I’ve been in training for work all this week, so I amspending time with a different set of co-workers. 

During the course of the week – a word came up –

It is noun, it is an event. It is actually a non-event!  It turns out now-a-days – perhaps just a Colorado thing – that when children go from elementary  to junior high  they have a ceremony in which allparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, god parents etc are expected to attend tomove the children from one grade pack to another.  The also do this for junior high to highschool and even 1^st to 2^nd grade. Dear god. Seems like an extremely large waste of time and energy.  Cause they also hold these events extremely close to the work day if not in the middle of it.Therefore not only are parents gone for all the other mundane issues in a child’s life but now an additional non-event party, which 50% of the workforce will all experience in approximately the same wee.  Sigh. 

Another gotcha – Field Day.  Now a days you don’t even win. They don’t want the un-athletic kids to feel left out, so you “participate” in all types of event, getting your card signed for each and if you do them all you get a “participation” certificate. What the hell is that?  As someone mentioned – if you win the 3 legged race, you should win!  But no.  Sigh.  What are we teaching our your?  Strive to be mediocre sweetie!

Final tidbit – someone’s 6 year old 1^st grade class instructor taught them – silent clap.  So the kids just hold their hands over their heads and wiggle them. Sigh.

I know, I’m not the oldest one on the block, nor the youngest…

I recall not winning and being bummed about it. I learned I could either try harder, get a better partner for the 3 legged race, or accept defeat and go have another donut (the true American way of doing thing – feed a wounded ego!)

I also had parents that accepted responsibilities for my actions and expected other parents to do the same. If I did something to another child, and my mom found out – she would call and apologize or make me (UGH!).  If someone did something to me, she would call the parents and expect them to dole out the punishment they thought fit the crime. 

I’m really at a loss…