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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

primary school pushy parents hiring limos??

25 replies

Loopyloop39 · 18/07/2018 21:48

I rather suspect I'm in the minority here, but I'm sick and tired of primary school parents hiring a fleet of limos in which the leavers can drive away from school on the last day.

I feel it's rather vulgar and sort of idolising all those dreadful people on reality TV shows. Also teaching a sense of entitlement and spoiling children horribly. Is there no restraint with money any more?

Just wish more people felt the same: twice now my child has been the only one not taking the ride. They've handled it brilliantly on both occasions. Just can't go along with it.

I suspect many other parents feel the same and just go along because they don't want to make their child miss out.

Just goes against the grain at every level for me, I'm afraid!!

OP posts:

Celticlassie · 18/07/2018 21:51

I don't like it either. I think it's beyond tacky.

Wolfiefan · 18/07/2018 21:55

I wouldn't do it.
If other people want to that's their prerogative. Does make me wonder what they will do when kids leave secondary. If they have a stretch limo at age 11 what do they want by 16!

CasparBloomberg · 18/07/2018 22:00

wow! Absolutely had no idea this was a thing and hope it never makes it to our school. I’m still reeling at the thought of it.
Thankfully tradition simple here; kids are just happy enjoying writing all over each other’s school uniform and having a water fight with teachers.

ErictheGuineaPig · 18/07/2018 22:07

Hm. Our school is doing this to take them to their party, well the parents are. I can't say I'm bothered either way. It only costs £20 a head so not exactly insane levels of spoiling really. None of us are interested in or watch those reality programs, do limos feature heavily in them then?! Kids are all very excited about having a ride in one... Its certainly the first time ds will have been in one. I shall observe him closely for signs of turning into a kardashian obsessed materialistic brat after his 30 minutes in a limo....

Original poster

Loopyloop39 · 19/07/2018 08:10

That's exactly right. My husband's comment was that he wouldn't be booking a yacht or concorde should the children every get a degree or PhD...

Is it a bit like saying to children that their achievements have peaked at such a young age??

Thanks for support chaps, glad to know I'm not the only one..

OP posts:

Original poster

Loopyloop39 · 19/07/2018 08:12

Good for you. I'm sure your child is lovely and you're sensible people.

It's more the trajectory of these sort of celebrations and sense of entitlement in children I loathe. Not people like you, clearly.

OP posts:

MissMarplesKnitting · 19/07/2018 08:13

I'm still never sure why parents put these young kids all together in a car with a DBS unchecked driver, and without seatbelts.

Seems a huge risk to me. I wouldn't do it.

Lavalamped · 19/07/2018 08:16

Someone arrived to the leavers disco in a helicopter at the school my dc go too

Furrycushion · 19/07/2018 08:16

We out a stop to it in my Dd's year. Previously there had been a couple of parties organised privately which the cool kids were invited to. Children went off the them in limos & otgers were left to drift off in small groups. We arranged a fun afternoon next door to the school. One group organised a limo to go around the block, but that was the last year that it happened. It is now a tradition & noone gets limos. Plenty of time for that later (& actually none of mine have done it even for their prom).

blueskiesandforests · 19/07/2018 08:19

Primary school?

The importation of the "prom" for year 11s with accompanying overblown theatrics was bad enough, now it's reached primary school you say?

Do they just do the same again for year 11? What about year 13? Graduation? Weddings?

Or perhaps they've lost interest by then an graduate in jeans and walk to the chippy for a celebratory dinner I know after the irritating pomp and ceremony of the graduation from my undergraduate degree I chose not to go to my master's graduation ceremony - the certificate was sent in the post either way

Perhaps this year's year 6s will be too jaded to bother with proms in 5 years time, which would be a sort of backwards blessing.

ErictheGuineaPig · 19/07/2018 08:20

There doesn't seem to be any kind of daft trajectory here to be honest. I've only ever seen limos at the big school proms. No helicopters sadly. I would be more than happy with a meet down the park and play together but I can't say it bothers me enough to prevent my kid joining in.

Groovee · 19/07/2018 08:22

My dd has a limo as part of her P7 leaving Qually. Yet she's just done her 6th year prom where they all turned up in a variety of parents cars. So it's not been the done thing for leaving school completely.

bigbluebus · 19/07/2018 08:26

Is it just me who's wondering how they fit these limos outside the school when there are so many threads on here about school parking chaos/entitlement! There certainly wouldn't be room for one outside our local primary school at the end of the school day! Nor would I expect that anyone would be considering it.

