Dad called out for ‘inexcusable act’ at kids concert

One father was shocked when he was scolded for breaking this unspoken rule, but he doesn’t think he was in the wrong, do you?

Ahh, kids concerts.

After the hours of prepping hair and makeup, spending a small fortune on costumes, and watching the many (so many) nights of practice, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing your little one on stage doing their thing.

But you know what’s less rewarding- and quite painful, actually?

Watching your child perform for less than ten minutes, then having to endure hours and hours watching other kids.

With parents trying to juggle it all, one dad has wondered if he was out of line and took to the internet (where else?) to get some advice.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

Am I the A*sshole?

The dad posted to the ever-entertaining ‘Am I the A**hole’ Reddit thread to vent about a recent exchange he had at his daughter’s choir concert. 

“My daughter had a choir concert today at 10 a.m. and I left work to see it but had to return right after,” he wrote. 

“About five or six schools performed, and my daughter’s school went second. 

“I watched the first performance and then my daughters and after the performance, there was an intermission so the last performers could get off the stage and the next performers could get on.

“During this break, I went to my daughter and congratulated her on a job well done. I then spoke to her choir teacher, said I had to go back to work, and said my goodbyes.

And here’s where it gets hairy: “On the way out, a father from one of the other schools called me out for leaving, saying, ‘We had to watch your kids' performance. The least you could do is stay and watch the rest of the kids!’” he revealed.

The dad admitted he was totally taken aback but informed the outspoken parent he had to get back to work and excused himself.

He ended his post by questioning, “Should I have stayed the entire show? Is what I did 'call-him-out-in-front-of-everyone' worthy?”

Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

Controversial or totally fine?

The comments section was littered with equal parts support and criticism for the dad’s move.

“You showed up for your daughter, not the other kids. That's all that matters,” wrote one supporter.

“What a bizarre comment by the stranger.  You left during an intermission, so your leaving didn't disrupt anyone,” exclaimed another.

A third added, “It’s not like you are leaving to go party, you are leaving to go back to work”.

However, many were also quick to call the dad out for poor etiquette.

“It's considered rude to do that,” wrote one critiquer. 

“Nobody wants to sit around and watch children that aren't theirs perform,” they added.

Another echoed, “Honestly, I personally think it's rude AF and always feel terrible for the kids who see big audiences for the first performance and then almost no one left at the end for theirs.”

Another wrote, “ The kids from all schools are there to perform, and you should watch all. What you are saying is that your child’s school is above the others.”

I think he was just jealous his kid's school hadn't performed yet! Source: iStock

What did you expect?

If you’re going to schedule a concert at 10 am on a weekday, it should be totally acceptable for parents to excuse themselves to get back to work.

Heck, we’re in a cost-of-living crisis here, mate!

I’m sure as much as this dad wanted to watch little Timmy sing ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ and Sarah’s rendition of “Oh Danny Boy”, you can’t do it all, and I think it was ruder for the guy who called the dad out.

Of course, I’m not advocating for everyone to leave before the final curtain drops, but if you’re pushing for full attendance, don’t schedule stuff during business hours, simple!

This article was published in March 2024 and was updated in June 2024. 

Originally published as Dad called out for ‘inexcusable act’ at kids concert