"I must make a complaint!"

Yesterday my son had a black face when I collected him from school. He was in tears before we got home (2 minutes walk).

He had been at 'Fun Choir'. But all the fun seemed to have gone out of Fun Choir because they have been rehearsing for the school Oliver production.

This is the first time the school drama production has gone musical, and the first time the Fun Choir is involved. Previously the choir was all about fun. So they sing Elvis Presley (like they did at Advent Service), they sing Freddie Mercury (Queen), they sing some serious music, they sing jazz, but all the projects usually last just for a term.

They learn new songs at the beginning of term. They perform the songs at the end-of-term concert, or Speech Day, or some other important occasion, and that's it. At the start of term, they start all over again.

Poor son has been singing Oliver since September 2007 and he's getting really, really bored. Oliver is not going to premiere till June. JUNE!

So he said he must complain to the teacher and tell her exactly why it is spoiling his Wednesday, "It used to be my favourite day of the week! Now it's just work, work, work!"

Poor kid! I felt his frustration. On the one hand this mother feels her son should learn to persevere. On the other I know he hates repetition more than most kids his age, and especially when repetition does not seem to bear any fruit.

Besides I think he's got a point about 'fun'. It's a question of principle. The teacher had said at the beginning of the year that there was only one rule to Fun Choir, that they must have fun. So this is breach of contract, right?

I wondered if he would go ahead to complain, but made sure I didn't mention it this morning. The other thing is I was very proud of the fact that he'd decided to take up the case himself and had not asked ME to do it for him.

But I suspect he would have forgotten all about it today.

Well, he came home this afternoon to say he would give Fun Choir one more chance next week. I doubt if it's going to make a difference. They are learning some new material for Speech Day. So I hope that might be incentive for him to stay.

Parenting an only, and a gifted child who hates repetition, is tough.