Parental-bits

UGH! - Yeah, ugh. Just spent two hours prepping my son for 7th grade orientation tomorrow. We checked off the mile-long supplies list. I never had this many supplies "back in the day" - I was happy for a box of 12 Crayolas!

At least now that he's in junior high we don't have the extra page of classroom "support" supplies. Kleenex (sorry, that's trademarked...tissue), wet naps, general class art supplies, wax paper, plastic wrap, plastic bags, on and on and... Don't get me wrong, I don't want teachers to have to pay out of their own pockets for that stuff. That sh*t ain't right. Our school system gets MILLIONS from our large school district (700 students per year) and we keep giving them more. I support each and every one of those special budget votes for education and I will continue to do so even after my kid graduates. But after all that they still hit us up for more money and more supplies ALL YEAR LONG!

OH! The best one is the "hit your entire family, neighborhood, and pets up" to buy magazines or gift wrap or candy. That's the one that makes me crazy. They now have it all online so your loved ones, you know, the ones who TRULY care about your kid, can give money directly to his/her campaign over the internet. I never bother anyone with these. I quietly buy something smallish for our family and that's it. Don't want son to be school pariah because his parents don't contribute anything.

In my opinion these giving programs are really hard on the kids - If your child sells the most loot they get a FREE GIFT! Yeah...a bracelet or a whistle. But they taunt the kids with great pics of hot boomboxes (does anyone even BUY boomboxes any more?!!) and super cool prizes if they just try a litttttle harder and sell a litttttle more. I'm sorry, it's wrong. W-R-O-N-G

There's my parental rant for today, August 26, 2007.