Moms of Preschoolers

eclaires

So next week, it is "our" week to bring in something for the letter of the week - it's really low key and no big deal, but I wanted to see what you guys thought.

One day we are bringing in lunch (this is not required at all, but I thought Jackson would enjoy it since they allow parents to come in for lunch and P is easy - duh, PIZZA) and I am bringing in Pizza, Pineapple, Pudding cups and Pretzels (I think).  And maybe Pink Lemonade for the drink.

We're also doing a bag of things for the letter P and right now I'm planning on popcorn (we have a whirly pop popcorn maker and Jackson loves to help with it) in a popcorn baggy, pencils, a thing of Playdoh and we were also considering doing dried pasta necklaces (since it's something Jackson could paint and help make).

Any other ideas?  Sound good?  Would you hate me if your child was in our class for giving them playdoh??? 

ETA: there are no kids with allergies in his class in case that comes up.

r9stedt

I loathe playdough, but L loves it.   

 

How about making homemade play dough for the classroom?  

KrisBriMcBunny

how about edible play-doh?

eclaires

Oooo good idea, r9!  I will run it by his teacher, but I think she'll like it.

Since I'm bringing in lunch one day maybe it can be a class activity if they can work it in...and I can help.  They're pretty open to stuff like that and have said a million times if we want to come in and do that kind of thing, great.

KrisBriMcBunny

found this:

JUST FOR KIDS: PEANUT BUTTER PLAYDOUGH

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,199,149163-237203,00.html Content Copyright ? 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.   1 c. peanut butter 2/3-1 c. nonfat dry milk 2 tbsp. honey Mix ingredients. Add enough powdered milk to make playdough dry enough to handle. Shape into balls. Add raisins to make a face. Or stir in chow mein noodles and make a bird's nest. Or stir in Cheerios or chocolate chips for fun. Eat and enjoy!

femmegem

I think the homemade play-doh is a great idea. The teachers at A's school make it all the time. Could you make it pink? That would be fun. Or purple. I've never made play-doh before, so I have no idea how hard it is to dye it.

eclaires

thanks krisbri!

Femme - I bet it'd be easy to color it pink...I think red food coloring is pretty easy to get to pink, but is harder to get to straight up red.

CleoKitty

Sounds good to me, but I'm kind of laughing at you calling it "low-key," lol.

My kids would love the Play-doh. Are there really people who don't want their kids to have it?  (Obvious health issues aside, like a child with celiac who could get sick from regular Play-doh.)

eclaires

ha, Cleo!  I meant that I am going overboard, but that typically it's pretty low key.

I can't help myself, honestly.

esposa38

I wouldn't mind the playdoh or anything you listed, but I would be kind of annoyed if it is truly meant to be a low-key thing, and everybody has been keeping to it being low key, but then one parent went all crazy out like that. Like come on. Now does everybody have to be bringing in lunch and a thousand goodies so that their kid won't feel left out? But if that's not going to be an issue for his class, then rock on!

eclaires

See, it seems like some parents go all out, and some don't.

Someone else did lunch a few weeks ago (that's happened at least twice since they started assigning weeks/letters (mid-December)) and a bag of goodies - last week was just a bag of goodies - and then some weeks it's nothing.  I can't figure it out, but Jackson was excited about us doing lunch (mostly us coming and eating lunch w/ him I think) so I definitely want to do that.  But I also feel weird not doing a small bag of stuff since that is the norm...

shiloh17

Sounds like fun. It would be a total allergy disaster for my kid, but since you dont have any kids w allergies--go for it. If the teacher nixes the playdoh idea, you could always figure out a craft using popsicle sticks, or those little pom poms. Ds just made snowflakes in school w popsicle sticks and glitter. Good luck ?

KrisBriMcBunny

It doesnt bother me that some moms/dads go all out and some dont.  Parents do what they can do and I wouldnt hold it against them either way.  I'm not judgy like that.

karen6784

Here is a great playdoh recipe :

 

1 cup flour

1 cup boiling water

2 tbsp. cream of tarter

1/2 cup salt

1 tbsp. oil

food coloring of your choice

 

Mix and knead together.  Won't dry out!  You can also add glitter to it for fun.  They also sell regular and neon food coloring at most grocery stores!

kellnbri

If you want to make  colored playdoh I always use kool aid to color it.  It smells good and doesn't stain like the food coloring does

Jodi&Joe

I wouldn't be annoyed by the playdoh.  I would be annoyed by you going totally overboard -- causing me to evaluate my low-keyness and make me feel like I had to bring the circus to the classroom when it was my week and I got C!

r9stedt

Jodi&Joe:

I wouldn't be annoyed by the playdoh.  I would be annoyed by you going totally overboard -- causing me to evaluate my low-keyness and make me feel like I had to bring the circus to the classroom when it was my week and I got C!

