Is it bad form to bring your kids to back to school night?
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Anonymous
| We moved here a few weeks ago and don't know or trust anyone yet to babysit. Our kids are in elementary so they know how to behave and sit still. Would it be okay to bring them? Spouse and I will need to split time between classrooms so staying at home with one parent is not an option. |
Anonymous
I think it depends on the school. At our school, the aftercare team babysits while parents listen to presentations. |
Anonymous
OP here, the school stated that childcare will not be provided that parents should get a babysitter. |
Anonymous
If there isn't childcare provided, then yes, it's bad form to bring your kids to back to school night. I would call the school and ask if there is childcare - some offer it and some don't. Our kids' school does two sessions at back to school night so people can get to more than one class. I think it would also work to tell the teachers you're trying to cover two classrooms and duck out of one to visit the other. |
Anonymous
| Don't bring them. Get a babysitter or send one parent. One parent can cover multiple classrooms, others do that every year. |
Anonymous
| Yes. The school specifically says not to bring kids but I am always surprised by how many people who do. |
Anonymous
| It's discouraged, but no one is going to kick out of back to school night over lack of childcare (and your situation is completely understandable in that regard). Some schools do two sessions during back to school night with the same teacher presentations at each specifically for parents who have more than one class to attend. Do you know if your school does that? If so, one parent could stay home with the kids. |
Anonymous
If the school has specifically stated that parents need to get sitters, then get a sitter. If you don't have any neighbors to ask for sitter recommendations, try care.com or Urbansitter. |
Anonymous
The school has been very clear. One parent covers both classrooms. In our school, the teachers do their presentations twice because they know that one parent may have to cover both. But even if that is not the case, better to miss part of each presentation than bring your children given the school has made it clear the kids are not invited. |
Anonymous
| Most elementary schools will do their back to school night presentations twice during the evening. Our school is very overcrowded so we have one back to school night for K-2 and another for 3-5 and each teacher still does their presentation twice during the evening. I don't know how many children you have, but one parent might be able to make it to each classroom. Children generally don't attend back to school night and there's not any seating for them (at our school, parents sit at their child's desk so it's actually better if only one parent attends), but I don't think anyone would react negatively if your children attended. |
Anonymous
If the school said that parents should get a babysitter, they don't want them there. I've been the parent who is new to the area and I've found a babysitter for back to school night (and one of my kids has special needs so I wouldn't leave them with anyone). Try to network in the neighborhood and see if you can find a teenager - it's only for a couple of hours. If you can't, one of you stays home. My dh is traveling this year so I have to cover all the classes myself - some will get skipped and it will be fine. You are new - don't be the parent who brings your kids. |
Anonymous
Then no. |
Anonymous
| At our BTS night the teachers do their presentation twice so parents with more than 1 kid can go to 2 classrooms; I suppose those with more than 2 kids have a greater challenge. That way one parent can stay home if there is no babysitter. Since the school has been specific about getting a babysitter, leave the kids home. The school won't turn you away, but since you're new, do you really want to get the stink eye? |
Anonymous
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Yes, but some do because they have no choice. You do what you need to do, OP. |
Anonymous
It is. One parent goes to school, and splits his time between both presentations. |