Is this the dumbest thing?

[cats mom]

I agree - pretty dumb.

Speaking as the mom of an 11 year old DS I'm constantly amazed at the things he and his buddies find humor in.
Paper eating and cheese spitting sound pretty tame to me - especially when you factor in the general lunchroom atmosphere.
I have no doubt that even kids who have been taught the best manners at home can mix it up in the school lunchroom.
Kids are masters at egging each other on and trying to outdo each other.
In my experience with boys that age the more disgusting the behavior, the funnier it is.


Like the OP I try to be supportive of the folks working with my kids but sometimes you just gotta wonder.

DD came home in tears the other day because the music teacher went a bit ballistic when she kept going flat on her solo for the 2nd grade musical.

Umm... I told the music teacher when she called to let me know that DD got the lead that I was a bit surprised since it involved a solo and I questioned DD's ability to pull off a musical number.
Love the kid dearly, but singing is not one of her talents.
She assured me that they had held try-outs and all would be fine.

Fast forward to DD arriving home in tears.
I warned you about the singing thing so DO NOT flip out on poor DD, who I fear may be somewhat tone deaf, but is willing to put herself out there and is trying her best.

BTW, the musical was the other day and DD was a bit flat and missed some notes during both performances, but I'm guessing most folks never even noticed and she still got many compliments.

Sheesh it's 2nd grade. The kids are still little enough to be adorable no matter what they do and all the parents are focused on their own kids anyway.

 

[minkydog]

I got put in the coat closet for saying "Oliver Boliver Butt" in first grade. My mother responded by sending in the book in which that name could be found--I was quoting some lines from "23 Daves", Dr. seuss story about Mrs. McCave, who had 23 sons and she named them all Dave...the story goes on to name all the names she wished she had used, including OBB. Well, the teacher reads the story and pronounces the name "Oliver BO-li-var Buh..." I guess she didn't want 25 6yr olds running around saying "butt" all day

 

[Aidensmom]

I would have had to go in the other room so I could laugh without DS seeing me when I read that. There are most definitely worse things to worry about.

My son just told me the other day they are not allowed to TALK at lunch. I don't think school lunchrooms are the same places they were when we were kids.

 

[Mysteria]

My son just told me the other day they are not allowed to TALK at lunch. I don't think school lunchrooms are the same places they were when we were kids.

Sheeish. What's next? No playing on the playground!

Myst

 

[mytwotinks]

That is seriuosly stupid! If it was bugging her she should have just told him to quit. What in the world are you supposed to do about something so stupid 6 hours after it even happened?????

I'll add my best teacher note........ Drew's hair bows were too big today. She wanted to dress up in our hats and they wouldn't fit over the bows.

I guess it would have taken more time to remove the bows than it took to write the note to me???? They were just normal bows. I ended up pulling her out of the class because this was truly a preschool teacher who couldn't stand toddlers!

 

[Syrreal]

I wonder what kind of notes my friends and I would have gotten from this teacher? Some of the "favorite" things to do at the time were using our straws to make the most disgusting looking food "worm" (where you poke your straw through different food whle creating suction on it by holding your finger on top of it) and egging this one guy friend into being "caveman" and not eating anything with his hands (including the milk)

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Oh at after school day care one day several years back, one student and the teacher got upset with my daughter when she was drawing a picture of me. Why? Because she was putting blond hair on me when I was a brunette! I started to send her a picture of my old drivers license that I still had at the time where my hair was blonde. You really have to wonder somedays at these people.
Kim

 

[pigletz]

I can't even imagine how many notes I would be writing if I stopped to write about every stupid thing my students did. I do admit that I had to make the "Your child won't stop passing gas in my class" phone call this week. Now before you flame me for calling home, let me explain the situation. I have no problem if it's an accident and I have no problem if you do it once for laughs. The problem is when a student does it repeatedly for days. I teach eighth grade and they're old enough to ask to go to the bathroom. Every once in a while I get a kid who thinks it's hysterical to pass gas repeatedly. Unfortunatly it means class stops while the rest of the class complains and asks to be moved. If it happens repeatedly and continues even after I have a private talk with the student and remind them to ask to use the restroom or step out in the hall, then I have to make the call home. This week I had a kid who just would not stop. Believe me, it is incredibly embarassing to have to make the call so I only do it when it has gotten out of control.

 

[disykat]

Okay, I'll be the unpopular opinion here. If my child did that at home, he would get scolded. While I certainly agree the lunch lady seems "note happy" and I can't see notifying parents over that offense unless it was a constant issue that disrupted the lunchroom, I see nothing wrong with a child being "in trouble" for misbehaving at the table.

I'm guessing he had received numerous warnings and had reached the note stage - or perhaps they have a policy of being specific about listing the misbehavior in notes home. IMO, her note was poorly written. She would have been better off writing something like "... has received numerous warnings for silly behavior in the lunchroom..." However, since I'm guessing she was surrounded by a lunchroom full of rowdy kids while writing the note, I'd give her a break, talk to my child about behaving in the lunch room, and let it go.

Sure, all kids do it and it's not that big of a deal. That doesn't mean you let them have a free-for-all. You continue to correct and remind. If you've said continued misbehavior will get a note home, then you send one.

I highly doubt the lunch lady is loosing any sleep over his behavior. He's probably a popular child and she's trying to squelch a bunch of copycat behavior.

 

[Beca]

I signed the note "seriously?" along with my name. I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it.

This is when I would be tempted to write, "Oh...he shared that with all of you, too!! Isn't he just the CUTEST thing?? Thanks for reminding us how blessed we are...he is TRULY God's gift to us!!! Thanks again for making me smile today....I really hate that I miss all the really cute stuff he does...thanks for sharing them with us."