I agree that it is ridiculous and showy and will inevitably mean someone feels left out.

ErictheGuineaPig · 19/07/2018 09:30

Ours isn't a school pick up, they are being taken later in the evening to a disco, so no issues with school run traffic. Awful, if kids are left out of this stuff by not being invited. Thank goodness ours is whole class. There is a brave parent volunteer in each too to supervise.

Original poster

Loopyloop39 · 19/07/2018 09:42

My problem with this is manifold: the culture (trashy!- good taste is important!!!), the expectations fostered in younger children, the expense (we don't even waste £20 in this household- we save everything we can and one of our kids has an assisted place at private school- you see we have other uses for our money..), the obligatory nature of the arrangement when everyone else is doing it...

Also the reaction from other parents when you politely decline. It's not good. Their huge concern is that their child will have the perfect experience, and when your child (who is quite popular) isn't going to be there, it's a problem for their precious offspring. I've had this twice now. Gosh, I've had some crazy FB rants at me over this, spoiling the party etc..

We have one younger child remaining (y4) who is probably the most popular of our 3, and we are never never never giving in!!

I don't mind pomp and ceremony at appropriate moments when one has actually achieved something, for example a degree (although my father pointed out, after having attended both, that Oxford graduation is far less grand and ceremonial than Edinburgh- what does that tell you?! I can't imagine anyone booking a limo for their Oxford graduation. The raised eyebrows would be pretty universal). They're 11. They have achieved very little in life, at least I hope they're going better places than y6 SATs...

Thank you for your support.

OP posts:

Groovee · 19/07/2018 09:44

Ah well there you have it! Born and Bred in Edinburgh! Hence why we did it for P7 and not S6 😂😂😂

Readyfortheschoolhols · 19/07/2018 09:47

We also bowed out of raising funds to cover cost of £800 limo for 8 pupils.
I am snubbed now by dps at school and I am delighted!!
Bunch of entitled fuckwits.

And the teacher was very complimentary regarding dd's ability to decide it was inappropriate when we regularly buy food for a homeless man who could have made better use of that cash.

Original poster

Loopyloop39 · 19/07/2018 12:28

He he! My point wasn't about Edinburgh itself- fantastic place. It was that an 800-year-old university doesn't feel the need to swank about as much as others. Even Ed, which is a v. good red-brick uni.

Love Edinburgh btw. The point was about Ox....

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ErictheGuineaPig · 19/07/2018 13:02

I can't say I have 'manifold issues' with it myself and I certainly couldn't give a monkey's about 'good taste', my main reason why I don't like the limo for year 6 is it's not needed. At that age they are so easily pleased and that should be embraced and encouraged for as long as possible.

I have to say op, the parents at your school sound as if they'd create trouble even without a limo, given their bizarre attitude to you not wanting to do it. I simply can't imagine that scenario here.

kyrenialady · 19/07/2018 13:34

A group are doing this at my daughter's leaving do.

She is not invited in the limo. It seems to be all the popular ones in it, the ones that always get picked for plays and awards.

Will take her out for a nice dinner instead and we going on holiday soon.

Gaspodethetalkingdog · 19/07/2018 13:41

We were in a London black cab as year or two ago and as we passed a limo the driver said parents hire these for under 18’s so they can have a party with Alcohol whist driven around London! Seemed mad to us

Gingerninj · 19/07/2018 13:55

DD went to her year 6 leavers party in a limo, only because the other mums of her friendship group decided to organise it, I only added my share in so she didn't feel left out.

Original poster

Loopyloop39 · 19/07/2018 13:57

That's a good point Eric the Guinea Pig about kids being happy with modest treats. I think that does connect with my feelings about good taste... Maybe your explanation is better.

Yes I think you're right about parents will go nuts over something even if not this it'll be something else. It's certainly not all the parents, it's just a few but they dominate because no-one else feels strongly like I do and so everyone goes along with it. I honestly think if there were one other parent who was of my thinking then it would be a whole different story and it wouldn't be such a big deal to sit it out.

OP posts:

BackInTime · 19/07/2018 16:18

I agree OP this sounds really tacky and over the top for leaving primary. A bit of a party and signing of shirts is as exciting as it gets here. Then again some parents just cannot say no to their kids and even if they cannot afford it or do not agree with it they will give in rather than have their DC miss out.

RedSkyLastNight · 19/07/2018 16:23

It only costs £20 a head

... which would put it out of the range of most people at my DC's primary school ...

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