DonabatePortrane.net

Has anyone else noticed the hallowe'en decorations at the community centre this year? Skeletons sitting around on seats and the word 'HELL' scrawled in fake blood across the window. Is this not a bit extreme?!

I haven't seen it, but from your description, it does sound a bit OTT for a community centre.

Maybe they're using Smyth's interior decorators

I have to agree. We have a 2 year old, and a 4 year old, and we have to limit the time we spend in the community centre. They are genuinely scared of some of the stuff. I had a word at the front desk twice but they didn't seem to care very much. It seems that the community centre does not have the needs of the younger members of the community at heart ,which is a big shame.

This has to be the funniest and most over the top post I have ever read some of you people need to simply get a grip.....Although without such OTT folk I wouldn't get the laugh I get from reading such stupid posts ahahahahahahahahaha....

Fatherfeathers, it's interesting that you find these posts OTT.

Some (but presumably not all) young children are scared of the skeletons at DPCC. Their parents would prefer them not to be scared. Therefore they'd rather not have skeletons at the community centre where their young children go.

Which bit of this do you find OTT? The children's fear? The concern of the parents?

If your children do not like it, do not bring them to the community centre or simply explain to them that they are not real, just like the decorations in many houses around the area, its bit of fun and as a mother of 4 grown up children this worked fine for me so it should for you. Have a nice Halloween!

FatherFeathers
Go to HELL/DPCC coffee shop
You probably don't have small kids, or empathy.
Here are the Facts.
1. nobody is spending extra money in the DPCC coffee shop because of the decorations. However, some people are not going due to the decorations.
2. DPCC is not taking account of younger members of the community.

Parents are absolutely right in objecting to the unsuitability of the Halloween decorations in the Community centre especially for the younger children.It's a child protection issue!The decorations scare their customers who happen to be children!
If the management do not listen and take the most scary one's down they have not got the best interests of the child at heart or the community of Donabate/Portrane which they serve.

I have not be in the community centre of late but i will make it my business to do so within a few days.My 3 children are all adults now but when they were small i always protected them from unsuitable advertisements/tv programmes/dvd's/extreme Halloween goods/decorations.

One of the remits of my job before i retired was Child Protection.!

The only issue here is the welfare of the children who participate in activities in the cente.Parents should not have to decide to not allow their young children the pleasures of their activities due to the managements disregard of the rights of the child to a safe environment to enjoy their activities.

Be vigilant and keep your children safe.

Our 2 year old son watches Jurassic park where dinos eat humans.

Are my an irresponsible parent?

No you are not irresponsible at all you are realistic great films too! These ejits have got no idea! The responses have been hilarious to say the least! Is it that hard to teach you kids about halloween and what to expect from it? no not at all and they have to realise you can't hide them from everything unless you want to lock them indoors! the community center done a great job with the decorations I went up during the week and my kids loved it because I have EXPLAINED to them that its not real and FUN what they are more afraid of is grinches like you lot and yes you lot are OTT.

Feather out.

Feather in,
Are you a parent?
In fairness, you can be all logical but if your kid is freaked your kid is freaked.
Stupid out.

Hahahahaha way to point out the obvious what a fitting username you chose!

Feather out

Feather in,
Could you answer the question?
Stupid out.

@Dowager- are you accusing me of being a bad parent just because I explained to my children that the halloween decorations are not real and a bit of fun? whats the point in halloween if there is no spooky decorations? Taking away the decorations is like taking Santy out of Christmas.

As for protecting your children from unsuitable advertisments/ tv programmes/ DVDS/ extreme halloween goods/ decorations I believe all in moderation because whats the point in shielding them from it all and then BANG their exposed to it at 18. Also I always had my children in bed before 9.00pm as that is the watershed time.

@mr stupid- your name really describes you in a nutshell, in the post before you asked FatherFeathers if he had children or not, he clearly said and i quote " I went up during the week and my kids loved it because I have explained to them that its not real"

I believe in protecting children, not in wrapping them in cotton wool.

Pandora12 wrote: @mr stupid- your name really describes you in a nutshell, in the post before you asked FatherFeathers if he had children or not, he clearly said and i quote " I went up during the week and my kids loved it because I have explained to them that its not real"

I believe in protecting children, not in wrapping them in cotton wool.

Pandora12 do you have any children?

