When I was a child I remember my mother receiving or making phone calls to arrange for refreshments for school parties. I'm wondering when and why this method switched to allowing children to commit their mothers to bringing specific refreshments for a party. I imagine it's to save time making phone calls, mothers are hard to reach, etc. It also, however, does not give mom the opportunity to decline.
I received several "requests" like this from my children this past week. As long as they give me a few days notice I've come to accept that this is just the way it is now-- as long as it it not TOO complicated a request. Once a teacher emailed all the parents with a list of what each child had volunteered to bring and added that if mom couldn't do it to please not worry about it. I thought that was very considerate.
I think my sister may get the prize for the most outrageous assignment for a school party. My nephew came home from school to tell mom that he had volunteered to bring chocolate crepes for the Christmas party for the French class the next day. She said, "What?!?!" There wasn't something simpler you could have volunteered for? He said, "Well I could have signed up for this special kind of lemonade but I figured you wouldn't want to make THAT!"
Apparently you can buy chocolate crepes frozen and then you bake them or fry them, (in case anyone else is given this assignment by a French teacher.) My sister is pictured above in the center, with two of my daughters. Dedicated mom that she is, she actually brought the chocolate crepes. God bless her!
Hope everyone's Christmas preparations are moving along peacefully...
6 comments:
Haven't had this happen yet....in our school, the Homeroom Mothers "own" the parties and no one else gets to contribute anything. They ask for $5 at the beginning of the year from each family to cover art supplies and paper goods, and then they buy the refreshments.
I'm not sure this is the best system in the world either...
Have a wonderful Nativity!
At our school, there is a room Mom, and they are responsible for planning the party. But, the PTO gives each room mom a very specific list of what you need for each party (3 - 5 families to do snacks, one family to provide napkins, one family to plan a game, one family to plan a craft, etc.) and then it's the room mom's job to get people to sign up to do it. (The PTO also provides the forms that they send with each child at the beginning of the school year where the parents can say what they are willing to do for the three PTO sponsored parties.) It's pretty organized, and parents are then the only ones who volunteer for things (not their kids).
For the "winter" party (Augh) this past week, I took in plates for one son's party and then did the craft for another son's party. (I committed to an easier thing for one, knowing that I was doing something more involved for the other.)
Just about thankyou!
Blessed Christmas to you and yours, my friend. I pray for you a contented Christmas and a peaceful New Year.
love n hugs
Deb X
Thank you, Deb, Jackie, and Mimi! Angie and Barb,interesting. So there are variations in the party-planning protocal. I see pluses and minuses to each system...
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