Are school events becoming family events?

[diannescruffy]

Our school is also big on Community involvement in school events and when it's well organised it's absolutely fantastic for the kids and for everyone else. Do you know any parents on the School Council? I'd bring it up with them so that further events can be better managed.

Regards,
Dianne

[~Kim~]

Our school population is a little bit different than most city schools. Here the emphasis is on attendance first, then participation and community.
Our sports days are family events, and families are encouraged to dress in team colours and cheer, but the kids have to sit with their house until lunch time. However, there is a core group of parents only at every event. All the kids know us at least lol. Even my little kids are encouraged to join in the carnival events that the infants school do.
I also have trouble with DD1 participating when I'm there but the school is small, and her teachers are great. I want her to see that we can both have a great time.

PS I hope your DD still enjoyed the day

[LuluHB]

I think parents and siblings should definitely be encouraged to attend. I attended my first sports carnival yesterday when DD1 was in pre primary. There were lots of parents and younger siblings there, but the school kids all stayed together for the running races. Then they were divided into groups for other activities like tunnel ball etc and the parents/siblings all followed around their own kids. It was great - I got to talk to my DD but there was great organisation so everything kept moving. She was thrilled that her mum, dad, younger sisters and grandparents were there to watch her - she's a bit of a show pony though so maybe not all kids would feel that way!

My kids go to a Christian college, so I think that in itself means that families are always going to be a big part of any school event, and its something I really love about the school.

[Snacks]

It's a shame that the families weren't getting involved in the event as such (ie the kids were competing on the oval and the families were enjoying their picnics without paying attention to what was going on). I think its reasonable for families to be there though and would feel a bit miffed if we were asked not to attend.
I must admit, the cross country carnival I attended last year felt a bit like this at times. We made sure we watched DD's race & cheered her and her peers on, took lots of photos. But the rest of the day was a bit of mayhem. The athletics carnival was a bit better I felt, with the space (and event) more conducive to spectatorship.
It's really tough for some kids to sit in their house groups when their parents are present though. At the athletics carnival DD got very upset when I told her she couldn't sit with us & I ended up relenting and sitting down with her in her house! I couldn't have done that though if DH hadn't have been there to mind DD2.
It's a hard balance to reach, but primary school is all about finding that school/family balance I think, especially infants/early primary. I think overall it's beneficial to the kids to have family involvement in carnivals though.

[Snacks]

double

[Sopdet]

In a previous work place, our whole team used to go along to school sports day to cheer the kids on. We would turn up, cheer for the races and then leave. The kids were expected to keep in their house groups. Sometimes we would stick around to cheer for the kids friends, who we knew didn't have parents available to be there. This was primary school.

My mother would make an effort to be at all the kids sports events in primary school, including extended family (friends of the family & grandkids/cousins). She would also go to all our extra-curricular sporting events (hockey & netball for the girls, union, soccer & cricket for the boys). My dad used to take time off work to come to mine, he was lucky to work for a company that was very family friendly.

[fionas]

One of my fondest memories is of my mum running alongside me in the sack race cheering me on and almost knocking over other people. That's so out of character for her (very placid person, antithesis of the 'pushy parent) that it's comical. It was also the only athletic event I ever won so I peaked at five

So yep, I'm all for family going to sports days and for younger siblings going (I'll have to take DD2). Agree with others about it being poorly organised.

[Teeki]

One of my fondest memories is of my mum running alongside me in the sack race cheering me on and almost knocking over other people. That's so out of character for her (very placid person, antithesis of the 'pushy parent) that it's comical. It was also the only athletic event I ever won so I peaked at five

So yep, I'm all for family going to sports days and for younger siblings going (I'll have to take DD2). Agree with others about it being poorly organised.

I have similar memories. But I sucked at sack race lol. I fell over and was coming last. I was going to give up, but when I looked up there was Dad at the finish line, telling me I could do it and cheering me on. Even though I cried and came dead last, and sucked the whole way, he was there to give me a hug and tell me he was proud and I'd done a good job. It made me so glad I didn't give up, and I was only 5.

Later that year we had cross country, and when we came out of the woods part onto the oval, I was running with a friend when I saw Mum and Dad. Of course I stopped to say hello! My friend kept going and another went past, meanwhile Mum & Dad were screaming for me to keep going lol. Turns out my friend and I had been winning but stopping meant I came third lol.

I also remember having my grandparents come to watch sports days, and even though I'd only go see family quickly between events it felt great that they were all there for me. One of the best memories is when they'd do the last team events, the tunnel ball in a circle game with teachers versus parents versus last years seniors. Dad always went in it and I was always so proud of him

To be honest if sports day wasn't a family day I wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much!