For all those thinking of NOT going to Sports Day.......................

[Collision]

................please re-think as it is so important to little ones!

This morning 4 children were upset that their parents hadn't turned up and had no one to cheer for them!

In the end I took it in turns to cheer for each one and they looked so happy!

At the end I gave ds a hug to say goodbye and his friend George started crying as he had no one to give him a hug!! So I hugged him too and the others I had been cheering for as well as they formed an orderly queue!

so please take a half day off work and go and see your child in the races!

Thanks for the homily then collision

Hmm. If I took time off to go to every school event then I would have no holiday left, as Freddysteddy says, to actually see my DS in the holidays.

I can't make sports day this year. I just can't. DH will be there, and I have arranged for my parents and possibly my DB to be there. That will just have to do.

what a horrible thing to write Freddysteddy.

I have missed my dc's last 3 sports days as they were on different days and I couldn't get 2 consecutive mornings off. This year they are on the same day (yay!!) and this is their last one at this school so I am definitely going!

They recently also had one of those "come into school in the morning and stay for lunch" things but I could only get there for lunch. The dcs came over, said hello and ran off to play!!!!!

Wow Freddysteddy, nice

collision, how lovely you took time to cheer other children.

i love sports day. though will have to switch between two lots of races unless dd2 is on the same team part as dd1. might dray dh along this year and smother him in sunscreen and a sunhat so both girls get cheeredf att he same time.

Perhaps you should re-read your OP about the upset children and think how you would feel if you were one of their mothers and hadn't been able to make it.

Then got told my some random stranger that you really should have a re-think.

I knew this thread would turn out like this.

Just because you cannot go does not mean you are a bad parent.

I was just saying that if you can take a half day off to support your child in the races then it means a lot to them.

Or let someone go in your place.

Some of you are downright rude.

HIJACK

Collision that was a really nice thing you did for those children.
I try to arrange for someone to be at all DD's school events (MIl travelled 160 miles to go to one event that no-one else could attend)I appreciate I and DD are lucky that someone can always be there

You know what's even sadder?

Children who are obviously well used to their parents not being there....

i hardly went to my dd's family assemblies for the first 2.5years of their school lives due to dh being in hospital. however i asked the other mums to give them a clap/cheer/well done for me when i couldnt make it.

am enjoying them this year

I don't think Collision is saying what some MNetters seem to think she is suggesting. But of course it is important to a young child that there is someone there to support them. As I said before, it doesn't have to be you every single time - but if at all possible, it is much nicer for them to have someone around - even if yu just ask another school friend's mum if she will be his support!

I've never been to any of the dc's sports days. Initially because I didn't think parents were allowed to come. Then when I realised they could I wasn't able to because the school's idea of good notice is telling you the week before. Neither I nor dh have the sort of jobs that allow us to take time off without prior organisation (meetings, deadlines etc), except for emergencies. It doesn't seem to have bothered them though. We do try our best for assemblies, as esp for dd these are big deals (I will never be allowed to forget the one I was late for). If we had lot of family on tap of course that would be great, but like many people we don't live that close to family.

I do think it is different if your child is expecting you and then you don't turn up, or if you are the only kid without someone there, but life isn't arranged around school (I wish they would remember that sometimes! with a little notice things become more possible).

I cannot believe SayMyName and FT could be so horrible when I was actually trying to be nice!!

I also wasnt blowing my own trumpet 'look at me, look at me!' but would hate that someone else had had to cheer for my child etc

thanks hula.

Er, excuse me, how was I horrible to you? I said I didn't think you should dictate, followed by a sorry. Where is the nastiness?

I wouldn't hate it if someone had to cheer for my child if I really couldn't be there Collision, I'd be grateful to them. We all look out for each other in dd's Reception Year which means that hugs and encouragement are readily available from whoever's parent is nearest (or present).

LOL Collision you really will find you need thicker skin than that around here!

Excuse me Collision, where exactly have I been rude to other mumsnetters.

I made a perfectly valid point that it might not be fair to start telling other people how they should parent their children.

You have responded with a personal (and untrue) attack on me which I will report.

But I think George's mum should have made sure he understood why she couldn't be there.
Actually, dd started blubbing like a loon as soon as I cheered her on. Perhaps I shouldn't have attended after all

Whoah Collision, I think you are being a little unfair on SayMyName now.

FS was not nice admittedly.

SayMyName however only stated an opinion, politely with attached apology. You have never struck me as a poster who expects everyone to agree with you so why round on SMN now?