The Middle

The end of the school year is fast approaching.  This is just as bad as the holiday season for busy parents.  Let’s think this through.

Recently, I’ve been watching The Middle – somehow I missed it when it was on network TV and I had never seen an episode.  I think it’s a great show, especially for families because it takes a humorous look at the total chaos that family life can be.

They have an entire show about the sign-up list at school. In this episode, the mom tries to get her husband to understand…sign up for anything you can buy ahead of time and drop off.  Think paper goods! Not cookies shaped like graduation hats or volunteering to clean up the classroom at the end of the party…nothing big, creative or open-ended (unless you find peace in making 50+ cookies and decorating them to look like graduation caps…in that case, go for it).

Unless

Unless you have freedom in your schedule and you want to be at your child’s school every day for about a month, be careful about what you volunteer to do.

Of Course

It is absolutely always okay to opt-out entirely! You don’t need to donate even paper goods to the class party. I promise you, the party will still go off without a hitch, even if you’re at a stage of life in which you can’t contribute.

Ask

If your work schedule is crazy or you’re juggling multiple end-of-year schedules for your kids, ask your children’s teachers for help.  Explain the weight of your responsibilities and ask which events you should prioritize for the end of the school year.  He or she will be able (and happy) to help!