Last week I chaperoned my boys on two separate field trips. It was back to back and to the same location – to watch a musical for two hours. I wasn’t sure I was going to survive because I can’t stand musicals and I knew my 4 year old would be squirmy before act two, but I’m glad I went. With the new baby, I know my kids have had less one-on-one time with me.
And I had some time to think about why it’s a good idea for me to chaperone my kids on fields trips as much as possible. First, my kids loved the attention. They were giddy that I was going and we even made a special morning out of it by making a trip to Starbucks for a special breakfast. I was even able to just take my preschooler home after the play so he got extra time with me.
Second, I knew the teachers would have a lot of kids to manage, so I wanted to do my part to help out. Plus, I knew my 4 year old would have a hard time sitting still for two hours without me. He probably would have talked to his friends or goofed off during the play. With me there, I took him out to the hallway when he go antsy. Yes, we did go to the bathroom 5 times in two hours but he was very well behaved. There were other kids who did have a hard time sitting still and misbehaved. I felt sorry for them because I knew their parents were going to get an earful from the teachers.
Third, I had a chance to talk to other parents. It was a great way to find out how other kids were doing in school, set up playdates, and get the scoop on classroom issues. I also caught up with my kids’ teachers. It’s usually so hard at pick-up time to get feedback from them, so a social outing was a great way to connect.
And finally, I was able to observe how my kids interacted with other kids and their teachers. I haven’t been able to volunteer in my kids’ classrooms since I have a new baby. So this was a great opportunity to see how my kids got along with others.
Do you like to chaperone for your kids? Tell me about it.
This post was written by
Tracey Black is the founder and editor-in-chief for Don't Mess with Mama, the sassy mom's guide to parenting, green living and travel. She is a regular contributor to Redbook's Mamarama blog, and a social media strategist working with eco-friendly brands such as Stonyfield, Juice Beauty and others. She has three boys and lives in San Diego, Calif.
I would love to chaperone and observe how my daughter is at school and with her classmates. But no chaperoning now since she’s only in the 2 yr old nursery school program (no field trips!).
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I love going with my sons because I get to see them in their element and get some good one-on-one time. But talk to other parents? Not only does it NOT happen, but I wouldn’t want it to.
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Thanks for stopping by. I agree – I like to see my kids in their environment too. Great way to see how they interact with teachers and friends.