nuclear meltdown day

[Ladybug]

The last week of school was the longest.week.ever and the aftermath has hit the house hard this morning. School ceremonies, emotional goodbyes, ballet recitals and dress rehearsals, etc., etc., etc. Phew! The kids are exhausted and melting down today. It looks a little like this at our house this morning:



I'm waiting for the emergency sirens and flashing lights to start. Is it nap time yet? Is it margarita time yet? Wanna run away to Canada with me? Somebody?

[DCJenn]

That happened to us last weekend. I know your pain. It's just sooooo much and then the mushroom cloud.

So, hand in there until noon and then pour yourself what my grandmother always called, "a cheese glass" of beer. (because it's unseemly to drink a large glass of beer. so you drink 3 little glasses of beer...) (and the cheese glass is that little glass the Kraft makes their various cheeses in- kind of like a grape jelly glass.)

Jenn

[Phoebe]

We had those on Memorial Weekend following the end of all our activities. I thought I was going to lose it. Thankfully my mom was here to keep my sanity and send my kids to their rooms. However, I am always up for margaritas and would be happy to join you in drinking one.

[Ladybug]

So, hand in there until noon and then pour yourself what my grandmother always called, "a cheese glass" of beer. (because it's unseemly to drink a large glass of beer. so you drink 3 little glasses of beer...) (and the cheese glass is that little glass the Kraft makes their various cheeses in- kind of like a grape jelly glass.)

Jenn

That's exactly what I'm doing and I'm toasting to your grandmother.

[houseelf]

I wish you a better day today.

Kelly

[Ladybug]

OK, now that I'm having my cheese glass of beer I'm going to elbow my way in here and climb up on my soap box. I think our generation of parents tends to make waaaaaay too big a deal out of everything. Everything is a ceremony with pomp and cake. It's exhausts the kids and stresses out the mom. Stop it. We had an *hour* long graduation ceremony for lower schools. Lower schools? Back when I was a kid we didn't even have graduation ceremonies until you...really graduated from school. You know, like 12th grade. When people can sit still for an hour. Most lower school kids have younger sibs. Do I really have to get a sitter just to clap for my DD entering kindergarten. Don't even get me started on the emotional toll all this hoorah has had on her. Everyday she's been crying that she'll never see her friends or her teacher again. I'd rather just not even tell her that school is ending. She won't even notice until July that we haven't gone back, and then I'd only have to tell her "soon" to get us through August. Sheesh. Unnecessary torture.

Dance recitals and dress rehearsals are the devil's work. When did it become such a big production? We used to have a dance recitals in the school auditorium with younger siblings running around. Now it's a theater, complete with purchasing theater tickets, dress rehearsals and the pressure to "leave the younger siblings at home." Ridiculous! Why have we made it such a big, stressful deal? She' five for crying out loud.

Bah! When did we make everything little thing so complicated? All it does it stress my family out. Fun? What does that have to do with anything? I'm not sure it does create better memories or experiences for the kids either. It really doesn't take much to excite the kids so it seems like it's more for the parents. Thanks, but no thanks.

[migirl]

DH was just ranting about this very thing the other day when I told him that our nephew just graduated from kindergarten ... complete with a ceremony, announcements, and a reception!

I'm not there quite yet (we're just entering the preschool years here), but I'm dreading it already...

[DCJenn]

Amen.

and glad the cheese glass helped. That Doot (that's what we call her), she's a smarty. (at nearly 93) (Same grandmother told my cousins and I about pre-marital sex, "Girls. Of course you sample before you buy. Don't be ridiculous. You have to spend the rest of your life with that man.")

Jenn

[HouseofWool]

Amen.

and glad the cheese glass helped. That Doot (that's what we call her), she's a smarty. (at nearly 93) (Same grandmother told my cousins and I about pre-marital sex, "Girls. Of course you sample before you buy. Don't be ridiculous. You have to spend the rest of your life with that man.")

Jenn

That sounds just like my best friends grandmother - she said "You wouldn't buy a car without taking it for a test drive, would you?" And she was definitely old-school, emigrated from Romania in the 70's.

[houseelf]

OK, now that I'm having my cheese glass of beer I'm going to elbow my way in here and climb up on my soap box. I think our generation of parents tends to make waaaaaay too big a deal out of everything. Everything is a ceremony with pomp and cake. It's exhausts the kids and stresses out the mom. Stop it. We had an *hour* long graduation ceremony for lower schools. Lower schools? Back when I was a kid we didn't even have graduation ceremonies until you...really graduated from school. You know, like 12th grade. When people can sit still for an hour. Most lower school kids have younger sibs. Do I really have to get a sitter just to clap for my DD entering kindergarten. Don't even get me started on the emotional toll all this hoorah has had on her. Everyday she's been crying that she'll never see her friends or her teacher again. I'd rather just not even tell her that school is ending. She won't even notice until July that we haven't gone back, and then I'd only have to tell her "soon" to get us through August. Sheesh. Unnecessary torture.

