So, this whole freshman parent thing is still a little weird.
Or, maybe it's just the sports teams, dunno.
We're about half-way through the volleyball season (undefeated, I might add. Maybe I shouldn't add, might jinx us. Heh, there was an unintentional pun in there if you know me and the school.) and I still really don't know the other parents.
In 8th grade, all the parents knew each other and sat together at volleyball and basketball games.
We didn't all necessarily hang out socially, but there was a camaraderie and we were all very into the games.
Now, though everyone I've met is very nice, there's just not that kind of thing going on.
I don't know if it's just the difference between grade school and high school, or if this group is just reserved or something, but I'm just not used to not "clicking" with the other parents at least for the duration of the season.
I suspect though, it's a function of me being a great big dorky freshman parent who will cringe at what she's written here in a couple of years.
Several of the other parents already had kids in the school and, unlike me, their freshman isn't their first student there.
I'm sure it's similar to grade school in that each year, the parents who've been around for many years look at the younger, newer parents and think, "Well, they have a lot of enthusiasm, I'm sure that'll be cured in a couple of years."
But, then again I can remember being a new parent all those years ago and wondering why the old people were so cynical and cranky.
Whatever the case, it's not that I want to have slumber parties with these people and stay up all night and braid each other's hair, I just want someone to chat with at the games.
We had 2 matches at a very large public high school today.
I arrived a little late, and as I was walking toward the bleachers to take my seat, Busy Girl calls out, "Can you get me a drink from the concession stand?"
Now, this is the kind of school where some of the students look like they possibly eat small, blonde private school kids for lunch, and a concession stand was most decidedly not in the picture.
I thought it was funny, but I totally had no one to share the moment with, and if I did, they probably wouldn't "get" me.
Oh well, I guess that's what you guys are for.
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Aw, I will come and sit with your on the bleachers and cheer until BusyGirl is thoroughly embarrassed, okay?
snorkle...I'm doing the volleyball thing now and I may lose my mind. It is nutty. Funny...I just wrote about volleyball as well today. Weird.
This is a great age of embarrasment. I'll join Judy in the bleachers and we can all do old cheers (you know...the uncool ones) and really do a number on her. The other parents may be green with envy
I'm with Judy - I'd come sit with you. But I don't know where you are.
Cas
It's probably a long drive from here.
HS stuff is hs stuff no matter the region, eh? I felt the same about the other cheer moms when HG was in hs. After 3 years we smiled, said hi, and such but never sat together, etc. Probably a good thing because I would have said something snarky about one of the girls that didn't look like they belonged on a hs cheer squad (looked more like they belonged in vegas or on a billboard for a plastic surgeon...) and it would have been their niece or something.
I'll come to your games and Judy, Hula, Cassie and I will make asses out of ourselves. Sounds fun!
Sports parents can be cutthroat and cliquey, especially if your child is talented and playing a lot. We didn't have too much trouble at gymnastics, but others sometimes got involved in too many parent/coach/athlete politics. As for the concession stands, I teach in a public high school and all our local public high schools have concessions during games. Our Parent Booster clubs run them and make money to help the school and give a couple of hefty scholarships to seniors. So, I don't think it has anything to do with public versus private; it might have more to do with the parent involvement or socio-economical status of that school.
We felt pretty much the same way when our son started HS. Sad to say, we pretty much hung with the two or three sets of parents we knew from elementary school at every event through his senior year. The situation may be a little easier with our daughter, since she's at the main feeder middle school for her HS, which wasn't the case in her brother's day.
That's just strange. I'm a parent of a freshman and we have had nothing like that at her new school. I'm not looking for friends in a sports crowd either, but it's nice to have someone to say the stupid stuff too. I hope it gets better.
I dunno, Busy Mom. Maybe if you were willing to do those slumber parties and braid those hairs you'd feel more a part of things.
Hehe. I kid. And totally get what you're saying. My problem has been that even when I'm an oldby I still don't feel I "fit" but I've noticed lately that those folks accept that. Well, the majority do. And it doesn't effect my participation and certainly doesn't change how much I wish I could joke with someone about how, "That guy that works in the library is kinda hot. You know, like Steve on Blues Clues?" Without worry that the parent would turn me for stalking or something. ;-)
I'm reading your blog about your freshman, though, so I can prepare for what is to come for me. Thanks for keeping me informed. I have a few years but I like to get "Mentally Prepared". Because I am nutso.
It's funny, but I felt this way about soccer but am so glad my girls are doing volleyball now. The parents are great and really do hang together. Some of us felt out of touch when our girls were freshman, so we held our own informal parents meeting to explain things. Nothing major but tidbits about feeding your kid before away games, what spandex to buy, pasta parties, etc.
I doubt it's the sport or the school - it's probably just this particular mix of kids (or parents, I should probably say.)
I have to admit, how much playing time your kid gets does matter. I know I'm having a different experience than the parent sitting next to me, whose talented kid never even gets in the game.