Hi just recentley joined this site to get vauable information. However, I see that this is a lot of back and forth on petty comments. I am a mother of a little boy who did not have a father around for Donuts with Dad. We are Air Force. I felt sorry for him on the day I had to send him to school without his Dad, so I decided to go by the school and see how he was doing durning the event. To my wonderful eyes he was sitting at a table with 6 other boys who's Dads were not there. (15 Boys in class) Only 2 out of 6 were Air Force. They were having more fun with the Teacher who had dressed as a DAD and would rotate around the boys trying to be everyones DAD! My son never knew I was there. He came home that day saying guess what Ms. Greenwell did?? I had to laugh, It was funnier coming from him as he acted it out when he got home.
I don't think it is fiar to take it away from the kids. I know my 3 others couldn't wait until kindergarten / First Grade to do that. Hopefully, a parent would take your Daughter/Son and invite them to sit with you and yours. I know I do at all events. I have never been to a
Thanksgiving Day Feast, Christmas Party, Easter or any other event that I can say ALL childrenn had atleast 1 parent there. I have 4 children and been in the school system for 8 years and it has never happened. Even at the Veterans Day program when the kindergarten gets to sing parents are missing and their little heads look like turtles looking for their parent(s).
I'm sorry I had to voice my opinon.
I also have 3 sisters who are Kindergarten ,First and Third grade teachers.
Gracee
Sorry Pam...I feel like I hijacked your thread... this is an interesting topic to me!
Serendipity - it's nice to know that the students in your school have had the good fortune to be able to count on a caring adult to attend with them.
Just curious what groups charge for these Mom/Dad events or are they paid for with funds from the PTO/PTA? I don't think that anything like Mom/Dad events would even get the approval of the principal in our school, as he is always super sensitive to the potential issues involved with single/divorced parents (having been a single parent himself).
The proverbial issue of a student with allergies and thus the parent demanding the elimination of all sources (ex. no PB for any kids) of the allergen, I think is an unreasonable demand. I would think the parent might be able to come up with some type of alternative solution, such as spending time with them in a different location of the school or taking them out for breakfast...depending on the severity of the allergies.
I am of the same mindset as backhoed on this issue. We have a 99.9% turnout at our breakfasts and countless children from divorced families are always present. Pretty much the only kids not in attendance were kids that were home sick for the day. We even had a teacher bring a child. The principal also offered to fill in for any child that needed someone.
Can you force another parent to take your kid...no, but I am hard pressed to believe that if you asked the father's of your children's friends to take your child that they would refuse.
I would certainly not oppose a mom showing up with her kids either if that is what it came to. The purpose of the event is to let the kids share breakfast with their Dads or Moms and not to exclude someone from attending if they do not have a father or a male figure to attend with them.
We do live in a "Big Stink" world full of everyone's sensativities. There have been postings of a parent who wants the breakfasts canceled because her kid has allergies. The bottom line is that you cannot make everyone happy no matter what you do. Someone is always going to take issue with something for some reason or another. We have space constraints within our school and do not have enough room to do a family breakfast. As it is our breakfasts are standing room only. You cannot take things away from everyone because 1 or 2 people have an issue with it. Once you do that, your school will no longer hold any functions of any kind.
We have divorced folks within our membership that attend our meetings and the only concern ever voiced was that could it be someone other then the father that attended and of course it can be.
By the way Backhoed, and this is not meant to be offensive, but how many board members do you have and how many of those are divorced parents?
Maybe you are not used to having a strong advocate for divorced parents on your board who is capable of bringing to light issues which married members may not have thought of? I know before I was divorced, there were times I'm sure I was guilty of thinking in terms of students coming from two-parent families. Just a thought...and I by no means am seeking pity or have ever considered I or my son require SPECIAL consideration, just am concerned that everyone and everything receives consideration.
You are cetainly entitled to your opinion and I by no means was advocating EVERYONE stop having a DONUTS with DAD or MUFFINS with MOM.
As for a "BIG STINK", it is simply my opinion and and trust me, kids from divorced families already have learned that life is not fair and that life is not a bed of roses. Maybe it is YOU who is looking at life through rose colored glasses and are forgetting we are supposed to be doing things which are in the best interest of ALL the students and not just our own?
The rationale of having Donuts with Dad and Muffins with Mom I think is a commendable one, and I am cognizant that you can not make everyone hapy all the time, but I believe there are better options that do not involve gender specific requirements.
