Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Room Mom


I remember my mom being a room mother for my class when I was a kid and like everything else mom related, she made it look fun. She still tells me now what fond memories she has of being in my classroom. I am co-room mom of Bob's kindergarten class this year and it is fun. I've been volunteering in his room on Mondays and that butt-kicking hour and fifteen minutes that I'm helping them cut/glue/paint/draw has given me an even deeper respect for the teachers that do this job all day. I'm only dealing with five kids at a time and when I get home I need a nap. A hard nap.

I feel so fortunate that I get to do this. It's a little thing, but it's big to me.

Sure, I waited until 10:00 the night before Halloween to make forty clementines into tiny jack-o-lanterns for the holiday class snack tomorrow, but at least I had two cups of coffee and a bag of mini-Snickers to help me make it happen.

And I too will remember these days, and nights, fondly.

15 comments:

  1. I do look back on my many hours volunteering in the classroom as very satisfying and quite a bit of fun. I think it meant a lot to the kids, too. Thanks for reminding me of those days.
    Your clementine pumpkins are terrific!

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  2. You will remember them fondly. So will Bob. And so will 40 children who got to eat tiny, sweet, juicy, perfect clementine jack-o-lanterns.

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  3. I wish I had thought of the clementine pumpkin idea. Dang. It really does mean a lot to kids to see their parents present in the school.

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  4. Happy-scary clementines! I love it.

    Bob and his classmates are so lucky to have you on their team.

    Happy Halloween!

    XOXO

    A.

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  5. And you know what is really rad? As you continue volunteering throughout the years you get to know more and more kids. Volunteering in the classes is the best way to really know what's going on in the school and to build rapport with both kids and teachers. I feel so lucky to be able to do so, and I agree it is completely exhausting!! Teachers are possibly the biggest gift on earth.

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  6. Those are the cutest clementines ever. I have a whole drawer full of them. Guess what I'll be doing for the rest of the morning.

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  7. So glad you have the time to be in class with the Bob. Good thinking to keep those mini-Snickers for yourself. Maybe there are a couple left to slip to the teacher? x0 N2

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  8. That's awesome.

    I don't remember us ever having "room moms", but I do remember the moms that would chaperone our class on field trips. And my mom never could, because she had to work :( I was never upset with my mom, because I understood, but I was sooooo jealous that the other kids got to have their moms there.

    Enjoy every minute of it!

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  9. yumm. snickers- anything is possible with a bag of snickers.

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  10. Good for you! I had to put myself on class-party probation b/c other people's kids bugged me so darn much!

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  11. I'm impressed: a Halloween treat that is fun, nutritious, "homemade," AND "wrapped"!
    My mom was a room mother for my 2nd grade class, but in those days, homemade cookies were still okay in classrooms. Those times were well before the days of parent volunteers as well.
    As for junior high (I teach jr. high), Halloween is no big deal because the kids aren't allowed costumes, but THE DAY AFTER Halloween is heck. Hyper kids with not enough sleep and sneaking candy everywhere!!! Ugh!

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  12. LOVE this idea and will steal it for next year's class snack.

    SO VERY CUTE.

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  13. Yes. We go to a co-op preschool, and every family commits to one three-hour shift per week. After mine, I go home, pour myself 4 fingers of wine and then pour some out for the people who do that every day. ALL day. God bless 'em.

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  14. LOVE the clementine jack o'lanterns. Wish I'd seen this before my daughter's school party as they have 3 kids in their class with serious food allergies (wheat, egg, milk, and nuts) which makes something simple as cupcakes -- a nightmare. This would have been easier and better for them! Next year!

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