I am finding it hard lately to work up enthusiastic hurrays and woohoos for the end of the school year countdown. Did I say lately? Didn't mean that. I always find it hard to work up the rah-rah at this time of year.
You drew a picture? I've admired all your art all year but yes, let me admire that tempura-painted piece of brilliance in public. You sing all the time, but let us now sit on folding chairs to watch you mumble, embarrassingly, through the lyrics. You did math and wrote stories and I high-fived your success and struggled with you through every long division nightmare, but let's pack into this hot room and sweat together, uncomfortably, while I slap your palm again to make sure you know how proud I am.
Oh? And soccer? Your losing season will be rewarded with a trophy and a speech and a party, and I am working hard as.I.type to make that awesome for you. And (the other daughter) you? Your winning season will be rewarded with pizza and juice boxes and god knows, I have read every email about it.
I love my kids -- salute them when they need it, scold them when they need that -- all year loooooong. But now that the school year is over? We're supposed to throw down as we have never thrown down before and I find it so fake and so needless.
I feel badly for all their teachers way more than I do myself: 22 kids + the hoopla of parties + psycho performance fever + good weather + Field Day = seriously wild, wild kids.
Parties. Cupcakes. Juice boxes. Mini muffins. Emails out the wahoo.
Am I the only bitchy mother who finds ALL of this useless to the development of my kids' best nature? Am I the only one who thinks all of this is too much for the teachers and too much for the kids TWO WEEKS before they finish school for the summer? Am I the only one who thinks it should be:
One party -- on the last day -- two packs of popsicles. Done.
And maybe a trophy after a losing (or winning season) because trophies keep longer than muffins and kids dig 'em.
15commentsBrilliant Person Wrote...
No, you are one of the COOL parents that teachers give a sigh of relief about.
Last day all school kickball and Popsicles was the best one I ever helped plan. It was actually fun (teachers team in the line up).
Two weeks to go??? Yowzers...
My kids were done a week ago, and it was not a whole lot of hoopla.
I think I am happy about that now! At the time it felt so anticlimatic!
I am 99% sure I spelled that wrong, but its late and I dont care - just wanted to pop over and say HI!
Now I want a popsicle.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! As you know, I have no kids. So, I kind of borrow the experiences of mothers I know who do (because, honestly, I wish I would have had kids). But I never, ever, ever listen to women who tell me it's good all the time. They are so full of shit.
I am very glad I do not have such things to deal with. Though I would like a cupcake. And a popsicle.
Ingenious or ingenuous?
Lord help me. Amen.
A parent who understands! I am one of those teachers, and a parent and the end of the year is crazy!!! Thank you for "getting" it!
I hear ya. Today school trip to the zoo was postponed by rain, so we sat and watched "Madagascar" and ate popcorn and ice cream sandwiches then played musical chairs. Oy!
Pretty much since the elementary school No Child Left Behind statewide test ended in March, it's be one party and celebration after another.
Shit Yea!
Kids love Popsicles!
See, The thing is, when you start adding all that other stuff it's like going from a high D / Low-mid C to an A. It just get's everyone's expectations up. Sets folks up for terrible let-down.
And who the hell wants expectations raised.
So this is what I have to look forward to in the coming years? Yikers.
Your school uses e-mail?? That's way cooler than a popsicle! I get reams of paper wasted on reminders of events I could give a rat's ass about.
Amen, Miss Picket.
What I want to know is when the school's decided to stop EDUCATING kids in the last two weeks of school. It seems like a ginormous waste to me. But them...I'm bitchy.
Thanks for your comments.
The end of school is he seventh ring of hell.
Mr. Anon thought he would check into the playground and likes this post...
Unfortunately, it is the culmination of evveerrryyyythinnngggg else, including school. Recitles (sp?), sports, school and the whole 9 yards. I don't mind the recognition in a short and sweet way but the "every kid gets a trophy" is only for parent gratification and not reality for the kids.
What ever happened to a good old rebellious skip day and go sit in the bleachers at Fenway?
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