Your child has snack at 1:15! In the chaotic rush of bed rousting, breakfast and all else entailed to get your family up and out the door, you had not thought to get a snack in the backpack. There's no way you can change the baby... and you must change the baby... grab a snack and get to the school in time. The teacher keeps snacks on hand for just such emergencies, but still!
A vision of that precious, crestfallen, little face comes to mind.
You had vowed after the last time, never again! I mean, what parent of a kindergartener does not think to send a snack for the entire first week of school?
This girl, right here. And, no one said a word. I realized it, myself, over the weekend... When I opened the back and forth folder to find all the first of the year literature. *sigh* To put the fail on an even grander scale, this is not my first go round! She is our 4th kindergartener. You'd think I'd have it down by now.
The truth is... I do.
I don't mean to toot my own horn or anything, but upper 90 something percent of the time, I'm a great parent! And, you are, too!
We can't go around beating ourselves up because we... oh, I don't know... frantically searched the house late, and I mean LATE, one night for something to use to stuff a dinosaur tail that "we" had just finished hand stitching for "our" son's costume needed for his presentation at school the next day. And, maybe, in "our" sleep deprived state, "we" jerked open a chest full of sheets and decided "we'd" hit the jackpot! Never mind that the thing weighed at least 25 pounds and "our" son is in third grade... and a bit on the thin side. "Our" son, however, thrilled with "our" creation upon waking, got an A on his talking dinosaur presentation.
Not so bad, after all. Mom Save! Knuckle pounds all around, girls!
Uh, no...
At parent/teacher conferences, weeks later, the teacher brings up the dinosaur costume... The report was a large part of the 3rd quarter grade, of course, but, to bring up the actual costume... "We" are inwardly thrilled at the mention and prepare to receive the coming compliment, oh, so graciously! Then, it happens. The teacher says, "The tail was quite heavy and they wore the costumes all day. You might have used newspaper or wrapping paper. As it was, it was very cumbersome. I felt a bit sorry for him dragging it around behind him." *Insert sound of GIGANTIC Mom Fail! stamp slamming down.*
I survived the epic tail fail. (Had you figured out that "I" am the "we" here?) Actually, it was a very good idea. I don't know why I didn't think of it myself, but believe me, it is filed away for future reference should we ever need to stuff something large (And last-minute, because, let's face it, that's the way I roll.) again!
ScaryMommy.com asked moms to fess up and compiled a list from the submissions received. It's titled, Epic Mom Fails: You Are Not Alone and is worth the read. It's proof positive that everyone fails now and then. Their kids survived. And our kids will, too. You know why? Because forgetfulness, especally in context with the crazy busy life that comes with parenting, is allowed. We're human, not perfect. 😉
Bend, little willow.
Oh, and regarding the kindergartener with no snack... After carrying the crestfallen image with me for the remaining two hours and forty-five minutes of school and sufficiently berating myself right up to my turn to pull up in line to the pick-up spot, she bounded out of school with her sister, their faces wreathed in smiles when they caught sight of me. Once settled in the car, I started to apologize, but she spoke first.
"You forgot my snack."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. My teacher had cupcakes!"
Whew!
Hang in there, parents! It's all going to turn out okay.
See you next time!
C
Photos Courtesy: FreeDigitalImages.net Thanks!
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