Becoming “That Mom”
I pretty sure that when I call or email my child’s school, my child’s school staff cringes. Oh, no, it’s her. What does she want now? For a while, I think they even “forgot” to put the suggestion box back out. I had stuffed it full. It seems that I’ve become difficult, a real pain, That Mom.
Their first battle with me was the “treasure box.” Children earning three stars a day, got to choose a reward from the treasure chest, a box filled with junk candy. The kind of stuff my child never had before. We do an occasional treat, but it is always something made from actual food. It is not daily, and it is never used as a bribe.
I requested the practice to stop, or at least offer only healthy choices. To get me to shut up, the school turned over treasure supply to parents. When the parents didn’t fill the box, the box finally went away. But the candy reward still shows up from time to time — supplied directly by the teachers. And I still complain to the staff. A lot. I am sure they roll their eyes and think, “Doesn’t That Mom have something better to do?”
I don’t. And I am not overreacting.

