Baffled by Parents Today {More of a Rant Really}

I remember getting into the car every afternoon after school, my mother would always ask me how my day was and if I had any homework. This was every single day, from as early as I can remember. I do the same things with my kids. I ask them both if they had a good day, what they did and if they have any homework. It’s my duty as a parent. I even go as far as to ask Kelsie what they had for snack.

Both of my kids are usually good about handing me any papers that they have in their back pack or binder. If they have forgotten to hand me something important from school, I find it anyways before the next school day. I find it because I look in Kelsie’s folder and Kayla’s binder daily. It’s my duty as a parent to check for any papers that may need to be signed or get the latest information from any school flyer that may be sent home. I want to be involved in their education.

When there are field trip forms sent home for either one of them I make sure to get them signed and sent back with any money needed as soon as possible. My mother attended every field trip that I ever went on until I was in the 6th grade. I have done the same with Kayla. I think there have been two that I missed. As far as Kelsie goes since I am working now, I try and take off to attend her field trips as well. And if I’m not able to go, Zack goes. Do you realize what you get from attending field trips with your kids? You get to see their faces light up with excitement as they get to learn something outside of the classroom!

Class parties? Yep, I try and be there as well. I just feel as if it’s a parent’s responsibility to not just drop their kid off at school for them to parent and babysit for the day. Parent’s should stay involved with everything they can. I understand parents that work find it difficult to stay involved in their kids class, but parents are slacking these days.

Every single week there is a newsletter sent home in Kelsie’s class that is a reminder to parents to check their childs’ folder and sign their behavior chart and to read with them and go over their sight words because they have to know them to pass to first grade. Seriously? Every. Single. Week. It’s in bold print with asterisks. This tells me that there are parents that aren’t doing their jobs as a parent!

Last year when I attended field trips and went to Kelsie’s class parties I noticed a lot the mothers involved. I was excited for their kids. This year it’s the exact opposite. Kelsie’s first field trip of the year they went to the local Fire Station, I was the only parent that went voluntarily. I say voluntarily because there was another mother there, but she had no choice. She had to attend because of her son’s behavior. Last month they went to Gulf World and there were a couple of other parents, but not as many as I think there should have been. I couldn’t believe it.

Her class also struggles for snacks. There is a list of snacks that parents can bring in such as boxes of cereal, crackers, popcorn, etc. Easy, cheap items that you can find at the dollar store. However, I feel as if I’ve sent my fair share for not only my child but for 5 others as well! I’ve never seen such a problem.

Kelsie likes to “tattle” and she tells me all sorts of things when she comes home. I am shocked by what she says. It makes me want to personally tell their parents off! She told me today that a little boy gave her the middle finger. A little girl at lunch dropped a chip or something on another little girl and the little girl said “get that crap off me”. Of course Kelsie said “she said the C word”. But really there is something every day about somebody saying a word that shouldn’t be used by a child at all. What is wrong with their parents??

But, with kids talking and acting this way, no wonder their parents aren’t involved in their kids class!! Just imagine the type of parents that “parent” these kids! The same type that is pushing companies to create commercials that stress eating dinner as a family at the dinner table!!