Sometimes Parents Make Me Nuts

[Thriftylady]

Starting Oct. 1st our library does a "merry money" program each year. The kids get sheets to fill out and they have boxes on them. Every book we (they or whatever) read, they fill out a box. Or they fill out one for 50 pages of a chapter book. You turn your sheets in and get your bucks. Nov 30th is the last day. My DCGS that had been with me the whole time had over $40 merry money. The limit was $66. I got their money put in envelopes, my girls had more than $40! My new DCK's mom said they were doing it also. I reminded everyone Friday that this Saturday was the day to shop. So I asked the kids tonight who went shopping, NONE of them. I read extra, I wrote down EVERY book we read for EVERY child who was here on whatever day. So some days I wrote the books down FIVE times. All the parents had to do is take them to the library Saturday to shop for their friends and family. And they always have nice gifts. And it isn't like the library is a drive, you can actually pretty much walk there from anywhere in town, our town is that small.

Why does it always seem we do more for these kids than the parents do?

[midaycare]

That's a bummer.

[Thriftylady]

That's a bummer.

Especially for the kids. Every day (several times when we would read before school and before going home etc), they would say "don't forget to write these down". They were excited about going Christmas shopping with their own money that they "earned". I fell as though something was really taken away from them. It makes me almost not want to do anything special anymore. It makes me look like a liar, and it isn't fair to the kids. I am not sure if I could have shopped for them or not, but that wasn't the point. The point was for them to go spend "money" they "earned" and get to buy gifts for mom and dad and siblings or whoever.

[Unregistered]

It was nice that you did that for the kids. Did you ask the parents if they want to go do the shopping thing before promising all the kids?

[Thriftylady]

It was nice that you did that for the kids. Did you ask the parents if they want to go do the shopping thing before promising all the kids?

Yes, I had to sign the kids up at the library and asked permission of the one mom whose kids had over $40. The other one that her kids started part time a couple weeks ago told me they were already signed up so I wrote down the books for them.

[Pepperth]

That's a bummer for the kids. On a side note, I wish my library had the programming. That's a great incentive.

[Rockgirl]

I'm sorry--that really stinks!

[Blackcat31]

It's hard but don't let it bother you too much.

You did something fun with the kids (they definitely benefitted from the reading) and their parent dropped the ball not you.

I'm sorry. :hug:

[Sugaree]

That's a bummer for the kids. On a side note, I wish my library had the programming. That's a great incentive.

I know, right? My local library does an awesome summer reading program where they use the same kind of tracking (1 point per book or 1 pt per 50 pages and older sibs can earn points for reading to the littles). They also do all these cool programs and stuff that are geared around the year's theme. This year was superheroes so one day they made capes and one day they got to meet police and firefighters and see a firetruck up close. The problem is that a lot of the stuff is done on weekdays in the early afternoons. That's great if the parents are teachers or SAHPs. I felt so bad that DS missed out on a lot of the stuff because I had to work. He's still little, so he doesn't really understand yet luckily.

[daycarediva]

This is why I no longer do ANYTHING that requires parent participation. I do an annual book exchange. Parents put $5 extra on their payment in early Dec. I buy the books.

I used to take them to story time at the library. I got my SA kids library cards (parents filled out forms) and then we went back to the library and the kids hadnt returned their books from the PREVIOUS SUMMER. Um, WHAT?!

[Ariana]

I would just flat our tell the kids that it is too bad their parents weren't able to bring them to the library to fulfill the rest of the activity. I have said that to kids before "I know you are sad and it's too bad your mommy wasn't able to take you to the store" or whatever. The responsibility should be on the parents and the kids should be upset with the parents not you! I don't mean to berate the parents or anything, just make sure they know that it is not your fault.

It's really sad that this whole thing happened. It just isn't fair.