Y’all, they get you when you are weak. It’s like you have a target on the back of your head one fine morning when you are really LOVING your kids school/work has been easier/you feel freed up to say “yes” to things again. It sounds a little like this:
“Hey Miss Sarah! You know Miss Smith has been the class mom for two years now, we were wondering if you would want to help take that on?”
“Oh yeah! What all is that? Coordinating for parties and things? Sure!”
“Great! We know you plan things for your work, so we thought you might enjoy it!”
“Can’t wait!”
Seems so simple and easy … then you get the REAL info. It’s emailing other parents (all of whom work or are in school or are otherwise busy enough that their toddlers are in a play school) and asking THEM to do stuff too.
“Please remember to sign up to bring something to the Valentine’s Day Party.”
“Dress your kids in white shirts with jeans for the class Christmas Concert performance.”
“Hey y’all, Miss Elizabeth’s birthday is coming up. Please donate to the class gift.”
And let’s be honest … how much are you SUPPOSED to donate to the class gift? Who the heck knows! They do NOT cover that in play school orientation … $10? $50? I don’t know. And now, I don’t know PLUS people are asking me what THEY should do.
Then there are those times when teacher birthdays sneak up on you. Oh fudge! We have a teacher birthday next week … so, everyone hurry and give me some vague and mysterious amount of money there must have been a secret meeting about!! And I’ll guess based on an “About Me” sheet from the teacher and buy a gift … oh, and a cake or cupcakes or donuts or SOMETHING.
Before long, you feel like a nag. Everyone knows you as the Mom Asking for Money. Then it gets worse. They begin to think you might actually KNOW things about what’s going on at the school. Why have they done less artwork?! IDK. Do we have renewal packets soon? Who knows. Do you know why they moved John to the other classroom? John who???
Y’all. Class momming is not for the weak. And just because I plan things for work doesn’t always mean I would like to plan things in my abundant spare time. I’m already the slacker mom as it is. My squirt’s nap mat gets washed maybe once a month, I miss at least half of the class parties because of work travel, and odds that I remember to check the menu so my kid doesn’t eat macaroni and cheese two meals a day are actually non-existent because I have never checked the class menu.
Alas, I signed up. I’ll fulfill my duties. I’ll do my best. I’ll mess up sometimes. But there will be killer good cookie cakes for every teacher birthday on my watch.
