[AlaninCarlisle]

 I'm lucky enough to have four grandchildren with three aged between 4 and 8 living within 30 minutes of us. I'm even luckier to be able to attend their seperate school nativity plays today, tomorrow and Thursday. I just love the range of kids' behaviour on stage. Some waving to their parents, others looking about to cry, lads pushing each other at the back of the chorus line, some picking their nose, others scratching their bums, some very brash, others looking desperately shy and some hopping around from foot to foot as if they need to pee.

Do other parents/grandparents enjoy these annual rituals?

[jaydig]

We only have one grandchild of this age, and I love going to the nativity plays. This year, one of the little shepherds stubbed his to on a bench, but very bravely didn't cry, although he looked as if he would. One of the "sheep" was so busy pulling faces at the audience that she fell off the stage. There were the usual silences due to either stage fright, forgotten lines or the fact that the participant was busily engaged in waving at their parents. Last year one little one either couldn't remember the lines, or had a bad attack of stage fright and, despite the lines being very loudly whispered by their fellow thespians, just couldn't speak, and it began to look as if tears weren't far away. Two of the other children stepped forward, and putting their arms around the panicked little one, said the lines perfectly for him, earning a big clap from the audience. It was lovely to see how they, even at that young age, looked after their classmate.
I always take a supply of tissues because looking at these little ones makes me wonder about the world they are going to have to deal with when they are older, and at the moment they are so innocent and caring of each other I wish it could always remain the same for them.

[wighty]

Small children singing Away In A Manger does it for me every time, a whole box of tissues wouldn't be enough to cope.  All my Grandchildren live in Big England but I have managed to see my eldest Grandson be a Donkey!