Worth Repeating

- a blog entry I wrote last year for a friend who was considering volunteering to be her son's room mother.

Tell me if this sounds familiar... you go to "Meet the Teacher" night with your little darling before school starts for the year, and sign your name on a piece of paper saying you'll help with class parties and such. Next thing you know, you are the Room Mother and are IN CHARGE of the class parties. "How did this happen?", you ask? I'll tell you - - You were probably the first one to sign the paper - all the other moms were just waiting for someone ELSE to sign first so they could just send cookies. Now you know. If you're the first one to sign - you get the job. I think I've always been the first to sign - it took me several years to catch on to how the system works. Now, being the control freak that I am, I WANT to be the Room Mother. And all the other mothers WANT me to be the Room Mother, too. It's works out well.

I have learned some interesting and useful things in all my years of being a room mother, though. I'm going to share some of them with you just in case you are ever the first one to sign the paper...

First and foremost is that 2nd graders DO NOT need a chocolate fountain at their Christmas Party. ( NOOOOO, it was NOT my idea - nor was it in my class - just the neighboring room.) I'm sure I don't have to explain the horrors (OR the MESS) ... but needless to say, the teacher and mothers were in a state of shock when they left that afternoon.

Second - as fun as cookie decorating SOUNDS...when you mix tubs of frosting, sprinkly-things and sugar cookies with a group of 1st graders - someone is going to throw up. Most of them are smart enough to know they shouldn't eat the mound of frosting & candy they've created... but there's always ONE LITTLE BOY who decides to go for it... and pays. Then we ALL pay.

Third - I have also learned that no matter HOW stiff the icing is, you cannot get a graham cracker "gingerbread house" to DRY COMPLETELY by the end of ANY class party... they will just collapse when it's time to go home... then there are tears...and I HATE tears.

Fourth - gift exchanges are a BAAAAAAD idea... some deranged mother always sends socks or pencils or some other "useful" present - and then the child who gets the socks, instead of the cool bubble-blowing gun that Johnny got, feels cheated and inevitably cries (remember the tears thing above?) Actually... I knew this BEFORE I became a room mom... I got socks 2 years in a row when I was in 4th and 5th grades. Now tell me... WHO sends knee socks as an Elementary School christmas present????? (yes, I'm afraid I was scarred for life by this) Stick to book exchanges if you must do a gift swap... it's safer.

Fifth - candy is GOOD! Yes, it will make them crazy-hyper (which, honestly, they were going to be anyway - it's a PARTY, remember?) But the best part is - once you have given them all the candy and cookies and sugary stuff - GUESS WHO THEY GET TO GO HOME TO??? Yes... their mothers, most of whom DID NOT help with the party. :) Vindication.

Well... I guess I've imparted enough wisdom for today (and probably scared you all away from EVER buying socks as a gift again...I hope!) Happy party-planning!!