Chaperoning for School Activities

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So today I came across a post in a Mommy Group that sparked my attention. It said:

Unpaid care work for schools

Hello all 

Again and again we receive requests from the school to actively participate in the organization of school activities. For example yesterday for the night hike.

I would be very curious to know what you think. 

On the one hand, I know that the school can't manage such activities without the parents. On the other hand, it is always unpaid care work, which is done by parents (mostly mothers). In the meantime I do not want to do this anymore. 

I am curious about your opinion!

She attached the slip she is supposed to fill in for the teacher:

She needs to check whether her kid attends the night hike (that's the activity, how cool / spooky is this?) or goes to school like on any other regular day. 

Here comes the part she is not happy about:

☑️ I volunteer to be on call to drive kids home starting at 3:45 a.m. (OK, that's a tall order), and there are x seats in my vehicle.

☑️ I will participate in the event as a chaperone.

☑️ I'd like to surprise the students with snacks or tea.

Most of the other Moms said they are happy to help because only with parents volunteering can these kinds of events even be happening.

Some complained that they usually don't mind but it's always them and never the others who are helping out, and they feel taken advantage of. 

Which I can totally get. I feel the same way about our chores as hockey parents. We need people who are willing and (legally) able to drive the team vans, we need people who make sandwiches and cakes, we need people who work at the snack stand, and we need people who man the penalty box. Guess which faces we never get to see there?

I was surprised to read about the activities some Moms are volunteering for:

• Participate in ski days
• Blow dry kids hair after swim class
• Support recess kiosk
• Do shifts as crossing guards
• Cook meals during camp (some take a week off work in oder to do so - respect!)
• Accompany the class to the forest day, field trip, you name it

I was concerned to read about one particular Mom's situation:

Due to the shortage of teachers, they have only one teacher for a large class. They need parents to go along for weekly gymnastics, regular forest and swimming and other things. There are many parents who don't want to/can't help out for various reasons.

So this seems to be a permanent situation, and in my opinion, if it's only the same few people who keep showing up for support, they should be "hired" and compensated. it's not that the schools don't have money, it's that they can't find trained teachers.

Here's what I had to say:

In the "old days" there was one school trip and one "hometown day" per school year. The latter is like a field trip, only less fancy because limited to the immediate surroundings. Usually the class teacher took her mother and / or her boyfriend along. Plus, I think my parents had to pay about five bucks for me to go along.

Today there are many more activities, and a huge part of them is paid for by the school, or of course by the taxpayer. So if I can contribute in any way, I'm happy to do it. I also have to admit that I like to bake and go on outings and get to know my son's friends better. 

A few years ago I volunteered to chaperone an outing to the Swiss paraplegic center with Colin's religion class. Yes, it was an hours' drive back and forth, and yes, there were two of his very chatty and giggling girls in the back seat, but it was a great afternoon.

Back when I was childless, I even took a day off each year to accompany my mom and her kindergarten class to the woods to meet Santa. What an awwww event 🥰.

By the way, one advantage of having more than one chaperone is the safety of the kids. Woe betide if one kid gets hurt or "lost" because it's simply not possible for one single teacher to supervise a bunch of super excited youngsters. 

I do understand those who get annoyed because it's always up to them, and it's taken for granted that Mommy X will be chauffeuring a handful of kids around in the minivan while others go to a spa during that time.

And I'm reading between the lines on this form that it's actually already expected that you make at least *one* cross. Not for all parents (why actually always the mothers? "One" would have to address the fathers at the parents' evening.) are in a position to volunteer, whether because of occupation, other siblings to care for, etc.

Long story short: Be happy that your kids are allowed to do these activities and don't feel obligated to help if you don't like it.

What are things like where you live? Do you participate in your kids' school activities? What do you do? Do you like it? Are there people who never help out?