Having to choose between your children...

@foxyfire33 (10005)
United States
December 11, 2007 11:57am CST
When your children each have a special event at the same time on the same day but in different places how do yyou choose which one to go to? My oldest son has his school Christmas play at his school on Thursday night. I promised him I'd try very hard to be there but then I found out that my oldest daughter's Winter Band Concert is the same night at the same time. Music is very important to her and I promised I would always be there to support her in it. Obviously I can't do both and at this point may not be able to do either since my car is still in the creek but I'm really struggling to decide which to do if I can go at all. My daughter's concert is much closer, might be aired on the local cable channel, but she only has a group part and I just attended her church Christmas program which she had a solo (singing) in. My son's event is almost an hour away, will be recorded by his dad and he also only has a small part but it's his only event for the year. I would also have to take all three little boys to his because I would have to leave before anyone else got home to make it in time but I wouldn't have to take them to my daughter's event becausev I could leave later for that. Any outsider thoughts that might help clear things up for me?
4 responses
@patgalca (18370)
• Orangeville, Ontario
11 Dec 07
You don't mention the age of your children. This is important because your younger child has probably had fewer things for you to attend throughout the years, whereas you have probably attended more of the older child's. Both are going to be recorded and you will be able to watch them both at some point, though not live. I am curious as to why you favour the music over the play. Why is that more important when you also say your daughter has a group part as opposed to a solo? Can you tell one you will go to their's next time? It's hard to answer because I don't know the ages or who is older. I am guessing your son is younger because you say it is his only event this year. I think that should be your option if that is the case. You may want to ask their opinion. They obviously realize you have a dilemma. Last spring I ordered tickets to see Tim McGraw & Faith Hill. After I ordered them I realized it was the same day as my daughter's grade 8 graduation. My daughter wanted me to go to the concert and NOT go to her graduation! That was not an option for me. I sold the tickets. My kids (11 and 14) understand that I can't be in two places at once. They also know that I am not willing to travel a distance. I don't see very many of my older daughter's Taekwondo tournaments because they are usually out of town. Either her father takes her or she gets a ride with another member of her class. My husband works shift work so he cannot attend all of my kids' events. For graduation he got off work a couple of hours early to attend that. It was an important event. No one can tell you what to do. Hopefully some of the things I have said will help you to make your decision easier. The older child is more likely to understand than the younger child. Or maybe your son is okay with just his dad being there. Include the kids in your decision-making. If they both want you there and sibling rivalry becomes the trump card, you may have to tell them you will go to neither. Good luck and where ever you go, have fun. I am sure you are proud of all your children.
1 person likes this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
12 Dec 07
Ok, my daughter just turned 12 and my son is 9. It's not that I "favor" the music over the play it's just that music means everything to her whereas my son isn't all that into doing plays and he'd rather not be there if it wasn't required LOL. They are both very understanding and I have spoken to them about the dilema. The decision ended up decided for me though because we're supposed to get snow and so there's no way I'm driving an hour away in that weather IF they even still have the events tomorrow night. I'm hoping they end up postponing them due to the weather and get rescheduled on different nights.
@ky1119 (698)
• United States
11 Dec 07
When this happens at our house, I go to one event and my husband goes to the other. I know that the kids want us both at their own special things, but sometimes that just isn't possible. So, the best we can do is to have one of us with one child and the other with the other child. It's not happening so much anymore now. Our school board has cut off a lot of the funding and the schools are no longer allowed to host plays or other events after school hours so the programs are put on during the day time. That makes it especially difficult to get there. I do the best I can to get that day off of work and be there for my kids.
1 person likes this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
12 Dec 07
That's terrible to cut funding so much that the kids have to sacrifice those special events! With so many parents struggling to make it from paycheck to paycheck you'd think they'd realize that taking a day off isn't an option....and then I'm sure they're the same people that complain about the parents that aren't "involved".
• United States
11 Dec 07
I think your first responder hit it right on the head. When both of our boys played Little League Baseball, if their games were on the same day, I would go to one game and my wife to the other. The next time it would happen, we'd switch which sons game we would go to. It worked out great for us.
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
12 Dec 07
"I think your first responder hit it right on the head." Yes and no. I totally agree that would be the best thing for normal families but ours is not normal lol. My ex-husband will be attending our son's event regardless but it's not like he'll be home to tell me about it afterward! Oh well, the weather made my decision for me...(see above)
12 Dec 07
hey i think then you just sit with your both kids and ask them about their preference. however i know both are equally important to you but you can attend one function and other your husband can attend. or if the places are close by then you can attend half pro gramme and later the other half
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
12 Dec 07
The events are 45 minutes away from each other so that wouldn't work at all unfortunately otherwise that's what I would have done.