Just back from my daughters final assembly as she is leaving primary school tomorrow. At the door I was presented with a pack of tissues for when it gets “emotional” and pretty much all the way through there were blarting mothers and kids. What the hell has happened since I left primary school…? Talking to the girlfriend about her friends daughter and she says was presented with a “final” dvd of the production with Xfactor style tear jerking music as the background music.

Has the world gone soft?

Sorry, give me a moment, I’ve got something in my eye..

It must have – my parents never attended my “final assembly” (if there was such a thing). They just let me get on with it!

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5Q_h_ZDGBk[/video]

Its not a new thing; I’m 42 & this happened throughout my school life. Public outpourings of grief are not my thing but it doesn’t hurt anyone so live and let live..?

I dunno, all these ‘fairies’ that went to school… I was chucked out the door with a lump of coal and told to get on with it.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhQJUpThbZ4[/video]

Yes.

Its just drifting in. When I started as a primary teacher in ’93 you might, but very rarely, have seen the odd child, usually a “sensitive” girl with a few tears at the final leavers assembly. Now I have seen a whole class in tear, mostly the oh so tough lads. I feel its attached to all the other crap that has drifted across the atlantic and dwon through the age range. 11 year olds having proms FFS. Near 20 years ago they hadn’t even discovered signing shirts, something that didn’t exist when I was a kid. I don’t think we are soft so much as a touch hysterical.
Thinking about it, if I was off to some of the secondary schools I have seen I would be in tears about leaving a junior school!

Oh god, wait till you get to high school, there was a group of girls at mine that had a hoodie with the “Carey Crew” on it, she was there form teacher ( we had the same form teacher from yr7) it was a sobfest

I was to busy in the pub to care

At the door I was presented with a pack of tissues for when it gets “emotional”

String him up!!!

Keith Richards, when asked “how the death of Diana had affected” him, said: “Dunno. Never met the chick…”.

Well I got sworn at needlessly by a yout’ this morning but didn’t give her a sound thrashing – should I have?

No, but you should have got your carriage servant to do it on your behalf.

Yes toby1, yes you should.

Our boy had his leaving concert last night. All the parents were tearful from the sound of it. Don’t get it myself. It’s not as if they are being executed or sent to prison. They are still living at home just going to a different school. Nothing really changes.

Its not a new thing; I’m 42 & this happened throughout my school life. Public outpourings of grief are not my thing but it doesn’t hurt anyone so live and let live..?

This.

Nice that some people can be a little more human and dare to show a little emotion, perhaps all you “non-bleeding hearts” should send any of your future off-spring to boarding school in an effort to keep your stiff upper lips exactly where they are.

to boarding school in an effort to keep your stiff upper lips exactly where they are.

And give someone else the pleasure of beating them? Mental.

I seem to be getting more tearful at stupid things… I’ve put it down to the male menopause 😆

No idea what’s happening with the rest of the world, perhaps it’s just that we’re getting less disciplined? emotionally

I cry at the drop of a hat these days.
Pride, sorrow, elation; they all get me going. I don’t go in for full-on blubbing – just a couple of manly tears rolling down my cheeks.

Waaaah! Waaaaah!

At Milefield Middle school (the original that got burnt down) in Grimethorpe, I left in 1984 & it was traditional for all the pupils to sign each others final report book. I still have mine and like to look at it every now and again.

The teachers also signed them, usually with a witty comment or two. I recall one of mine:

Mark is a bright lad who needs to realise that a smile will only get him so far in life. At some point he will have to do some work

I promptly stopped smiling and got nowhere…

…that showed them!