rebl · 15/12/2010 18:56

My dtwins are in reception, mixed yr class though. They've brought home a number of christmas cards now from the rest of the class. Is this expected? Do I have to sit down and get them to write to everyone in the class (22 children)? DD would probably just about manage over the course of a weekend if I were to write it all bar her name. DS on the other hand can't write his name yet. If I could even get him to sit and write he would just about manage 1 card with a scribble. I know he's the only one in the class who can't write his name. I don't really want the other parents to put him down more than they already do and yet quite frankly I'm not sure me writing them all is going to help either. What should I do? I was thinking about sending 1 card from the 2 of them together to each child but its against my principles and the way we treat them as individuals, not twins, and anyway, again that doesn't alter the fact that ds can't write.

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puch · 15/12/2010 19:04

i would have thought most parents write their reception children cards I did as as you said it would take all weekend. Just for this year you write them and next year start in about begining of december for them to write their cards. At the end of the day it the children that look at the cards not the parents

MassiveKnobOfBrandyButter · 15/12/2010 19:06

I wrote my dc in reception and probably yr 1 and 2

Original poster

rebl · 15/12/2010 19:08

All the cards that they've recieved so far have been totally written by the children (To ds, love from M) etc. No parent handwriting anywhere .

OP posts:

fel1x · 15/12/2010 19:10

my ds has brought home about 12 cards so far and all bar one were written by the parents (the one who wrote in his own card, he only wrote his name, the parents wrote the rest)
I wrote all DS's too

bumpybecky · 15/12/2010 19:12

I'm going to guess that if one or two children don't bother writing cards none of the other children will notice.

dd3 is in year 1 and is bringing home loads of cards each day, but I've not kept track of who has and who hasn't sent a card

domesticsluttery · 15/12/2010 19:14

Mine write their own, but then they could all write by the time they started Reception.

In Reception though it is perfectly common for some cards to have been written by the parents. I certainly wouldn't look down on a child because of it, in fact it is unlikely that I would notice as I don't tend to read the cards that they bring home (unless they show me, eg DS2 was very proud of the card he brought home from a girl in his class which was filled with kisses and hearts!).

It does take an age to write them, even as they get older. Mine are 4, 6 and 8 which means over 60 cards and I still have to co-ordinate the 8 year old to make sure that he doesn't miss anyone. We did ours one day when we were snowed in at the start of the month.

ChasingSquirrels · 15/12/2010 19:18

ds2 is currently in reception and is randomly writing cards to half the school - certainly he hasn't done his whole class but has done various yr1/2/3/4/5&6's.
He has been adamant about who he is sending to - but has hopefully now forgotten the idea and we won't have to do any more!
But he only has a 4-letter name, and I write who they are to from him.
I wouldn't have encouraged him to do them, but he wanted to.

Elibean · 15/12/2010 19:25

dd2 (nursery) has just 'written' two. Obviously, I helped her.

dd1 (y2) has received about six, and written none at all yet - its totally random, never the whole class, often just a few friends. I do recall in YR she tried to send them to all the girls (about 15) but never quite made it! The novelty seems to have worn off

becktay · 15/12/2010 19:27

mine wrote happy christmas from DS and i scanned it into the computer and printed 30 off. Job done!

vegasmum · 15/12/2010 19:31

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Original poster

rebl · 15/12/2010 19:34

I like the scanning and printing lots of times idea. I still can't get ds to learn to write by the end of term though! He might just about follow along the dots I guess. Will see if I can get him to do that tomorrow otherwise I'm just writing them all. They both want to take cards in so ignoring the situation I don't think will work.

OP posts:

nancydrewrockinaroundxmastree · 15/12/2010 19:39

DS (reception) has had a mix of cards, most have been written by children, a minority by the parent.

It didn't occur to me that this was done because the DC couldn't write, I simply assumed they were more sane than me who has spent three after schools cajooling DS (and DD Yr 1) into writing cards that they insisted they wanted to send.

