Okay so I’m Not Qualified to be a Room Mom

Room Mom. It is a title that is taken very seriously around these parts. It’s a title that I learned very early on in parenthood I could not do justice. In fact, it gives me anxiety to even type that phrase so many times.

It all started when Bryson was 3. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was close to Thanksgiving Day and his first party at his new daycare. There was a signup sheet on the door for things like cookies, plates, chips, etc. Plates and napkins are always my go to, but those were already taken, so I hesitantly wrote my name next to sugar cookies. I went to Target on the way to school that morning (I’m not one to plan ahead on those things.) and grab the cutest brown and orange cookies I could find. (Who am I kidding? I bought the first ones I saw on the end cap at the aisle. I had two toddlers and I was in a hurry.)

As I walk my sweet 3 year old to class, I proudly display the cookies in the store-bought container. We walk in to see another mom unloading her stuff. Then she pulls it out, a huge box from the local bakery. What is inside you ask? BIG HUGE BEAUTIFUL TURKEY COOKIES. They were 3D and they looked like an actual turkey. She proudly exclaimed, “I didn’t sign up for cookies but couldn’t pass up having these made! Aren’t they great?” Well of course they were great - duh. I quietly set my puny store-bought cookies on the counter and made a quick exit.

It was that moment as I quietly walked myself down the hall hoping no one would notice me that I came to the harsh realization – I would never be that mom.

So as a mom of kids who are now in PreK and Kindergarten, the opportunity to be room mom has presented itself more than once. I am always that mom who says, “I will help with anything but I don’t think I should be in charge.” In this world of Pinterest, there’s a lot of pressure to be “adorable.” The crafts. The decorations. The perfectly themed food. It is too much. I can’t even take it. So I always kindly decline the role and just show up to help the perfectly crafty and well-put-together room mom on party day with whatever mindless job she can give me. My method has worked great so far. I made it through Bryson being in PreK and most of kindergarten and have gotten Brystol through more than halfway through PreK.

Until now.

Brystol’s teacher informed me that the room mom would be on vacation during her “I Love Jesus” party and asked if I would be in charge. I kindly accepted with a smile that I hope was totally covering up my fear – fear of letting down these precious 4-year-olds. The room mom was in charge of decorations and crafts. I’m sure most of you are thinking, okay no big deal. Well it was. I am a disaster when it comes to things like this. Seriously.

So I procrastinate, trying to pretend it isn’t actually going to happen. But it was. The day before the party I load up the girls and we head to Hobby Lobby. We get the only premade centerpieces I could find. They were awful, but I of course had waited so long it was my only option. I did buy some confetti. Confetti makes everything better, right? Then we head to Target, I have this great idea to make “robots” made out of juice boxes and such. I mean I saw it on Pinterest under Easy Kids Valentine Ideas. So we buy everything and head home.

After about six major glue gun burns I have finally made these robots. They were adorable. Pudding heads, juice box bodies, arms made from Smarties, and chocolate feet. Brystol was so excited that she and I created such amazing things! (Clearly she isn’t used to her mom busting out the crafts!) I carefully load up these six robots into a box, along with the Valentine craft that one of my girlfriends gave me, and my pitiful decorations.

We pull up at school and I notice the robots were falling apart. Literally everything was coming apart. No feet, and only half of them had heads. It was a disaster. Brystol burst into tears as I told her what happened. So here I am now with three red table clothes, three red table decorations, and some confetti. I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to this. I should’ve told her Brystol was going to be sick. But I sucked it up and we went into class.

I set everything up. We played a game, ate, and did the craft, and within the first few minutes of the party my anxiety was gone. There was nothing I could do now; it was as good as it was going to be. And the kids didn’t even notice the other classrooms were decorated way cooler than theirs. They had a blast with their friends, giving each other their Valentines and playing sweetheart bingo. Brystol and I took lots of pictures and she loved every minute of it.

I learned a lot this week. I learned that I am way too OCD to let kids do crafts. I learned I am a serious over thinker when it comes to things like Valentine’s parties. I learned I despise glue guns. And I learned that I am not room mom material, and I am okay with that.

Don’t get me wrong, I adore my children and all the sweet parties and the cute crafts they bring home. I will cherish all of these moments from their childhood. I will take lots of pictures and have lots of laughs with them. But don’t expect to see Taylor Williams on the signup sheet for room mom any time soon.