Whilst sitting in a cramped, stuffy, dark corner the other day watching my son participate in "The Musical in a Day" event at his school it got me thinking about all the times my parents came to watch me in school events. (Sorry, scratch that. I mean parent - my Father never attended anything. It wasn't really his fault. That was the done thing then. Nobody's Dad came to school events.)
I thought about all the times my Mum came to watch me "do" something at school and in all those years of schooling I can really only remember one occasion. Not that I have blocked other occasions out - I don't think there were any.
In today's schooling calendar there are so many days booked out for events so that you can go and watch your kid do something (too bad if you have more than one, you might as well get a room at the school). The thing is, it's not like I don't want to watch my child participate in events, I don't want him to be the only one there without a parent watching on.... it's just that I'm not that interested. I mean you have to feign interest if they're interested (it's like being on a really bad first date, "uh, so you're into Dungeon's and Dragons? That is so fascinating!) I do admit there have been many times when the phrase "Good God when is this thing over? And "Please not one more song, I couldn't stand it!" float through my head. I cannot possibly be the only one??
If I really thought my child was getting a kick out of being involved in the whole hoopla, it would make me feel more things than just bored but he seems to be doing it out of duty as well. I mean, when I asked him why he wasn't singing at the "Musical in a Day", having not seen his lips move once he said it was too hard to concentrate on remembering when to move and singing at the same time. He honestly didn't look like he was loving it.
I remember as a child when you moved from kindergarten to "big school" and that was that. Now there's a graduation and some song and dance parade (that you don't want your child not to have a parent in attendance for) that you drag yourself up to school to watch. When I was a kid, we didn't celebrate everything like they do now, you just did it. Sure it's nice that they all get a participation ribbon for having a go but doesn't it kind of take the shine off celebrating really special achievements and events if you're celebrating everything?
My husband is a big sports fan. He doesn't play much of it, more the sit on the lounge and cheer the team on type of fan. Anyhoo, he will set the alarm to get up at two o'clock in the morning to watch a game and when I question this, he says "You just don't get it! This is a big game!". From where I stand that seems to be the response to every sporting event - I am beginning to wonder if they play little games at all, as all these big games seem to be hogging the limelight. And this is how it has become with all these events at the school. Everything seems to be important, so nothing actually is.
The extra level of difficulty for me at these events is trying to wrangle a two and a half year old whose had enough and would like to go home now, thank you very much. I know how he feels.
I thought about all the times my Mum came to watch me "do" something at school and in all those years of schooling I can really only remember one occasion. Not that I have blocked other occasions out - I don't think there were any.
In today's schooling calendar there are so many days booked out for events so that you can go and watch your kid do something (too bad if you have more than one, you might as well get a room at the school). The thing is, it's not like I don't want to watch my child participate in events, I don't want him to be the only one there without a parent watching on.... it's just that I'm not that interested. I mean you have to feign interest if they're interested (it's like being on a really bad first date, "uh, so you're into Dungeon's and Dragons? That is so fascinating!) I do admit there have been many times when the phrase "Good God when is this thing over? And "Please not one more song, I couldn't stand it!" float through my head. I cannot possibly be the only one??
If I really thought my child was getting a kick out of being involved in the whole hoopla, it would make me feel more things than just bored but he seems to be doing it out of duty as well. I mean, when I asked him why he wasn't singing at the "Musical in a Day", having not seen his lips move once he said it was too hard to concentrate on remembering when to move and singing at the same time. He honestly didn't look like he was loving it.
I remember as a child when you moved from kindergarten to "big school" and that was that. Now there's a graduation and some song and dance parade (that you don't want your child not to have a parent in attendance for) that you drag yourself up to school to watch. When I was a kid, we didn't celebrate everything like they do now, you just did it. Sure it's nice that they all get a participation ribbon for having a go but doesn't it kind of take the shine off celebrating really special achievements and events if you're celebrating everything?
My husband is a big sports fan. He doesn't play much of it, more the sit on the lounge and cheer the team on type of fan. Anyhoo, he will set the alarm to get up at two o'clock in the morning to watch a game and when I question this, he says "You just don't get it! This is a big game!". From where I stand that seems to be the response to every sporting event - I am beginning to wonder if they play little games at all, as all these big games seem to be hogging the limelight. And this is how it has become with all these events at the school. Everything seems to be important, so nothing actually is.
The extra level of difficulty for me at these events is trying to wrangle a two and a half year old whose had enough and would like to go home now, thank you very much. I know how he feels.
I'd like to say the shot above is just a bad photograph but we were sitting so far away from the action that that was pretty much all I could see of him. Well, there were all those crowds, it was a big event you know.
Cheers,
Lee
Cheers,
Lee
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