cnt belive it! gutted

[jojobell]

is gutted!!!!!!!!!!!!! my sons first ever nativity play on tues,, just the one showing at 9.3o am.......... i am minding one 18 month old boy that day....... the school have told all parents no babys toddlers or children to the show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 am gutted i even wrote them an email explaing im a cm and could i use my secound "paying" i might add ticket for my mindie i have been told no....... so much for working in partnership with parents hey!!!!!!!! neva met a school before that dont acept children!!!! grrrrr sooo cross........... my sons in tears have a right mind to write them a email saying due to the levael of distress this issue is causing my child he will not be attending school that day!!!! lol???!!!!!!!! i wont be am sooooooo tempted!!!!!!

[SYLVIA]

What a shame! The school my daughters went to didn't let small children in because they said it distracted the children. Do you have a CM friend who cld help out during the play with parents permission of course. Or ask the parents to start later that day.

[rickysmiths]

It is quite usual for schools to ban babies and toddlers because so many parents let them run riot and spoil everything for everyone.

This was the reason I became a cm. It would without doubt be a day off for me even with lost pay.

[Helcatt]

that is so mean!

I get lots of "looks" from teachers when mindees squeak through assembly and things but I have never been told not to bring them. And I would be very upset if I couldn't go!

My DD2 has had a few awards for good reading, story telling, writing and the like and when they are given an award in front of the school, I want to be there to see it!

She is going to be Mary in the Nativity play, I'm going to have 4 that my asst and I will have to try to control, I just hope I get to see some of it!

HX

[jojobell]

well its next tues i only found out today,, dont feel i have enough otice to let my parents down!!!! so gutted!! i can understand they cnt make an expection just for me but im gutted all the same!

[jane5]

Its my dd's first nativity next week and we are only allowed 2 tickets, oth me and dh are going.

I have 2 mindees that day, 1 is my nephew so my mum is having him and I told the other mum that it is the nativity and can not work. She said she totally understood and has made other arrangements

Discuss it with the mum because she may be able to sort something out or as some body else said ask another cm. It would be a shame to miss it.

[RachelE]

I completely understand that they dont want the children to be distracted during their performance..

...but, esp as a professional - you know 'your' children and will prepare accordingly.

I took a beautifully behaved 3 year old today - and just knew that she would be so well behaved and would have been horrified had they not let me take her - she never even moved on my knee or said a single thing.

Its not always easy to make alternative arrangements - these days many families live away from family support and many cant afford babysitters. - my sister is having to get a sitter for her ds as he isnt allowed - the letter was a bit abrupt - stating that they dont offer a creche and dont welcome babies or toddlers!
Maybe a letter advising parents of young children to sit near the door and to be prepared to leave if they make a noise, would be more appropriate.

I'd be so upset if I had to miss a show and would be telling the school just so!

Rachel x

[rickysmiths]

that is so mean!

I get lots of "looks" from teachers when mindees squeak through assembly and things but I have never been told not to bring them. And I would be very upset if I couldn't go!

My DD2 has had a few awards for good reading, story telling, writing and the like and when they are given an award in front of the school, I want to be there to see it!

She is going to be Mary in the Nativity play, I'm going to have 4 that my asst and I will have to try to control, I just hope I get to see some of it!

HX

You see I have no idea why you would want to begin to 'struggle' with 4 mindees and have an assistant attend. How can you give proper attention to the mindees and watch your child. Why don't you just take the day off and enjoy the occasion?

[kellib]

I have my son's Christmas show next Wednesday, thankfully I only have one mindee that day and Mum has agreed to pick LO up an hour earlier so I can go! Think it helped that I've twice kept mindee for an extra hour at short notice.

Tell parents about it, they may be understanding and willing to help you out!

[nikki thomson]

It's such a shame they only do the one performance, ours do an afternoon one and then one in the evening at 6 which I go to.
The thing is the headmaster does say at the beginning of the performance that if younger children start making a noise to take them out well my mindee is 17mths Old and as soon as she saw my two she'd want to go to them and when I said no she'd have an almighty tantrum and there's no way she'd sit still and be quiet I'd spend the whole time outside, it just stresses me out thinking about it, and also it's nice to beable to go to these things and not be working. X

[Mouse]

I can see it from both sides.

As a parent or carer with younger children it's not always possible to make alternative arrangements for them. But, I have been to many school plays, assemblies etc that have been completely ruined by screaming babies and toddlers talking/shouting all the way through it. It is a shame for the children who have put so much work into their play and it's a shame for the other parents who can't hear properly what's going on.

Our school don't allow young children into these events, but if I can't make them because of work they will very often let me go in for a dress rehearsal instead.

[Zoomie]

Our school doesn't allow babies or toddlers at the main performance, however, they do encourage babies / toddlers (and parents / carers) to attend the dress rehersals.

Perhaps you could ask if you and mindees may attend that performance ?

[TheBTeam]

That is a shame, we had a group of mums that offered to run a creche on school premises and so i got permission for the children to go there. Do you have a friend whose child isnt doing it and you could get permission for her to stay at the school with her, he could sit in the pushchair for the time and i am sure it wont last long.

[samb]

Ours also let parents with younger children attend the dress rehearsal - might be worth an ask?

