Being a Field Trip Chaperone

I remember back in the day, when I was in elementary school. I couldn’t wait for field trip day. Well it appears that some things are timeless.

This past week, I was able to attend my first field trip as a chaperone for my son’s kindergarten class. There I was super excited to spend my day with the class. The excitement was evident in everyone. The teacher outlined my role as chaperone and, well, the chaos began.

Oh, no no no. The field trip was arranged by the school perfectly. No chaos there.

But I was in charge of three students. Yes, three. (I could handle that right?) I quickly realized that teachers and anyone having multiple children should be pampered daily.

Destination: the zoo. The bus arrived, we get off the bus and, yes, this is where the chaos began.

“I wanna see the elephants.”

“No, I want to see the tigers.”

“I’m hungry.”

“Why can’t we go to a water park?”

“I already know about the animals. I wanna ride the rides.”

“I want a map. Can I have a map?”

Yes, my friends, the energizer bunny himself could not keep up with these kids. 

So while my day was filled with answering questions and providing insight about all the different animals we saw and the foods they ate, it was also filled with admiration for those who educate our children daily. Sometimes I forget the tireless effort the teachers put into my child to help him grow and succeed. I cannot thank them enough for all they do for each student in their class each and every day.

Although tired at the end of the day, I felt completely fulfilled knowing that I had made a difference (at least for the day) in the lives of those three children.