function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener("load", function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } }

Seeking the formula for parenting

Blogger Content: September 2006 - April 2010

Flexible Links

My Blogging Inspiration
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants

Skiplovey

Slouching Past 40

Flexible Affiliations

- Crazy/Hip Blog-Mamas +
(Random Site)

Monday, April 16, 2007

Donkey of the Week

First of all, I would like to thank the person who found my blog using the search phrase "how to get my preschooler to listen and follow directions." I am honored that Google thought that I knew the answer to that. That being said, please let me know when you find the blog that answers that question because it's definitely not mine!

Yesterday I was very amused when the Big Giraffe (BG) showed me a picture of his co-worker Theresa's homework assignment. It was a huge, beautiful, and elaborate poster board that had tons of photos of her child and their family pasted on it. "What is that?!" I asked him. It looked like something that might be part of an advertisement for family life at his company. BG told me that it was part of the Panda of the Week program at Theresa's son's daycare.

Apparently a child is selected (at random?) each week and given the title of Panda of the Week. Monday involves bringing a posterboard with pictures of the child from birth through the present. Apparently it took Theresa half the day. Her son helped out by putting stickers on the board. Let me also say that Theresa is an engineer. If I had to make something like that I probably would rip photos out of a magazine and claim that they were our family. Tuesday is the child's favorite game. Wednesday is favorite book, Thursday favorite toy, and Friday is snack day where you have to bring your child's favorite snack.

Just to summarize... Basically this is a big scam where the child is told that they have this special honor, and his parents have to spend what little free time they have working on a posterboard and putting together all sorts of stuff to entertain the kids, so that the daycare doesn't have to. I personally think that Panda of the Week is a good name for this program. Just as Pandas are unfortunately becoming extinct, I have a feeling that this particular practice at the daycare is as well.

Anyhow, this leads me to my latest brilliant idea: Donkey (read Ass) of the Week. I am going to volunteer to host playgroup and any playdates at my house for the next 6 months which obviously will include both children and a parent (maybe not so obvious if you're not a parent and are thinking back to the days of your childhood where your mom or dad didn't come on playdates with you.) How many times as a parent have you felt that parenting was all about your child? Wouldn't it be nice to see something that just focuses on the parent? I will randomly pick a different parent to be Donkey of the Week each time. When this honor is bestowed upon you, you will have the opportunity to bring in a craft, board, book or other sort of entertainment for all the kids present. Because you are the Donkey of the Week, you are given the privilege of entertaining the children for the entire playdate/playgroup. Because I want to fully understand you, it seems only appropriate that I sacrifice my plan for cooking a 7 course meal for all of you and let you bring in your favorite snack. After all, they say you are what you eat! Finally, as Donkey of the Week you will be entrusted to special privileges. You will have your choice of dusting my baseboards or mopping my floor. There's nothing like being a role model for your child!

I know, I know, you don't know what to say. You can thank me later when your child is all grown-up and on his own and has a superbly clean apartment with fabulous baseboards and floors. He'll owe it all to watching how much joy you took in being Donkey of the Week. A cash donation would be nice too. As part of my April special, you can receive a discount by signing up for ACHOO and Donkey of the Week at the same time. Stay tuned for further details.

A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: Sign up for Donkey of the Week by calling 1-800-ASS-WEEK.

Labels: Humor (at least Attempted), Preschool

posted by Alex Elliot @ 5:30 PM 5 comments

5 Comments:

At 4/16/2007 9:06 PM, Anonymous said…

I just want to make sure that none of my colleagues, even those with children, including Theresa, are eligible for this honor. I don't work with any donkeys.

The Big Giraffe
At 4/16/2007 9:09 PM, Alex Elliot said…

You still are eligible though! The first ever donkey of the week also gets the privilege of getting up with the kids this weekend so I can sleep late.
At 4/16/2007 11:05 PM, Suzanne said…

I think I will continue to not have children so I am sure to never be taken in by this elaborate scheme you have so cleverly cooked up.
At 4/17/2007 5:37 AM, Anonymous said…

I just thought it was worth sharing that Theresa indicated that her son really enjoyed the poster and the focused attention from the class. The effort that went into the Panda appears to have been well worth it.

I agree that someone should sleep in this Saturday. I would suggest that it be whoever gets the least sleep during the week and thus has the greatest need of more snooze time. Wake me up when you need me, preferably about 5 minutes before I need to leave for Music Together.

The Big Giraffe
At 4/17/2007 7:56 PM, soccer mom in denial said…

Could the playdate me at my house once in a while? I could use a little house cleaning too!

Post a Comment
Home

My Profile

Name:	Alex Elliot
Home:	MA, United States
About Me:	Professional Mom of two cats, a dog, an ant farm, and oh yeah...two boys: a 6 year old and a 3 year old. Also found in my house is my husband who is known on this blog as The Big Giraffe.
See my complete profile

Flexible Media Appearances

The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, Fox TV, August 3, 2007

Flexible Feeds

More Flexible Parenting

Flexible Categories

Previous Posts

Archives

For those of us who didn't get an instruction manual with our babies and for whom parenting hasn't always gone as planned. On a more serious note this blog is about supporting a woman's ability to make her own choices about parenting including the choice, for whatever reason, to bottle feed her babies formula.

Powered by Blogger

© Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting

Creative Commons License

Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting by Alex Elliot is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Template Design based on one produced by isnaini dot com