::Dead::

eclaires

ha!  Well C has already been done and they brought lunch and a bag full of goodies, too!  lol.

I also think I feel slightly guilty because I haven't been a super involved parent in the classroom because of Scarlett - where it's usually something I would have been into and helped out more previously.

And I'm totally not going to post pictures of the bags we're doing because I'm using these cute leftover brown paper gift bags from Jackson's 3rd birthday party and using a big P stamp on them that my SIL had from her wedding (she married a guy with a P last name).  I think I'd really get the overboard tag then... 

happ17

meh, go overboard all you want, dear. I'm always the parent that goes overboard, too, with everything. I can't help it, either.

And ditto the kool-aid thing. food coloring tends to stain skin and clothes. I hate getting it off PAC's skin.

Tomfoolery

esposa38:

I wouldn't mind the playdoh or anything you listed, but I would be kind of annoyed if it is truly meant to be a low-key thing, and everybody has been keeping to it being low key, but then one parent went all crazy out like that. Like come on. Now does everybody have to be bringing in lunch and a thousand goodies so that their kid won't feel left out? But if that's not going to be an issue for his class, then rock on!

Totally!  That all sounds crazy manic and like you are trying to outdo not only the other parents but your own self.  Tone it down.  Honestly, I've noticed that the teachers tend to appreciate the "less is more" mentality when it comes to bringing treats, snacks, birthday stuff.  I'd suggest picking one thing and going with it.  We love playdough at our house and always like getting small containers of it in goodie bags.  Instead of stuffing bags full of crap that's likely going to get thrown away, why not trying incorporating an enriching activity like bringing in a book to read along with a "P" snack?  Popcorn, pink lemonade and Harold and the Purple Crayon.

A-baybride

eclaires:

ha, Cleo!  I meant that I am going overboard, but that typically it's pretty low key.

I can't help myself, honestly.

Ha ha - my first thought when reading your OP was that if this was low key, I wonder what over the top looks like!

It will make parents like me feel inadequate, but the kids will love it!

bebemama

It's all too much in my opinion.  I would do the Pizza Party and bring a Polaroid camera in to do Pictures that the kids can take home.  That is more then enough P's and cuteness. 

eclaires

oh you're so right!  I'm totally manic over this.  And crazy. 

Anyway, the reason I planned on doing a bag of "p" things is because that is the most common and the norm from what I can tell.  I chose things that we have on hand and Jackson could help with because a) it's inexpensive and b) I think it's something he should be involved in rather than me just picking random stuff and throwing it in a bag. 

Honestly, I'd love to be able to go to do an activity or read w/ the kids, but it's difficult to do with a 4m old.  She's pretty unpredictable and a rather fussy baby, so if I have to bring her with me (which his teacher is fine w/) I never know if she'll be fine or scream her head off.  The other option is leaving her w/ MH, but I generally don't know until day of if he can work from home because while his job is flexible, he often has to run out to the lab or his test houses to fix something so it's hard to plan to be there.  I figured with lunch if I had to drop it off and run because of the baby it was doable instead of planning an activity and having to run out.   I don't want to disappoint Jackson by telling him I'll be there for something and not being able to follow through - bringing lunch is pretty much fail proof in that sense.  It will be a bonus if I can stay and eat with him - plus MH might be able to come for lunch, too.

peekaboo716

It's over the top for me. Our school does letter of the week, and it was described as bringing in items from home that start with that letter. However, the week of C, someone brought in cookies for snack. Then letter D, someone brought doughnuts, then letter F, Fruit by the Foot. You see the trend?

We had the letter P, and we stuck to the rules. DS loves running through the house, finding things that start with the letter, and playing show and tell at school with his "treasures."

If your school is cool with it, rock it. I would not care about the playdoh. However my kid's weird and won't eat pizza. I would need to know ahead of time that was the plan, so I could pack his lunch (and the other kids' parents would need to know since we all have to pack lunches).

eclaires

Yeah, a note goes home about lunch saying what the parent is bringing and which day, so the parents know to not pack lunches or to pack one in case a kid won't eat it.

