Gdcs’ primary school is having a ‘wear blue and yellow today for Ukraine day

Well done Witzend I couldn’t do it.

BlueSky

Agree with Jaberwok
Witzend ‘Shamed into hosting’? Surely that should be up to you!

By ‘shamed into it’ I didn’t mean that dd pressured me in any way at all. She didn’t.

After hearing her evident enthusiasm, I just felt that despite my initial reluctance, it was something we really ought to do. Dh was keener than I was from the start, but then for various reasons having people staying in the house would not affect him so much as it would me.

I really think that schools should be 'neutral zones', however good the cause. Children do not have the power of adults, and can't easily opt out of collective behaviour.

I'm not a fan of compulsory support for anything, really. I hated the clapping for the NHS, much as I supported the key workers and was grateful for all they did, and I am uneasy when comments are made about people in the public eye (eg newsreaders) if they don't 'opt into' wearing poppies.

Schools should, IMO, be for education only, and politics, religion etc should be kept out of them. That's probably not a popular opinion, but it's how I feel.

Agree with Jaberwok
Witzend ‘Shamed into hosting’? Surely that should be up to you!

Fleur20 - I do understand where you are coming from - there is so much horror thrust at children from the media. Hopefully the school will have presented this in a sensitive way. It is hard to present the political subtleties of surrounding goodies and baddies in real life. A big challenge for schools, who quite rightly want to encourage compassion.

Jaberwok

Ummm, I agree with Fleur, Ukrainian = good, Russian = bad. Bit like after the war with Germany. Not all Russians are wicked, not all Ukrainians are good. War is never as straight forward as that and I'm not sure about children having it presented as good guy versus bad guy.

I doubt that many people equate all Russians with ‘bad’, though. More a case of one very bad, tyrannical, megalomaniac man ‘doing a Hitler’ so to speak.

Jaberwok

Ummm, I agree with Fleur, Ukrainian = good, Russian = bad. Bit like after the war with Germany. Not all Russians are wicked, not all Ukrainians are good. War is never as straight forward as that and I'm not sure about children having it presented as good guy versus bad guy.

I agree. I remember the Germans = bad attitude after the 2nd World War. My parents had German friends, so we knew it was Hitler and Nazis rather than all Germans who caused the trouble.
I was only a little girl, but I did understand that. I also had a book that mentioned Mendelssohn, saying he was a German, “one of the nice and good ones”.

Thanks MrsEggy, for reminding us children grew up during WW1 and 2. Children talk at school, our communities are mixed and some towns like mine have Established Ukrainian and Polish communities who are visibly fund raising, Surely we can raise our children with age appropriate information.

My daughter’s school dressed up in blue and yellow - but this was something that the children themselves suggested.

Ummm, I agree with Fleur, Ukrainian = good, Russian = bad. Bit like after the war with Germany. Not all Russians are wicked, not all Ukrainians are good. War is never as straight forward as that and I'm not sure about children having it presented as good guy versus bad guy.

I grew up in WWII, at school we saved "ship halfpennies" for the Merchant Navy Comforts Scheme and were quite often given books of National Savings Stamps for birthday presents (no toys in the shops then) and supported things like "salute the soldier" week. We couldn't do much but I think we thought we were supporting the War Effort.

One of my grandson’s best school friends is Russian, one of several in his class. Granddaughter has a friend who is half Russian and half Ukrainian.

My brother and my sister-in-law are offering their two spare bedrooms. They said “We are old, but we have space”. Actually sis-in-law is only 70, which isn’t very old really, though my brother is in his eighties.. They are used to strangers in their house, as they had a live-in carer for sis-in-law’s mother, who lived with them until she died at 96..

