On March 19 we will celebrate Father’s Day, and there are already many children who are preparing a gift in their schools to give to their parents. From personalized mugs, to drawings with their stamped footprints or plasticine figurines. Any gift is worth to surprise dad!
But this emotional tradition, along with the Mother’s Day holiday, is beginning to disappear in many schools , which consider that the current family model in Spain is changing and children must adapt to this new reality.
Instead they propose to celebrate “Family Day”
Over the last few years, the family model has ceased to have an exclusive and traditional concept of “father + mother + children”, to incorporate new models that are increasingly visible in society. From single-parent families, to children raised by other relatives or children of homosexual couples.
That is why many schools, either through their management or through the associations of parents of students, have made the decision to eliminate the festivities of Father’s Day and Mother’s Day from their classrooms , considering them traditions. obsolete that can discriminate against many students whose family model does not conform to traditional canons.
Children of homosexual parents
The Observatory against LGTBphobia spoke two years ago in this regard by publishing an article in which it asked schools to eliminate these festivities , as a “way to be more inclusive and not marginalize children and families .”
“It does not reflect on all those children who for one reason or another, or do not have a father, or do not have a mother. This causes psychological damage in children excluded from a special day that all their peers celebrate, producing self-discrimination, lack of self-esteem and even causing bullying, mockery and ridicule from other children “- said then Paco RamÃrez, director of StopLGBTfobia ..
And as a way to sensitize and raise awareness in society, the Observatory against LGTBphobia alludes to the Continuous Household Survey published by the National Institute of Statistics. Thus, the latest data published and referring to the statistics for 2019 speak of approximately 100,600 households made up of homosexual couples , which represents an increase of almost 1% compared to the data of the previous year.
Children without a father or mother
On the other hand, and according to the same survey, the number of single-parent families in our country grows year after year . In this type of family, children are raised with only one of the two parents, either due to the death of one of the two members or due to any other circumstance.
Referring to the same survey mentioned above, the number of single-parent families in our country in 2019 amounted to 1,887,500 , of which 1,530,600 were made up of a mother and children and the rest of a father and children.
In 2019, this type of household grew by 0.5% compared to the previous year, with the majority model being formed by a widowed mother and her children, followed by a divorced or separated mother, and by a single mother.
Immigrant children
The Observatory against LGTBphobia also highlights the situation of immigrant families, who come from countries where the celebration of Father’s Day or Mother’s Day does not correspond to ours, and that can cause confusion .
“Something that is not thought about is that the celebration of Father’s Day and Mother’s Day changes from country to country , and obviously does not coincide with our dates, so for many children the celebration is very contradictory and confusing. official of these days in educational centers and the celebration in their own homes and families “- they warned in a publication on their website.
For all this, there are many associations, parents and schools that propose to banish these traditions and replace them with the International Day of Families, a holiday that is celebrated universally for all countries on May 15.
A proposal that not everyone likes
However, not all parents agree with this proposal , and many consider that the elimination of the holiday in schools and the proposed solution does not correspond to the family model that most children have.
In addition, many of us think that not celebrating Father’s Day or Mother’s Day is not going to teach our children to respect other classmates with a family model different from theirs, since respect and education must be instilled in them through example and dialogue.
It is the task of parents to educate our children free from prejudice and show them with total ease all the possible options that exist in society. And just as there are children with a father and a mother, they should also know that there are those with two fathers or two mothers, or that they are raised with only one of them, or even children who live with other relatives other than their parents.
In my opinion, and although it is evident that the family model in Spain is varied, it does not seem discriminatory to me to continue celebrating both festivities (Father’s Day and Mother’s Day) as long as the other family models are also contemplated .
In this sense, a good measure to satisfy everyone could be to personalize the gift that the child is going to make. Teachers know their students well and the personal situations of each one of them: why not ask them or their family members to whom to direct this drawing or craft?
For example, if the child no longer has a father, you may want to prepare a commemorative detail to remember him, or you may instead prefer to give to his grandfather or older brother. And if you have two parents, the solution is as simple as doubling the gift. In short, rather than canceling a holiday, I think the “standardized” message of crafts should be changed , and the child should be given freedom so that he can capture in his gift the phrase that best defines that special day for him.
I would like to know your opinion on this: Are you for or against celebrating Father’s Day and Mother’s Day in schools?
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