Austin left for school this morning being upset with me. I hate when that happens. I worry that he will think about this all day. I know that he probably forgot all about it once he stepped on the bus, so it's probably more like I am going to worry about this all day!
While we were waiting for the bus this morning he pulled out yet another fund raiser for his school to show me. It was a booklet of 30 post cards to be filled out with names and addresses of friends and family that the school would have sent to solicit for magazine subscriptions. They do a big presentation at school when they give the kids these booklets and show them all the prizes that they can win. Trinkets really, but the kids hear "prize" and get all hyped up about it. We did this fund raiser last year. It took me forever to fill them out, but I did and each name recieved the solicitation. I felt terrible when we started getting cards back saying that so and so had ordered a magazine. I had told everyone that they didn't need to order anything. Austin would win a little prize just for turning in the completed booklet. I decided right then and there that we would not be doing this fund raiser again. It seems like every other day there are kids at my door selling things for school, ball teams, Girl/Boy Scouts, church groups and various and sundry other organizations. I buy whatever they're selling about 95% of the time. I will not allow Austin to go to our neighbors selling things. He thinks that this is terribly unfair. I would much rather just donate money to whatever he's raising money for than to subject my neighbors and family to yet another "cause". So anyway, back to this morning. He pulls this out of his back pack and tells me that I need for fill it out now because he has to turn it in today. First of all, there was no way that I could complete all the addresses in the ten minutes we had left before the bus came. Secondly, I hate this fund raiser and had already decided that we would not be participating this year. His little eyes filled up with tears as I gently explained to him why I not only couldn't complete the booklet in time, but that I didn't like to make our family and friends feel pressured into spending money because they thought they would be letting him down if they didn't. All he heard was that I was mean!! He won a giant ink pen last year for his participation. I told him that I would give him $10 and he could buy hisown prize this year. That wasn't good enough. Apparently there is some robot type prize this year for the person that gets the largest amount of subscriptions. Chances are very good that he woudn't win that particular prize anyway, but remember I'm dealing with a seven year old here. They told him he could win that prize and he thinks that all I have to do is fill in the booklet and he will win that prize. I was very gentle while explaining all of this to him, but he was broken hearted and not at all happy with this particular parental unit. I so hope that he has not let our little disagreement ruin his day. It is hanging over mine like an anvil.
I have been off work for the past 12 days. I took a week of vacation and the way my days off fell it turned out to be a really nice little stint at home. I am so not looking forward to going to work today. I have been trying to decide why I am dreading it so much when I actually really like my job. I've decided that it's not the work I mind, it's the leaving my house! I'm such a domestic creature. I love being home in my own little world. I love being able to accomplish things in the house and in the yard. I love nesting!! So, I guess the perfect job for me would be to have 4 extra bedrooms that I could put patients in and just take care of them here at home. Now that would be heavenly!
2 comments:
.To a seven year old child... a parent is supposed to have all the answers and be able to solve all problems...He both trusts and depends upon you to keep his world in perfect working order!
Events like these, which seem poorly timed are actually the subtle messages he needs to be receiving to become a fine, mature and responsible young man!
Yes, it is tragic how the extra curricular activities we encourage our children to participate in place such a burden on them to solicit sponsership for the enterprise whcih is supposed to be "non-profit".
The Optimist Club that my boys belonged to finally saw the trouble it was creating with making little leaguers sell candy so they could have a "trust fund" to purchase equipment....They raised the price of enrollment and and added on a few cents to the price of soda at the concession stand. Everybody won!
As for your worrying about how Austin is feeling today....only shows that you're on the job MOM!.....Enjoy your day! Marc :)
I could have written this entry. This is exactly how we handled the school sales stuff when our kids were young; we bought from everyone in the neighborhood, but refused to allow our kids to go to the neighbors, and my ex and I refused to take the things to work, and none of our relatives lived nearby, so our kids never sold a lot of anything, but when they were still quite young I explained to them (and their schools, at every opportunity) that rather than make our kids into little shills, I'd prefer an option where, at the beginning of the school year, I could "buy out" by giving a check for $25.00, and be done with the awful soliciting. I really think it's inexcusable, that the schools do this type of fundraising, and I know of very few parents who think it's OK.
Like you, I'm a nester, and I love being in my home and yard. I've been trying to figure out work I could do from home, because I love being in my house, and that feeling just gets stronger each year. I like your idea of having the 4 extra bedrooms where you could take care of patients, like R. Keep us posted on how she's doing (I know you will).
XO
Judi
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