Thinking of Polling My Parents

[e.j.]

It can be very hard, if not impossible, to make everyone happy so my advice would be to do what makes you happy. If you enjoyed the hunt and the kids had fun, plan to do it again. If it was more work and expense than it was worth, then don't.

I've learned that poll results can create more problems than they solve. If half of your parents respond they liked the egg hunt and half say they didn't like it, then what will you do?

Even if poll results don't break down evenly, you will have some parents who feel you are deliberately disregarding their feelings by choosing to do the opposite of what they want. (e.g.: They said they liked the egg hunt but you won't be doing it from now on. They said they hated the egg hunt but you're doing another one next year.)

Besides, the parents who reply to your poll now may not be the same parents you have next year and may feel differently than this group of parents does. If you still feel strongly that you want to do a poll, I would suggest that you at least wait until next year so the results reflect the parents' feelings at that time.

[Laurel]

I would do the activity during daycare hours with no mandatory parental involvement, no parental permission or opinions necessary.

[Tasha]

I feel like you kinda already polled the parents by their negative responses. Like everybody else says, do what makes you happy, what you derive the most pleasure from, what makes the most sense to you. I've learned lately that gratitude is hard to come by, so I'm not really expecting it anymore. I hate being cynical, but there it is.

[Rainbowmom]

I've always done an egg hunt with treats but only a few pieces of candy. The kiddos used to take their "baskets" home with them. Now I do an egg hunt and have them keep/eat the treats here at my house. They had a few jelly beans and m & m's and the rest of the eggs were filled with things like pretzels, animal crackers and stickers. I placed bubbles, tablets, pencils, etc. in their baskets. The baskets stay here and I control what they eat and then they use the treats here at my house. The baskets are great for storing a variety of manipulatives. I got tired of no reaction and no thank you's from parents. I do that with just about everything now, except a special book at Christmas. I even quit doing birthday books because nobody ever said anything. Now I buy them a special book to keep at my house.

[Laurel]

I don't do any candy. I just let them hunt empty eggs and I did it today. At their age (1,2 and 3 here), they don't even expect anything in the eggs.

My motto is 'as simple as possible'.

Laurel

[SignMeUp]

Lots of food for thought. When I said "poll" I did mean informally. It's true that I kind of already have done that. Maybe somewhere deeeep inside, I wanted to dig at them a little
I do several annual events when parents come, but stopped doing that for Halloween and Easter a long time ago. It was tons of fun in the old days though. Everyone came, siblings and grandparents, and I had goodies for all. But I was thanked pretty much on a daily basis for every little thing I did then.
I guess I am having a hard time adjusting to ... now