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The mother of two children at Astral Drive school says administrators should bring in child psychologists to help guide children through their struggles during the two holidays.

“Why don’t we teach people how to deal with it, instead of cancelling it and running away from it?” she said.

Ms. Allaby and her fellow petitioners have yet to visit the home of Fran Steer and Mary Craig — the same-sex couple whose daughter spearheaded the Family Day concept.

When the program was implemented last spring, the couple spoke to media about their 12-year-old daughter’s courage. But as anger resurfaced among parents after Mother’s Day this year, Ms. Craig and Ms. Steer have grown largely silent in the face of “cruel and nasty behaviour.”

Ms. Steer remembers one parent council meeting in particular, where another parent tried to “jump over the table” at her.

“But it’s about the kids, it’s not about the parents,” she said.

Her adopted daughter, Brooklin, said she became motivated after watching one of her peers — who had just lost her father — during a Father’s Day craft.

I thought it might open people’s minds to other families and maybe prevent prejudice

“I just wanted kids not to feel the way I felt whenever we did Mother’s Day and Father’s Day,” said Brooklin, now 13. “I thought it might open people’s minds to other families and maybe prevent prejudice.”

The initiative continues to be divisive among the school community, which has more than 500 students. The group of mothers plans to present their petition to administrators in time for Father’s Day, on June 16. Ms. Allaby said most of the neighbours she has approached have been shocked to learn of the Family Day program and are quick to sign her petition.