Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s sad all the kids who “don’t want to participate in spirit day.” It’s meant to be fun! It breaks up the long year od drudgery. I get why a child wouldn’t participate every spirit day, but not at all? That seems sad to me - in need of further investigation.

Hey head cheerleader and SGA president, math team coach here: Not everyone thinks that the stuff you find fun is fun, and not everyone thinks that the academic part of school is drudgery.

You sound like a party pooper. I'm just a parent, not on the PTO, and at our elementary school its the admin that plans the spirit weeks and other special days. My kids are very into the academics and are straight A students. That does not interfere with their enjoyment of spirit weeks, and winter sucks in this area, even if you like school. Its a nice diversion. And its optional - don't participate if you don't want to.

Is there such thing as a “straight A” elementary student?

Montgomery county starts giving out As in second grade so I guess yes

I forget what grade Loudoun switches to A’s and B’s (3rd maybe?) but even before that it’s 4’s and 3’s. A “4” is an A.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I think parents project all the internal drama they are feeling into their kids. I was always excluded in twin day, and I turned out just fine. Sometimes it’s good for kids to learn that they don’t quite fit in, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable.

+1! As the only POC in a school of white kids, I felt excluded everyday, not just in twin day. It’s part of learning. Luckily I had parents who taught me that I can still be nice to others even if they are not nice to me, and that what others think of me doesn’t determine who I am. That’s what parenting is really about. If these spirit days are too much, don’t do them. It will be fine in the end.

Also POC and can confirm this 100%. Every single day

Anything that you assign to the child that requires parental help is actually Homework For Mom.

^ ETA my DC’s preschool does spirit days and a spirit week but they give a one month notice and it’s easy stuff (favorite color, etc.) so easy to get together

In our neighborhood the one lady who loves this stuff is a SAHM with one child. Every spirit day gets an elaborate costume and multiple photos. The rest of us? Not so much

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s sad all the kids who “don’t want to participate in spirit day.” It’s meant to be fun! It breaks up the long year od drudgery. I get why a child wouldn’t participate every spirit day, but not at all? That seems sad to me - in need of further investigation.

I grew up in excellent Mass public schools and we never had spirit week and our community was just fine! We did have an elaborate Halloween but that was once a year and well publicized in advance.

I will have a K-er next year and luckily I am not time-poor but the last-minute notice and constant demands do sound annoying. And St.
Patrick’s Day is not a major holiday so I can forgive a parent for forgetting it’s coming up.

Email the teacher and ask which of these are actually important and do those, screw the rest of them. Schools make up random things for everything lately and half the time most kids don’t participate so it won’t matter either way. Regardless if you don’t feel like doing it, don’t. If it’s really that important the school will supply the materials.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s sad all the kids who “don’t want to participate in spirit day.” It’s meant to be fun! It breaks up the long year od drudgery. I get why a child wouldn’t participate every spirit day, but not at all? That seems sad to me - in need of further investigation.

Hey head cheerleader and SGA president, math team coach here: Not everyone thinks that the stuff you find fun is fun, and not everyone thinks that the academic part of school is drudgery.

You sound like a party pooper. I'm just a parent, not on the PTO, and at our elementary school its the admin that plans the spirit weeks and other special days. My kids are very into the academics and are straight A students. That does not interfere with their enjoyment of spirit weeks, and winter sucks in this area, even if you like school. Its a nice diversion. And its optional - don't participate if you don't want to.

Is there such thing as a “straight A” elementary student?

Montgomery county starts giving out As in second grade so I guess yes

Anonymous wrote:Today my child was asked to bring in a single flower. Yesterday wear green. Over the years, I can think of countless things that are requested that are such a huge hassle and pain in the butt. We had to detour 20 min in the morning to buy this flower. I could have and should have just blown off the request but I didn’t want my kid to be the kid who didn’t bring one.

I don’t mind as much if we have notice and can order in advance. Want some stickers for Valentine’s Day? Fine.

I especially hate spirit week where it is daily. Twin day is the absolute worst. Or wear your favorite baseball team. Rant over.

I have straight up said to the teacher that I am happy to participate and fulfill special requests but I need more than a 24 hours notice for these things or I'm not doing it

My daughter's school really loves Spirit day for some reason during virtual we had a about one spirit day a week just because the principal liked it so much and it was just ridiculous and just stopped being fun and just became another thing that people would ignore because you can't keep up with it. I agree that a lot of these spirit days that are thought up by adults don't think through the work that goes through coming up with the special outfit. Hat day is fine. Something complicated that I can't figure out at the last minute not going to do it

You don't have to do any of it. Sometimes we do, sometimes there's too much going on, and I don't.

Given that schools now do lots of parenting (sex ed, character education, nutrition, life skills, etc) I'm okay with giving back when/if I can.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s sad all the kids who “don’t want to participate in spirit day.” It’s meant to be fun! It breaks up the long year od drudgery. I get why a child wouldn’t participate every spirit day, but not at all? That seems sad to me - in need of further investigation.

Hey head cheerleader and SGA president, math team coach here: Not everyone thinks that the stuff you find fun is fun, and not everyone thinks that the academic part of school is drudgery.

You sound like a party pooper. I'm just a parent, not on the PTO, and at our elementary school its the admin that plans the spirit weeks and other special days. My kids are very into the academics and are straight A students. That does not interfere with their enjoyment of spirit weeks, and winter sucks in this area, even if you like school. Its a nice diversion. And its optional - don't participate if you don't want to.

Is there such thing as a “straight A” elementary student?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I think parents project all the internal drama they are feeling into their kids. I was always excluded in twin day, and I turned out just fine. Sometimes it’s good for kids to learn that they don’t quite fit in, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable.

+1! As the only POC in a school of white kids, I felt excluded everyday, not just in twin day. It’s part of learning. Luckily I had parents who taught me that I can still be nice to others even if they are not nice to me, and that what others think of me doesn’t determine who I am. That’s what parenting is really about. If these spirit days are too much, don’t do them. It will be fine in the end.

I really don’t think that has anything to do with random spirit days. Sorry you felt unliked at school

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s sad all the kids who “don’t want to participate in spirit day.” It’s meant to be fun! It breaks up the long year od drudgery. I get why a child wouldn’t participate every spirit day, but not at all? That seems sad to me - in need of further investigation.

Hey head cheerleader and SGA president, math team coach here: Not everyone thinks that the stuff you find fun is fun, and not everyone thinks that the academic part of school is drudgery.

You sound like a party pooper. I'm just a parent, not on the PTO, and at our elementary school its the admin that plans the spirit weeks and other special days. My kids are very into the academics and are straight A students. That does not interfere with their enjoyment of spirit weeks, and winter sucks in this area, even if you like school. Its a nice diversion. And its optional - don't participate if you don't want to.

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I think parents project all the internal drama they are feeling into their kids. I was always excluded in twin day, and I turned out just fine. Sometimes it’s good for kids to learn that they don’t quite fit in, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable.

+1! As the only POC in a school of white kids, I felt excluded everyday, not just in twin day. It’s part of learning. Luckily I had parents who taught me that I can still be nice to others even if they are not nice to me, and that what others think of me doesn’t determine who I am. That’s what parenting is really about. If these spirit days are too much, don’t do them. It will be fine in the end.

Sometimes I think parents project all the internal drama they are feeling into their kids. I was always excluded in twin day, and I turned out just fine. Sometimes it’s good for kids to learn that they don’t quite fit in, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable.