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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

I feel like a shite mum.......

28 replies

tiredemma · 16/03/2008 15:05

..... I have no time to make farking bonnets for mondays 'bonnet parade' and no time to decorate eggs for 'egg decorating comp'

I feel bloody awful, will I be sent to hell for not doing this this year????

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

msappropriate · 16/03/2008 15:08

shouldn't the kids do it themselves? (I know you still have to help set it up, clean up etc). My ds's isn't due tull thurs so I may just get him to stick an egg box to a band of paper. Genuine unaided art.

taipo · 16/03/2008 15:17

If you do, then can I join you. I don't do messy and creative. Just thinking about it brings me out in a cold sweat.

Luckily dd is quite good now at getting on with it herself.

Original poster

tiredemma · 16/03/2008 15:20

It would end up me doing all of it. Along with tidying it all away..

Just dont have time to do it and it makes me feel crap.

OP posts:

taipo · 16/03/2008 15:38

Do you ever feel like a failure as a mum if you don't spend hours making bonnets, xmas costumes, elaborate cakes for the school fair etc.

I try not to cos there's more to parenthood than that but it niggles at me sometimes.

3NAB · 16/03/2008 15:40

Last year Asda sold egg decorating kits for a quid. they are easy to do and dind't make a lot of mess. I would get them.

RosaIsRed · 16/03/2008 15:41

I have just spent half the day making an African drum for DD2's homework. She helped a bit. They set these assignments that are clearly quite beyond the child's capability to achieve unaided and you end up doing the whole thing. Don't feel bad.

TheDukesofHapHazzard · 16/03/2008 15:42

on of my best friends complained to the school when the winnrs fo the bonnet and egg compatitions in school last year turned out to be the kids of two art teachers form a local comp!! The parents owned up to having made all the stuff them selves!

now we just give the kids some chocolate and open a bottle of wine instead! if they want to make something they can!

wheresthehamster · 16/03/2008 15:44

It's not 4 o'clock yet woman!!!!!

You have hours.

And don't tell me you don't have any crafty bits because Tesco's is still open!!

You fold an old cereal box into a bonnet shape and stick some feathers and crap on.

Hard boil some eggs and ditto.

This means you can MN until at least 8.00pm and still have time to do it

Original poster

tiredemma · 16/03/2008 15:44

I do feel lik a failure- its the first year that I really do not have time to put somethng together- But I feel especially guilty as it is DS2's first year at Primary and I feel I should be making something.

If I had the time I would do it, I just dont have time to decorate two eggs and make two hats. Its impossible.

OP posts:

Original poster

tiredemma · 16/03/2008 15:46

I have assignments due in on Thursday and im on placement till then also.

OP posts:

foxythesnowman · 16/03/2008 15:48

Can you staple a couple of bits of card to fit round each childs head? Then get the crafty stuff out and tell them to go wild?

Its all about the creative process rather than the end result IMHO. Infact, you will positively be able to feel superior to those sending their children in with hats they sweated over themselves!

And then you won't feel guilty about the eggs.

windygalestoday · 16/03/2008 15:49

get 2 baseball caps staple some green crepe paper to it get dd to draw a chicen and staple that on too there ya go quick and easy.
or even band of card with chickens and flowers sellotaped round looks good

tigermoth · 16/03/2008 16:00

Agree with the suggestion to find an existing hat and get the kids to stick stuff onto it. Check with your kids first to see if they have to parade in a hat. If so you do have to give them something. But, if they can choose to sit out, you are let off the hook.

Don't bother with the egg decorating, unless your child is eager to do it all themselves, then just hard boil an egg and give them the paints. It is a competition after all - not homework.

I have had two children in primary school and have always managed to dodge egg decorationg and have only had a passing brush with easter bonnet parades when utterly pushed by knowing that all classmates have to go through the ritual.

My sons have not suffered in any way

Swedes · 16/03/2008 16:08

It's always the entry from the child with the alcoholic/drug addict mother that wins the easter bonnet competition anyway - the smelly beret with a Savers egg box stapled to it. The creation by Mrs Tries-soterriblyhardateverything, which she worked on tirelessly for 9 days and had the au pair finish off so she could catch a few hours' sleep, never wins.

Swedes · 16/03/2008 16:12

I think there should be an easter bonnet identity parade before the judging. All the hats should be put on one side of the room and the children on the other. Any child failing to identify their bonnet should be immediately disqualified. And the mother should be made to wear the bonnet for 40 days and nights.

wheresthehamster · 16/03/2008 16:16

And once identified they need to say how they made it

3littlefrogs · 16/03/2008 16:22

Do you have cardboard mashable bedpan liners at your work tiredemma? (I think you are a nurse or similar??). I once made a bonnet with one of those (Clean and unused, fresh out of new box etc). Two ribbons to tie it on, and lots of coloured tissue paper squashed into "flowers" stuck on with glue.

miljee · 16/03/2008 16:22

Brilliant idea, Swedes!

Caz10 · 16/03/2008 16:35

as a infant teacher, my criteria for prizes is "which one looks like kid actually helped make it?"- you can tell mummy/nanny made ones a mile off. bedpan idea is fab, and things will stick to it really easily!

windygalestoday · 16/03/2008 17:00

caz we made a hat out of one of those mde loads of spring flowers out of crepe paper wrapping paper and sweet papers stuck loads of spring like animal shapes on straws and stapled them on we didnt win ..........but 2 ideas (that clearly arent kids work did )

a/was a brown ladies felt hat with yellow petals stuck round the brim and a bee on stuck stapled to it......very effectively modelled by a 12 stone year 5 boy!

b/a paper mache hat moddelled in a oval shape then painted in cdburys creme egg insignia!! this same hat was passed around all members of the same fmily and won at least 3 1st places in 4 schools lololol

Caz10 · 16/03/2008 17:10

oh dear maybe i am too soft!

lol at the creme egg one bloody hell!

windygalestoday · 16/03/2008 22:50

lol caz you will be dead suspicious now if any of your pupils come in with a creme egg hat

Original poster

tiredemma · 17/03/2008 20:23

managed to rustle something up together!!(Looks shit though!)

OP posts:

CrackerOfNuts · 17/03/2008 20:27

Emma, I know mums who do have the time and can't be bothered so no you are most definatly not a shite mum.

I see you have done it now, but if you need an idea for next year then, what I did with ds was, cut an egg shape out of cardboard, give it to ds along with glue, glitter and foam shape things and hey presto, one decorated egg, which I then stuck on a cardboard headband.

taipo · 17/03/2008 21:33

well done!

I'm sure it looks great

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