MissFit · 15/12/2010 19:43

My DD is 3 and can't write yet so I wrote the cards for her friends at nursery and she put the kisses at the bottom and a sticker on each one.

mejon · 15/12/2010 19:59

DD is in a tiny village school and today she came home with a load of cards from children throughout the school not just her own class . She hasn't mentioned 'sending' any of her own so I've taken the decision that until she can write her own properly we won't be doing it. Remind me to get some cards in ready for next Christmas!

zapostrophe · 15/12/2010 20:02

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TinselinaBumSquash · 15/12/2010 20:02

DS1 is in year 1 and only just wirting his name but i still wrote the recipiants name.

DS2 can't write his name so i did it for him and he did the kisses at the bottom. It was a good compromise.

UniS · 15/12/2010 20:40

OP- could DS decorate cards with stickers or ink stamps rather than write in them. you then add childs name and his.

Or, one child today had a clutch of cards with only their own name in and was giving them out randomly.

LittlePushka · 15/12/2010 21:05

Bucking the trend here because I feel strongly about this ladies. Give over with the infant/nursery/reception christmas card stress..please!!!

If a child wants to pen a card of any sort that's great...especially for granny, But do kids really know (or care) who has sent a card to them or even what it looks like 5 mins after they open it?

Monumental waste of your time & money.

domesticsluttery · 15/12/2010 21:14

In my DC's school they know all about cards and so tend to want to send them to their classmates. There is a big card "postbox" in the foyer and the older children empty it once a day and then come round the classrooms with each child's card pile.

Yes its a pain in the behind, but it has to be done really.

Original poster

rebl · 15/12/2010 21:16

zapostrophe - Guess that it depends on your definition of improving really! He's not got out again but he's broken his arm and given himself concusion this half of term.

You know what LittlePushka your POV is proved right by UniS comment of one child today had a clutch of cards with only their own name in and was giving them out randomly.

DD is desperate to do them though. I think she wants to post them in the post box though!

OP posts:

UniS · 15/12/2010 21:17

4 yr old DS knows and remembers who its from if it has a picture of buzz lightyear on it.

He read/ recognised one of his friends names as well, so thats another card he thinks is VERY special.

UniS · 15/12/2010 21:20

ah, actually the anecdote about random giving of cards with only giver name in wasn't meant that way.... child giving cards was really enjoying it and didn't have to worry about WHO they gave them too. kids receiving cards were variously happy or bemused but GIVER was very happy.
There is a post box but plenty of the foundation age kids like GIVING cards more than posting them.

julybutterfly · 15/12/2010 21:25

I like the idea of scanning it...wish I'd thought of that! Do you think he could write his name with a little help from you and then you could scan it, print out lots and he can have fun sticking them all in the cards after you've written who they're to?

EvilTwinsAteRudolph · 15/12/2010 21:30

LittlePushka - I'm totally with you on that one. My DTDs are also in reception, and have had a few cards - some written by children, most by parents. Some from kids in other years, who they know from Breakfast club. They have not mentioned writing cards to give back, and I have not encourged it. They've done one for their teacher and their ballet teacher, and will do some for GPs etc, but I think it is a huge waste of time and money to pull out the class list and write 30 cards for children who won't really notice who has and hasn't given them cards. I fully intend to wait until they decide that they want to do this themselves - that may be next year, it may not be.

Given how many adults send sensible emails saying "we're not doing Christmas cards this year (due to financial/ethical/whatever reason)" I see no need to do it for 4 year olds.

PoppetUK · 15/12/2010 21:43

You know what. Bugger it. Don't send them unless they really want to. My DD (year 2) got on with hers and did it no problem. DS (reception) was desperate to write them so he could use big red post box at school. Well after a failed attempt on Sunday we sat down tonight and wrote them. He just signed his name (I wrote everything else) and then wanted to draw a picture for all the girls. That took long enough!!!!

I just wouldn't worry about it. I only did it with my son because I would feel guilty knowing he really wanted to, had he not have been bother I would have happily left it......

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