Parents Outraged After A School Bans Mother’s Day Celebrations!

A school in Melbourne’s west has made the decision to drop Mother’s Day celebrations in favour of a more inclusive ‘International Day of Families.’

Moonee Ponds West primary school made the change in the name of diversity and shared the news with the school community via a letter that went home in the newsletter. It included an excerpt from the United Nations International Day of Families manifesto (see below).

Principal Jeff Lyons said there would be no reference to Mother’s Day instead it will be named the Day Of Families in order to make it ‘more inclusive’ of others.

‘This year we will not be holding a Mother’s Day stall at Moonee Ponds West,’ Lyon said.

‘I believe celebrating International Day of Families is a more inclusive way of celebrating the richness, diversity and complexity of living and loving as a family in the modern world.’

Lyon went on to say International Day of Families celebrated ‘all caregivers’ rather than just the one.

‘The day highlights the importance of all caregivers… be it parents, grandparents or siblings,’ he said. ‘It focuses on good practices for work-family balance to assist parents in their educational and caregiving roles.’

Ok. Deep breath. This is the biggest load of bollocks I’ve read in a long time. First schools aren’t allowed to mention the words Christmas or Easter and now our kid’s can’t celebrate Mother’s Day? This is political correctness gone mad!

Mother’s Day is all about celebrating your mother. It’s not about making everyone else feel warm and fuzzy as well. I absolutely understand that not everyone has a mother in their lives and it’s wrong to assume they do, but at the same time why take away the experiences for mothers that are around?

I know at my kid’s school they encourage grandmothers, aunties and any other special person to come along to morning tea but it’s still called the Mother’s Day breakfast. A principal should not have the power to get rid of a celebratory day that is so special for kids and their mothers.

Why do we need to celebrate the diversity of families on Mother’s Day anyway. Pick another day in the year and celebrate it then! I’m sick of schools making so many changes and accommodations for things that I believe are unnecessary.

The principal’s decision has come under fire from the parents and has even been discussed on social media.

‘What a disgrace! The education department should drag the Moonee Ponds West principal in and ask “who gives you the right to dismiss Mother’s Day?” 3AW’s Shane McInnes said on Twitter on Monday.

It is a disgrace! As a woman who thought she would never hear the word ‘mum’ being directed at her, I for one am outraged that a principal thinks it’s okay to flippantly change the wording of a day that is so special to mums around the country. Mums look forward to receiving presents from the Mother’s Day stall at school and opening up those hand made cards with dried pasta spray painted gold around the edges. We love attending breakfasts in our honour where we get to see our kid’s faces light up as they present us with a poem and a handmade flower made out of cupcake patties. It’s a rite of passage for our children as much as it is for us- so hands off Mother’s Day I say!

Do you agree?