One school’s decision to ban kids from handing out birthday invitations in the playground has enraged parents across the country.
Mosman Public School in Sydney has banned children from handing out birthday invitations in the playground due to concerns that kids who are not invited will feel left out.
Parents will now have to “covertly” collect the email addresses of their children’s friends’ parents in order to send out e-invites, according to the Daily Telegraph. Children will also have to refrain from talking about their birthday plans at school.
The ban is allegedly the result of one child recently becoming distressed after not receiving an invitation to a classmate’s birthday celebration.
The ban is allegedly the result of one child recently becoming distressed after not receiving an invitation to a classmate’s birthday celebration.
The Department of Education told Yahoo News that the decision came “at the request of parents, and in consultation with the school community.”
Parents across the nation have flocked to social media to weigh in on the new rule, with 87% of those polled saying that the school had gone too far.
Those in support of the move say that not receiving a birthday invite can be emotionally scarring for children, especially if they are the only ones not invited. They particularly focused on special needs children who are often on the receiving end of this type of rejection.
Others called the new rule “ridiculous”, with one woman saying the school was “creating a generation of sooks.” They claim that shielding children from rejection will only hinder their social development and keep them from building up a tolerance for disappointment. “We have to build resilient kids,” said one mum.
What do you think? Has the school gone too far, or have they made the right decision?