My daughter playing Donkey for school play

[sperit]

Dear all,

I needed your advise.

I am extremely upset with the my daughter school teacher that has assigned my daughter to play the donkey on the Christmas school.

She was previously attending a different school where she was being bullied so I looked for a private school.

My daughter is a girl of colour and on the previous school she was being called ugly and that her hair was not beautiful. So I enrolled to a private school. I did this as I had the same issue when I was growing and my father looked for a suitable private where I was extremely happy.

When I enrolled My Ella to the private school I mentioned the issues.

So I found out 2 days ago that my daughter has been assigned to play the donkey and wearing a dark brown suit. I feel upset to the that they could not assigned Ella with a different role.
So I had a discussion with her teacher and I told her how disappointed I am and whether she could find a different way for Ella to contribute on the play such as being on the choir. Her response was no as at this stage she cannot find nothing else and I know it looks but is not what I am thinking and the that is going to be a funny show.

What do you guys think should I still allow my daughter to play the donkey????

I think I need a break from MN

... What does your dd think? You haven't mentioned that anywhere, only how you feel🤔

Come on, it's a nativity play with limited parts!!
My son is a king I was so pleased. I thought he was going to be a sheep. He's 3, he doesn't care what he is.

Why would she get bullied for being a donkey???!!! Not everyone can be Mary/Joseph/Gabrielle??!!

My DH was a camel in the most unflattering suit whilst her friends were narrators, stars and Mary.

It doesn't need to be a big deal if you don't read too much into it and look so happy at the performance.

If I felt very strongly about something like this, I'd keep her off on the day of the nativity.

My DS is a donkey this year and it’s one of the biggest roles, what would you prefer she’d be?

My daughter asked why she could not be the angel but I don't think she is unhappy about playing the donkey and I did not make her aware of my feelings

I played the donkey one year, 30 something years later I'm pretty unscathed!
It's a big role, the donkey is responsible for carrying Mary to Bethlehem, the donkey has a song and is in pretty much the whole nativity.
Not sure what the issue would be.

Everyone loves the donkey in our school play....
He/ she has the funny lines and the best costume!
Does your daughter mind being the donkey?

The donkey is a lovely part and apart from the ones who want to be Mary, everyone else usually wants to be the donkey. In fact Mary and Joseph generally get to say v little.

Try and enjoy it ... she could have been a tree or an octopus!

Someone always has to play the donkey, or the camel etc. Not everyone can get the best parts. I never had a decent part when I was at school, I had to be a mouse once. My children were cows and stars and random extras, they never even had a talking part but they they had fun taking part and I loved watching them

I really don't get why you are making a big deal about it.

The donkey is an important part of the Nativity .

Could be worse OP, I was a snake once in a play put on in a theatre above a pub , as an adult .
Slithering around the stage , lol

Thank you all for your replies

One of my kids played the donkey and it all seemed ok. Every year one kid will play the donkey.
I know you want to protect her for so many good reasons, but unless she has voiced objections, I’d leave it.

What because your daughter isn't white she can't wear a brown costume? What about white children wearing white angel outfits? Or white child wearing white Jesus robes??

The donkey is the only part available. If your daughter wants to do it. Let her. If she doesn't want to be a donkey she misses out on the play?

It's incredibly sad and disgusting she experienced racial abuse in her last school but the current thing you're worried about has nothing to do with race?

I just don't want my daughter to suffer any bullying for playing the Donkey

Why would she's be bullied for being the donkey? Someone is going to be the donkey (and he was pretty important really!). The generic angels do nothing.

Really OP, it'll be ok? My dd was a Christmas pudding one year!! And one of her best friends was a turkey - there really are worse things out there!

The main thing is they all get dressed up, learn some songs and enjoy the performance - while a lot of kids might aspire to be a shepherd/an angel/the star, they quickly just get on with enjoying the fun. Big up the donkey role!

Not everyone can be an angel, at least she's got a recognisable part to play! I've never heard of anyone being bullied because of the part they'd been given in a school nativity.

My daughter was a wardrobe once, I just told her to be the best wardrobe she could be and be glad she didn't have too many lines to remember...

One of mine was a fucking sausage. Be grateful she's a donkey.

There are always several donkeys in the nativity at our school, along with quite a number of sheep and camels. When you're allocating parts to 60 kids the traditional cast list has to expand a bit.

As far as I can see the parts are played by a lovely diverse mix of boys and girls from lots of different backgrounds and cultures.

Donkeys are grey. If this is actually real and you are interpreting the casting as racist then I have to say OP you really do need to get a grip.

My DS was a donkey. He looked really cute. He hated it, I have some amazing photos of the grumpiest donkey in the world!

One of mine played the donkey, shen is white. Dont think race comes into it at all. Did you want her to have a more pretty role? I would talk with her, check shes happy doing it. I think she will enjoy being a part of it all.

Apparently my DS is going to be a snowflake he informed me over breakfast I asked his teacher this morning if it was true and she told me they hadn’t definitely decided on parts yet, I was only asking to see if if I needed to get a costume - we don’t own any white clothes - but I think she thought I was going to complain about it. Mind you he told me he wants to be a wise man “because I am one” 😂😂😂❄️❄️❄️

When I was little my mum actually changed my school on the strength of me being cast as the donkey.

I had done a brilliant gently slow donkey impression when they asked us to show them who’d be the best donkey, whereas everyone else had sped around the school hall like race horses.