Well, I never...

...spending the afternoon filling out forms for the first day of school tomorrow.

Yes. I've had them for a while. Live with it.

Humming along, filling in lines, wondering why in the hell they care what DAY IT IS when I fill out these documents. Names, numbers, addresses. No, I don't know The Big Boy's work number. He has a cell phone. Call it...he'll answer...I've seen him do it.

Don't know his work ADDRESS, either. It's the only dance in town. Get to that town? They'll tell you where he is.

And then, right in the middle of a fairly logical page, is this:

Student lives with (circle one): Mother Father Guardian

WTF???

Now, before anyone says anything, I HAVE BEEN A SINGLE DIVORCED PARENT. Do NOT preach to me. But I will be the first in line to say, Ideal Situation? Married parents. Hopefully, fairly happily married parents and Lord knows, no marriage is better than a bad marriage but in the long run...kids do better with two, here-to-stay parents.

SO WHY ISN'T THAT AN OPTION? I firmly believe that television/video/computer violence is a bad thing because you DO get...what's the word? Not immune, not climatized, but...not accustomed. There's a word for when something becomes so familiar that it's no longer shocking. Stuff happens, people come and go, but I honestly believe it's best to present the best-case scenario and then teach coping skills. Cope with anything; handle everything; and be thankful you're here to have options.

But...don't y'all think that's a little WEIRD? That there's NO option for a single family unit?

So I did what I always do...put an editorial comment under the choices. I didn't circle ANYTHING, and underneath I wrote "Student lives with her PARENTS."

The Big Boy will come in later tonight when I'm not looking and scratch out my comment. And do something politically correct like...circle both parents. (He did that when The Not Nice Kid had this science thingy last year and there was a place to tell what we did with the plastic rings off six-packs. I wrote in, "Do they still MAKE these?", and TBB got all pissy and scratched it out. But, DO THEY?)

Don't you know my kid turns in her stuff every year and the Powers That Be stand there and roll their eyes and mutter to each other? "Oh, Lord, here we go again."

If they'd just act right, we wouldn't have these issues.

Comments

missy said…
haha....i am the same way!!!!!
1. why do they need to know so much!?!?!?
2.DUH!!!!!!!
i forgot to send luch money with my son....several times....he told me that the lunch lady taking money said he could not eat lunch the next day if he did not have his money in his account!!!!!!!
i was like......WHAT?!?!?!!?!? oh please say she did not say that......my son was telling please do not talk to her just send the money!!!!!!! they can not keep them from eating!?!?!?!? GRRRRRRR!!!! some people!!!!!! sorry about my rambling!!!!!!
have a great week!!!!
Le laquet said…
Yeh but if they write stupid-arse forms ... TBB is just too damn nice to them!
Alicia said…
i hate those stupid papers!! if something happens call 911 and send me the bill. and yes..i think we are becoming more and more desensitized to things....
Nina said…
This is a little scary. You are in my head. Talking to me. Every day. Told ya, scary.
Country Girl said…
DESENSITIZED. Thank you, Alicia. That's the word.
Merisi said…
Who needs to know the family situation of a student anyway?
My kids' schools so far seemed to be happy to know two numbers, for emergencies.

Btw, palm trees need a roof over their heads to survive Viennese winters. ;-)