Halloween is a bit of fun. Isn't it? At least it has a bit of imagination unlike xmas which is more about money. Soon the PC brigade will say you are not allowed dress up as a witch? Or Bob the Builder because it is sexist.

If your child is afraid is it not a big deal to just say "ah that's not real blood, it's ketchup", "ah it's not really hell, it's just the bad music from the gym in the community centre"?

Fair play on the community centre for trying colour the place up a bit.

I am not accusing parents of anything!Material that they are exposed to should be age appropriate!The community centre management should take that into consideration and parents who feel that some of the Halloween decorations that are in the centre are too frightening should make their worries/concerns known to the management.!
Children fom 1 to 5 or 6 years are too young to be exposed .Parents can explain all they like to very young children but you cannot guarantee that they comprehend and have future fears and bad dreams as a result!

Dowager wrote:I am not accusing parents of anything!Material that they are exposed to should be age appropriate!The community centre management should take that into consideration and parents who feel that some of the Halloween decorations that are in the centre are too frightening should make their worries/concerns known to the management.!
Children fom 1 to 5 or 6 years are too young to be exposed .Parents can explain all they like to very young children but you cannot guarantee that they comprehend and have future fears and bad dreams as a result!

Are we saying that kids 1 - 5 can't see halloween decoration? Sure they are all over the shops. Is this not getting Joe Duffy?

Pandora12 and Mr Stupid.
You both ask the question "am I a bad (irresponsible) parent?".

I think all parents have the right to raise their kids as they see fit. However, we could all be dragged to the lowest common denominator, to ensure nobody takes offence or thinks people might suggest that they are a bad parent. Do I have to do with my kids, whatever you do with your kids so you can feel good about yourself?

Obviously we all raise our kids as we see fit in our homes. However, how should one object to something in a public space, which your child feels threatened by ?

mcd

FatherFeathers and Pandora12

It is interesting to see that the two most ardent defenders or the Halloween decorations in the DPCC just joined the forum to post comments on this issue.
FatherFeathers (22nd of October), and Pandora12 (23rd of October)

You are very welcome to the forum but, can i ask you 2 personal questions.
1. Do you work in DPCC?
2. Did you put the decorations up?

mcd

mcd wrote:Pandora12 and Mr Stupid.
You both ask the question "am I a bad (irresponsible) parent?".

I think all parents have the right to raise their kids as they see fit. However, we could all be dragged to the lowest common denominator, to ensure nobody takes offence or thinks people might suggest that they are a bad parent. Do I have to do with my kids, whatever you do with your kids so you can feel good about yourself?

Obviously we all raise our kids as we see fit in our homes. However, how should one object to something in a public space, which your child feels threatened by ?

mcd

Relax. Hallow'een has been in the public space a lot longer than you and me and it's just a bit of fun.
As soon as it is over the Christmas (or should I say the holiday season) decorations go up. You get rid of hallow'een decorations it just means the xmas ones go up even earlier.

It's meant to be spooky and goofy and it's ridiculous people objecting to that. Perhaps if you elaborated a bit more why it is scary that would help. You'd swear they are hanging up dead animals or something.

Why is the word hell or a skeleton scary any more scary than someone dressing up as a vampire or a witch or a ghost? It's all a bit of goofy fun.

Having to go the gym and get reminded of all these fit people seem much scarier to me especially how lazy I have been the last few months.

It's not half as scary or confusing as seeing a poor naked man nailed to a cross with blood dripping from his eyes. And watching a guy in a dress drink his blood and your parents queue up to eat his flesh. Surrounded by people mumbling to themselves and sporadically standing up, sitting down, kneeling down and then shaking hands with eachother.
But heyho

diggerbarnes wrote:It's not half as scary or confusing as seeing a poor naked man nailed to a cross with blood dripping from his eyes. And watching a guy in a dress drink his blood and your parents queue up to eat his flesh. Surrounded by people mumbling to themselves and sporadically standing up, sitting down, kneeling down and then shaking hands with eachother.
But heyho

Were you at that party too Digger? Man that was some hangover.

This was last Paddy's day in Smyths

@mcd- No I do not work in DPCC nor did I put the decorations.

I can't believe that child protection has been used in the context of scary Halloween decorations. Let's get a sense of perspective and proportion. Being scared around Halloween is all part if growing up and safely experiencing fear.

Ronald Dahl made a good living out of scaring kids safely.