Dance recitals and dress rehearsals are the devil's work. When did it become such a big production? We used to have a dance recitals in the school auditorium with younger siblings running around. Now it's a theater, complete with purchasing theater tickets, dress rehearsals and the pressure to "leave the younger siblings at home." Ridiculous! Why have we made it such a big, stressful deal? She' five for crying out loud.

Bah! When did we make everything little thing so complicated? All it does it stress my family out. Fun? What does that have to do with anything? I'm not sure it does create better memories or experiences for the kids either. It really doesn't take much to excite the kids so it seems like it's more for the parents. Thanks, but no thanks.

ITA, coming from the mom who just attended her son's "lower elementary" graduation. Sorry kid, no gift from me. I pay tuition. I didn't even invite family because it felt bogus.

And just to continue with the ridiculousness (word?) of parenting nowadays....

"Treat" assignments for sports? The "treat" is getting to participate in the activity, IMHO. We had to beg for a quarter out of our parents for a lollipop at t-ball, IF we were lucky. Add to this list of craziness any activity that meets more than once a week before the age of middle school. You have GOT to be kidding me. Plus the perennial complaint of nightly homework, planners, and test taking skills in lower elementary? Seriously?

Why, however did we *possibly* manage to matriculate to college without all this crap? My husband played hockey IN COLLEGE and didn't start skating until fifth grade. Neither of us attended preschool nor read competently until second grade and somehow we have earned doctorate degrees.

I fervently hope that the pendulum starts swinging the other way towards more balanced parenting. I'm hoping that this will be one of the byproducts of the downturn in the economy.

Kelly

[Pollyanna]

I totally agree. Dh and I have had to work very hard not to roll our eyes at the 5th and 8th grade promotions we've been too.

Soccer was out after 4th grade because there are no recreational teams available. All are select or academy teams meaning lots of tournaments not only in AZ but CA, NV, and NM. When I asked several leagues in town about recreational they all claim, "no interest". "Seriously, there are not enough kids in a city of 1 million people to field a few recreational teams after age 10?" A lot has to do with money. If leagues only offer rec. teams they can't charge as much money. Select and academy teams bring in big monthly fees and they play pretty much year 'round.

I wish things would slow down but I just don't see it happening. Parent's practically faint when you suggest a cupcake, juice box, and an extra break is a fun class party. Our elementary just added an extra hour to the school day last year so kids could have daily spanish and teachers could have more planning time. Never mind the fact that they eliminated daily science and social studies. Unfortunately it seems like a huge number of parents push this frenetic pace. I think May and June are the hardest months of the year.

I can't wait for next year when my kids are on the same school schedule. It will be easier (I think). Kids are tired. I've allowed more sleepovers, playdates, swimming, etc and we've been soaking up the extra daylight all to be met with the buzzkill of getting up for school.

For DD1's class party this year -- we are going all out with a popsicle and four square extravaganza. Maybe there is something to our schools having funding issues and one of the shortest school years/days in the country. We don't seem to have nearly the same level of homework, reading requirements, etc as I hear about in other places. And we have rec soccer past 5th grade. I will now be grateful for these small things!

[Sheherezade]

Pendulum has been swinging back here. They canceled the eighth grade promotion (for this year)last year after this very debate erupted. Now that it is upon us, the talk is ridiculous. I was at a PTO leader meeting and they were debating if it would be ok to have water and some cookies on the last day for the eighth graders. Because, when you roll something back around here, you REEAALY roll it back. They went from this big to-do to nada this year. I'm not sure that's sane either.

We don't have any graduations until eighth grade. Then, they had promotion (now canceled). Obviously, we have a high school graduation. For the two lower schools in the district, they have a "clap out" for the grade that is exiting. On the last day of school, the staff and kids form a tunnel and clap while the leaving class walks through. I think that's OK. Parents can come but there are no invites or anything. It is just a tradition.

We also have rec soccer and sports up until eighth grade. Of course, they can't get enough kids to sign up for them. The travel leagues are filled and the premier teams (at $500 a season) are also packed. It's the parents. Makes you crazy.

Our school does the clap-out too. I had never heard of it before. I'm not sure to what grade our rec leagues fill but I know there is one for 5th or 6th. The amount of travel with some of the club sports makes me: .

[DCJenn]

We have no rec leagues downtown, we have to go to the inner burbs and most of us aren't willing to do that.

We had the pre-school 'graduation' but really it was more of a celebration of the end of the year. Each class did a skit, there was a pot luck and that was it. Each kid who was leaving crunchy school got a book from the teacher which I thought was nice.

Jenn