A teacher's List for future readiness

While talking about how many people are in my family a little girl asked me why I didn't mention a baby.  I tried not to laugh because usually I don't get that from little kids.  I told her I don't have a baby.  She asks "did it die?" very seriously.  At first I found this amusing because she just figured every person has a child and there must be a good reason I don't have one.  Then it occurred to me that her short life experience may have crossed paths with a loved one who lost a little one and the smile left my face very quickly.  I'm not sure what to do with that.

On a different note...

Do any other teachers out there feel like they are not allowed to complain about their day in front of parents?  I don't mean parents of the children they teach...I mean people in your personal life who happen to be parents.  Sometimes I feel like everyone else is allowed to complain about work but because I work with kids and don't have any I get the eye roll and the judgmental statements.  I get it, I really do.  I don't have kids so I don't know that side of it...but don't we all think it's ridiculous when a 4 year old comes to school in 2 inch heels?  Or when a parent forgets to pack their child's lunch 3x in one week?  Or how about making their child look like Jonbenet Ramsey on school picture day?  Yes, I know I'm not a parent, but I would hope there would be some common sense things that people just know not to do.  

I realize I've learned a lot in my years in a classroom too so here are some obvious lessons and some that are perhaps not so obvious that I've picked up and now just consider good common sense.

In no apparent order:

1. Do NOT buy your child lace shoes if they cannot tie them (teachers do not enjoy tying 20 pairs of shoes multiple times a day because the child insists on untying them every time you turn around).  Shoes with laces should never be allowed until first grade (just my opinion)

2. Pack your child snow pants in NOVEMBER.  Just because it's not snowing does not mean it's not cold out there...insulation.

3. When you are getting ready for winter: get your child 3 or more pairs of gloves/mittens that are the same brand/color everything.  That way when the left one keeps going missing you can replenish easily.

4. You may think your child will never have a bathroom accident...and you may be right.  But if you don't put an extra set of clothes in their backpack like the teacher told you to, the next time the kid at the lunch table tips over his milk onto your child (which happens twice a week), your child will have nothing to wear.

5. It is really not helpful to hang around the classroom in the morning when your child is crying.  If you leave they will stop.  It's like some unwritten preschool rule that all the kids know but don't let the parents in on.

6. Don't try teaching your child sounds to get ahead of the class if you can't teach them correctly.  "F" is not "fuuuu" it's "fffff", "M" is not "maaaaaa" it's "mmmmm".  You really just confuse the kid and the teacher has to unteach to reteach.

7. A granola bar doesn't constitute as a lunch...not for a 3 year old, 13 year old, or 30 year old.

Okay that's all my raving for now...I know I don't have it all figured out and I am not saying I'm going to be the perfect parent-or even any good for that matter.  But at least I won't be worrying about stupid stuff like lost gloves or extra sets of clothes.