The Dreaded Back to School Night

I’ve only been doing this parent-of-a-school-aged-kid thing for 7 years.  I want to be an involved parent, I really do.

I try (and nearly always succeed) in getting time off for field trips and school events.  I try to keep open and active lines of communication open with teachers.  I try to emphasize the importance of school with the kids.

But MAN, OH MAN how I loath Back to School Night.  I was all excited for it my first year. I remember going with my parents. You go to the kid’s class. The teacher talks about who they are and what to expect in the class.  I wanted THAT. I wanted to go and get a feel for who this lady was and what the expectations of my kids were.

That is NOT what it is.

When did Back to School Night become an hour-long presentation (ok, well 45minutes)? Why do I have to sit through 30 minutes of random school/education presentations first?
• Here’s how to drive through the parking lot
• Reading with your kids statistically shows they do better in school
• Attendance is important
• Monitor your child’s online activity

WHY do I have to sit through that? AND why do I have to sit through it for each of my kids’ classes? What a waste of time! And then the poor teacher.  She has only a few minutes left to cram in everything she wants to tell you (the stuff we all really care about anyway).

So, I hate it. I go because I want the kids to see that school is important. That THEY are important enough to go to these dumb meetings for.  Only 9 years left…