For various logistical reasons, The Girl does not attend the same school as her big brothers (although she will from next year on), and her current school has a big fundraiser every December that involves selling cookies. It brings thousands of dollars into the school, but the catch is that each child's family must (yes, must--not sure what they do if you refuse) send in 12 dozen cookies by the middle of December sometime--I forget the exact date. This means that you are seriously up a creek if you have more than one child there: one of my friends is expected to send in 36 dozen (!!) cookies, and since she is a working mother of her three children, I have no idea when the hell she is going to have time to bake that many cookies. Especially since they want pretty holiday cookies, not run-of-the-mill chocolate chip. Yikes. And my mother, who ordinarily would be ALL OVER my part of this job (she is a primo baker) does not arrive with my dad for their holiday visit until a day or two after the cookies are due in. (Never fear, she will be put to work making the traditional family favorites after she gets here! And helping me paint my hall bathroom and take down shelves in The Girl's room and a hundred other things, but that's another post.)
I haven't even thought about what to serve for Christmas dinner yet, but that's OK. One thing at a time...I think that will be my mantra for this crazy month. In any other direction lies madness!
Your community reminds me of where my godsons live, where there are many stay-at-home parents and schools can impose such requirements.
ReplyDeleteI find it insane, based on where I've taught and lived. If my students actually showed up, that's as good as it got. Exhausted, smelly, hungry, with neither school supplies nor any completed homework - that's how I usually got 'em. The idea that parents would cook a gazillion fancy cookies is just unfathomable.
The cookie thing is way over the top, even for our neck of the woods. I am doing it because it is not worth making waves about (because I have one child in that school for one year.) Otherwise, there would be no way! Both this school and the boys' are constantly asking for us to send in something or another or to volunteer for something else. Truly, a luxury enjoyed by a school district that is relatively affluent and which has a high percentage of stay-at-home parents with time on their hands...you have that right.
ReplyDeleteYeah and admit it - you find this cookie organizing & baking kinda fun. :)
ReplyDeleteI love to bake...I just hate being told that I have to do something! Makes me want to rebel on general principle. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat seems like a pretty darn harsh requirement. What if you're not a baker? Are you allowed to buy the cookies you send in?
ReplyDeleteI would guess you can buy them if you really don't or can't bake. It just rubs me the wrong way that a school I pay to send my kid to tells me that I "have to" do anything!
ReplyDelete12 dozen is extreme. 3 dozen I get, but 12 dozen? woah!
ReplyDelete144 cookies is a lot. Glad I only have one kid at this school or I would be baking from now till next week! :)
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