[AliceK]

Our school puts on 1 performance where you can take younger children with you and then another 1 or 2 performances which are adults only. In past years I have always taken mindees with me but as I have 1 who I know wouldn't sit still and quiet ish without having a complete paddy I decided to take the time off this year to see both my DS's and my DD's. I booked the time off as soon as the school announced the dates of the shows. I would be mighty annoyed if the school only did Adult only performances and I think I would be telling them that my child would not be participating. What about younger siblings, they can't attend either? I think it's terrible.

xxxx

[Roseolivia]

It was my daughters nativity yesterday and i didn't even ask if i could take my 1yr son, i just took him. I was well prepared with snacks and a drink, if he'd of created i'd of took him out but our school prides itself on families so don't think they'd dare say no.

[Trpta108]

My mindee's parents have agreed to lo going to emergency childminder for the hour or so I will be at the play, could that be an option?

[candy cat]

I had the same and in the end thought.....'My child would be upset not having her parents there' and NO WAY am I missing it!....so told the parents sorry I am closing for the morning.....(did give a few weeks notice) one swapped a day another came at lunchtime. All my parents totally understood ....If you were sick they would have to look after their own children....hope you get it sorted x

[loocyloo]

I can see it from both sides.

As a parent or carer with younger children it's not always possible to make alternative arrangements for them. But, I have been to many school plays, assemblies etc that have been completely ruined by screaming babies and toddlers talking/shouting all the way through it. It is a shame for the children who have put so much work into their play and it's a shame for the other parents who can't hear properly what's going on.

Our school don't allow young children into these events, but if I can't make them because of work they will very often let me go in for a dress rehearsal instead.

exactly what our old school was like.

our new school welcome LO to everything, which is lovely, except DS's harvest poem was ruined by a small child screaming, and mum getting cross and telling small child to be quiet, but NOT taking child out! :angry: my DS & his friends were really upset that no one could hear them.

my mindees DO behave and are quiet, but the moment they don't/are not, that is it and we leave!

at our old school i used to tell the parents i WOULD not be available for an hour or so, XYZ and that i could arrange cover or they could. i usually arranged cover !!! but parents were alwasy fine.

[Mollymop]

One of our schools bans pre-schoolers and babies too it is because they can disrupt the play:( But our school has a dress rehearsal that you can bring little ones too so that everyone can attend. Shame your school doesn't do this.
Is there anyway you can book the hour off? Can you ask a back up minder to care for your mindee? Can you pull a sicky!? (sorry!!:rolleyes: )
I know it is work, it's important and can be disruptive to parents... but if it were my child's christmas play espcially their first and I had no one else to have mindee I would book the time off. The only problem is it sounds as if the school didn't give you much notice!

Think about what you said earlier - You don't want to let the parents down - but who would you rather let down them or your son - obviously them... I am sure they will understand if you ask for a few hours off how would they feel if it were their child's first play. Ask them and then go on Tues to see your child's first precious play!!! xxx (Shame u didn't live here I would have him for u:) )

[rosebud]

I think its disgusting for a school to not welcome younger children, like others ours offers 2-3 performances one of which will be without the LO's but they are welcome at the other performances and school staff make every effort to try and help parents that are struggling with LO's. To not offer at least one performance which LO's are welcome at is discriminatory and unfair to families who do not have babysitters available. Yes it might put the children off but nobody is expecting them to be word perfect. (I hope!)

[Gracie's mamma]

I cannot believe you are not allowed to go b/c of little ones.

Our school does a dress rehersal the day before and we are asked if possible to go to that if not we are allowed on the main performance.

I would be REALLY cross if i wasn't allowed to go .:angry:

Isn't that discrimination ???

Start a petition ??:laughing:

[Helcatt]

You see I have no idea why you would want to begin to 'struggle' with 4 mindees and have an assistant attend. How can you give proper attention to the mindees and watch your child. Why don't you just take the day off and enjoy the occasion?

TBH? I had never even thought of taking the time off for it. Just me being dense, not me being argumentative. The reason I didn't think, was because it will be for less than an hour and.......we can manage that. Also, I know that one parent would not want to have to deal with her child and one would struggle to get cover as the people who help her (single mum) are working also

I do however know that at least two of the children (3 years) are pretty good and will sit and watch - esp as one is big sister and we usually go armed with snacks and books and if they are too noisy? We take them outside as its not fair on the rest of the people watching or the children involved, who have put in such an effort.

OP - good ideas about seeing if there is a dress rehearsal, I am going to ask tomorrow as it might make things easier for us

HX

[Beetlejuice]

I had two one year olds yesterday and it was my DDs nativity. I asked the parents if I could leave the mindees with a group of my cm friends who came to my house to play for the morning with my mindees and they were both fine about it. One of the children would have cried throughout as it was during his nap time and the other would no way have sat still for 45 mins so the best thing to do was find alternative care.

ETA our school don't ban little ones but I knew I wouldn't be able to enjoy it and it would ruin it for others if my two were unsettled.

[Gherkin]

Our school asked that little ones not attend but did state that if parents couldn't find carers for them the little ones would have to have one of the adult tickets (each family were allocated 2 tickets only).

I chose to go to an evening performance so that I didn't take any little ones. In the past I have taken mindees with me and on other occasions I have arranged to collect them on the way back from th performance having shifted their hours on a bit later in the day.

[sillysausage]

Our school doesn't 'ban' babies and toddlers but will ask you to leave if they are disturbing the performance. Sometimes (though not always) they have run a creche in the nearest classroom to to hall, which I have used (with written permission from parents) if I feel a child is unable to sit quietly and enjoy the performance. I usually take a few books and some quiet nibbles to keep them occupied.