 

[Aidensmom]

I can't even imagine how many notes I would be writing if I stopped to write about every stupid thing my students did. I do admit that I had to make the "Your child won't stop passing gas in my class" phone call this week. Now before you flame me for calling home, let me explain the situation. I have no problem if it's an accident and I have no problem if you do it once for laughs. The problem is when a student does it repeatedly for days. I teach eighth grade and they're old enough to ask to go to the bathroom. Every once in a while I get a kid who thinks it's hysterical to pass gas repeatedly. Unfortunatly it means class stops while the rest of the class complains and asks to be moved. If it happens repeatedly and continues even after I have a private talk with the student and remind them to ask to use the restroom or step out in the hall, then I have to make the call home. This week I had a kid who just would not stop. Believe me, it is incredibly embarassing to have to make the call so I only do it when it has gotten out of control.

I have no idea if this is the case with your student, but just wanted to say I got a talk from my son't Pre-K teacher on this the past school year. In my case it irritated me a bit because she knew he went to a gastroenterologist every month as I picked him up early for his appointments, apparantly he had a reason to go. Anyways, we still have no definite diagnosis (though my son sees supposedly the best specialist in our area), and my son passes gas all the time unintentionally. There is a medical problem causing it, and because we don't have a definite diagnosis, so we can't prevent it. It is as embarrassing for him (if not more so) as for anyone else, believe me.
Don't be so sure your student is doing it on purpose.

 

[AprilShowers]

Can't......stop......fingers........must........tell........gross........cafeteria..........story............

You all are going to be totally grossed out when I tell my gross cafeteria story. BTW, NO notes were sent home. The boys in my class thought it would be cool if they vomited on a plate and then tried to ........................eat it again.

Bets were taken, money was made.

The next day, these same boys were eating each other's vomit! I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP.

I am guessing that teachers knew about this, and nope, no notes were sent home, no detentions were issued, and no kids got in trouble for this.

Of course, 25 years later, we're still talking about it!

 

[Disneydreaming6]

Aprilshowers, That was just soooooo...... excuse me I'll be right back...arggggggg.

Ok, still regretting reading that post.
Going to tell you about my dn. She was in Kindergarten when the teacher sent a note home they had a serious problem with dn could they come in the next day to discuss this issue. sis in law is panicking what could be wrong with dn, her work has been good, she hasn't been sick, etc. sil is a nervous wreck. they go to the appt, they are sitting there looking at the teacher who by the way looks like she is going to give them some bad news. She goes on to say, the class was discussing what they wanted to be when they grew up they go around the class and got the normal responses, policeman, fireman, etc. time for dn, her response was when she grew up she wanted to be blonde. My sil couldn't stop laughing, the teacher thought dn needed help because she had no real ambition.

 

[missypie]

When I was in 4th grade, we were served stewed prunes in the cafeteria on a regular basis. I've tried to block from my mind all the thing the boys thought to do with those prunes!

Anway....

If I were you, I'd ask around and see how many parents have received similar notes. The cafeteria table behavior has probably begun to simply gross the teacher out and she probably is writing lots of notes home, under the theory that if 10% of the parents jump on their kids for it, that will be 10% less gross behavior.

 

[jakenjess]

Ok, still regretting reading that post.
Going to tell you about my dn. She was in Kindergarten when the teacher sent a note home they had a serious problem with dn could they come in the next day to discuss this issue. sis in law is panicking what could be wrong with dn, her work has been good, she hasn't been sick, etc. sil is a nervous wreck. they go to the appt, they are sitting there looking at the teacher who by the way looks like she is going to give them some bad news. She goes on to say, the class was discussing what they wanted to be when they grew up they go around the class and got the normal responses, policeman, fireman, etc. time for dn, her response was when she grew up she wanted to be blonde. My sil couldn't stop laughing, the teacher thought dn needed help because she had no real ambition.

That is so funny!! I think that's a great response! If I were your SIL, though, I would have been furious to take time off work to go in for something like that. Please!

I can't believe there are lunch rooms where no talking is allowed. That's crazy. Kids need a time to chat with their friends. My kids go to a small Catholic school, so there isn't as big a crowd as most schools, but I've stopped by for lunch a few times, and it's very noisy. Sometimes they'd put on some upbeat music and let the kids do like a conga line around the cafeteria. It was great! They were having a blast and letting off some steam. It's nice to lighten up once in a while!

 

[lovesmurfs]

Man, now I feel like a criminal. When I was his age, I got involved in a lunchroom-wide ketchup/mustard fight. They were scraping mustard off the ceiling for MONTHS afterward.

TOV

In HS we would open the chocolate milk carton, close it up again, and throw it during food fights....would spatter milk everywhere. Probably be suspended now.....

 

[Alicnwondrln]

manners are important but i am sure there are mor eimportant things on on in school than that
i cant believe how ridiculous the schools are now

 

[kaddjr]

Of course the lunch room at our middle school, has a traffic light to warn the kids when the talking gets to loud. It actually changes colors based on the noise levels. When it reaches red, its silent lunch for the rest of the week.

Geesh, I thought our school was the only one with the stop lights. Not only do they have one in the lunch room, they have them in all of the classes too!

 

[camreesmom]

I got put in the coat closet for saying "Oliver Boliver Butt" in first grade. My mother responded by sending in the book in which that name could be found--I was quoting some lines from "23 Daves", Dr. seuss story about Mrs. McCave, who had 23 sons and she named them all Dave...the story goes on to name all the names she wished she had used, including OBB. Well, the teacher reads the story and pronounces the name "Oliver BO-li-var Buh..." I guess she didn't want 25 6yr olds running around saying "butt" all day

gotta buy that book for DH, he'd love it!!!!!