Fleur20

I have mixed feelings about schools doing things like this..
So many young children have had a really tough couple of years and their lives are still not back to 'normal'.
In no way can we protect them from all the realities of life, but what is happening in Ukraine amounts to genocide, total brutal attempts to slaughter a nation by a maniac.
I feel the young children today barely have any childhood as we knew it. So much exposure to the adult world via social media and television at a tìme in their lives when they should be innocent and having fun.
I know it is done with love and concern and I get the feelings of being otherwise helpless.
I am running for the hills now....

Well, my Gdcs are well aware of the war (although they’ve been spared graphic details) since there are Ukrainian children at school, who they know, and dd and SiL are friends with at least one of the Ukrainian couples, who of course are beside themselves with worry about relatives back home.

Dd has offered to host a mother and 2 young children (not yet assigned) which will mean one of her 2 elder children (coming up to 6 and 7) giving up their bedroom and sharing instead. Which they are fine with, and are already talking of sharing their toys.

I don’t mind admitting that I was reluctant to host at first, since I do really like my space and peace and quiet, but dd and SiL have shamed me into it. We are now registered on the govt. site and are offering our guest room, which has a king size bed.

I collected our granddaughter from school some weeks ago as a surprise.
Every child was wearing something red, I asked why, the teacher explained it was racism in education day.

When I asked our granddaughter what she knew about it she said “ it’s for the brown people” I then asked if she knew any brown people, no was the answer.

What about daddy, uncle Josh,etc etc, “oh yes I forgot”!

One of my best friends was around 11 at the time of the Falklands Crisis.
Her mum was Argentinian.
I know that she and her sister had a really hard time of it.

I agree with Fleur.
I think children should learn historically about wars in lessons. My grandsons have a father in the navy and although he is not in real danger they still worry and have sleeplessness nights. The school is very good at dealing with things sensitively but the other children as you do often play war games and draw pictures of bombs and this has been happening more recently. They are not namby pamby kids but constant reminders and discussions aren't good.

Children ,well the ones I know are very politically aware from an early age .I know when I was 11 and wore my CND badge to school I was a very small minority but now with 24 hour news they hear and see things that we didn't.
For what its worth I believe we need to be honest with them and answer their questions when asked ...otherwise they build it all up in their heads and worry .Much better to have the discussion with a teacher or a mum and Dad and get a better view of whats going on .
I was very politically aware as an 11 year old it didn't harm me ...my family were all into politics and it was a regular topic at the dinner table from I was a toddler .

OK! OK! I’ll ‘fess up - that’s my DD1’s hand!!! Don’t shoot me.

Georgesgran- you are obviously a very young Gran !

I worry about the children who don't own the right coloured clothing and whose parents can't afford to buy some for one day. I hope the school is providing tabards or at least sashes for those children.
In fact I think it would have been better altogether if the school had just done that for all the children.
The children could have made crepe paper sashes in class.

I agree with Fleur. I really think children should, as far as is possible, be shielded from the dreadful things going on in the world. There will be plenty of time when they are older for them to gain an understanding and to form their own opinions about what is going on.

Fleur I definitely can see your point.
And I feel for the Russian children in our schools too.
But im sure (?) that it’s all being done sensitively

Well, I think that's lovely. Wish my gdc's school was doing that, although she did dress up in blue and yellow for their Hero's day recently.

I have mixed feelings about schools doing things like this..
So many young children have had a really tough couple of years and their lives are still not back to 'normal'.
In no way can we protect them from all the realities of life, but what is happening in Ukraine amounts to genocide, total brutal attempts to slaughter a nation by a maniac.
I feel the young children today barely have any childhood as we knew it. So much exposure to the adult world via social media and television at a tìme in their lives when they should be innocent and having fun.
I know it is done with love and concern and I get the feelings of being otherwise helpless.
I am running for the hills now....

Georgesgran that’s lovely. You have beautiful hands and nails.
My father has been wearing a blue suit and yellow tie.
Also (but not at the same time) a bright blue raincoat with sunflower pin ?
GudrennSodjen is selling Sun flowered dresses for Ukraine ??