I thought, at first, that just bringing stuff in from home was what we were supposed to do (the note about it wasn't clear), but since it started, it's been the bag of things and occasionally lunch.

Maybe I can get Scarlett to poop right when we get there and I can show the kids a poopy diaper...

j-w

It's over the top IMO.  I personally HATE when bags get sent home with DD...usually it's a bunch of junk that just gets tossed.  Plus, anything she was snacking on at school gets tossed.  I have a feeling things don't always end up in the correct backpack.  So, if it were ME, I'd probably just bring a popcorn snack to class for them to enjoy while they are there.  And, maybe homemade play-doh to play with while at school.  I just can't imagine something like this going on at DD's preschool.

esposa38

eclaires:

Yeah, a note goes home about lunch saying what the parent is bringing and which day, so the parents know to not pack lunches or to pack one in case a kid won't eat it.

I thought, at first, that just bringing stuff in from home was what we were supposed to do (the note about it wasn't clear), but since it started, it's been the bag of things and occasionally lunch.

Maybe I can get Scarlett to poop right when we get there and I can show the kids a poopy diaper...

Haaaa! about the poopy diaper. I get what you're saying about the uncertainty of Scarlett's being there or not etc... And given that, definitely go with your lunch plan then. Go w/ your gut on the rest. If it won't be " big deal" w/in his class, then no worries.

krissymoves

I think your ideas sound like a lot of fun. It's a special week for your kid, and you want him to be involved and enjoy it. I get that. It sounds like other parents have done similar things, so I don't think it will be too overboard. Oh, and the poop comment is too funny!

august06mom

I think the lunch is more than enough and sounds like fun. But I know my kid doesn't need another bag o' crap, especially with a homemade pasta necklate. I get that you want your DS to help, but it would be tossed immediately.

Maybe instead do a "paint your own pasta" necklace craft for the kids? But I guess you'd have get the teacher on board with that too.

I think the lunch is plenty.

AviatorJJ

I wouldn't be annoyed by the playdoh.  I would be annoyed by you going totally overboard -- causing me to evaluate my low-keyness and make me feel like I had to bring the circus to the classroom when it was my week and I got C!

All that stuff you are going to do is going to take forever. Are you sure the teacher wants you to do that much?'

 Our letter is Q and they just have a show and tell. Jeez.

mamarazzi

Good God.  I can't believe how cranky people are being about a parent who wants to do fun things for her own child and his class. 

I would go totally nuts with something like this, too.  I love this kind of stuff and don't see any harm in going all out if you want to.

I think the pizza party is great and the goodie bags sound adorable (I hope you FB pics of them!  Lord knows you better not PIP them here!).  I bet you could find some party-favor sized Play Doh if you don't want to do homemade that could go home with the kids with the Valentine's stuff.  It might even be pink and purple.

You know, you could really take it to the next level and get a pinata for the class.  LOL.

cnybride2be

ye gads do the letter P with the pizza and P goody bag.  the kids will enjoy it. i don't think the low key "P"reschool "P"olice will be too "P"issed off.

and

we all know jodi would so do the circus for "c" even before you put on your big "p" party. 

and i was dead over the poopy diaper.  boy and girls this is about as low key as you can get... 

 

Jen2124

I'd just bring Porn and call it a day.

eclaires

DEAD, Jen.  DEAD.

Maybe I can bring some makeup for the kids.  Surely I have some things that begin with the letter P...

Hooray2005

Jen2124:

I'd just bring Porn and call it a day.

Love it! Seriously, hon, you've totally missed the boat on this one - how could you neglect such obvious choices like purses and pumps, Prada, Polo, Philosophy, Puma... clearly choices such as pizza and popcorn are so pedestrian.

 

Oh, and I cannot believe someone has yet to start squawking about the dangers of popcorn consumption (and the associated choking risk) in young children (yeah just google it... all sorts of sad stories come up, unfortunately.) If anything, I'd drop the popcorn production ... avoid the POTENTIAL PARENTAL PROSECUTION

Andrewsgal

This post makes me laugh, but then again I am the Mom that goes all out too. 

IMO this post falls in line with the whole you spend too much on Christmas and Clothes issue, same game different name.

I think it all sounds great, and i saw purple and pink valentines playdoh in little tubs yesterday at target:) 

cristiana

I don't think it's that overboard. It's just lunch and a goody bag. The kids will love it, and if parents are so put out by receiving it and decide to throw it out, that's their perogative. Just as it's mine to think they're being killjoys!