On the Road Again!
The single-most important thing any parent would wish for is that their child is safe.
This thought is especially important on trips, and being a chaperone is a serious duty.
But who said it can’t also be fun and rewarding?
Room Assignments:
We’ll tackle the “serious” stuff first. The students choose their room assignment (yes, with their friends!). If possible a parent chaperone is assigned to their own child’s room. While at the hotel, it is the chaperone’s responsibility to make sure the students are not destroying the room (the Boosters are legally responsible) and that the students are participating in safe activities. The chaperone must periodically (that’s right…you don’t hang out with the kids all night) check on the room to make sure all is well. The chaperone is responsible for “lights out” (it wouldn’t be good if the kids were too tired to perform their show to the best of their ability!). The chaperone is also responsible for making sure the students get up in the morning, get breakfast, grab all the gear they’ll need at the competition site, and get on the bus. Phew! And, yes, you will get some sleep! At the end of the trip, your job is to
make sure the room is picked up (take along a big trash bag for clean up), all belongings are packed, and the students are on the bus.
Fun and Rewarding:
The “fun and rewarding” part is that you get to know some of your child’s friends a little bit better. Make a point of introducing yourself to the students in your room. Let them know what room you’re in, just in case there’s an emergency during the night. And don’t be afraid to lay down some ground rules on your expectations (you are their parent away from home). It might be nice if you brought some goodies to get in your students’ good graces, not that they haven’t already brought along enough snacks to last them until next year. And mostly, let them know that you will stay out of their hair and let them have fun in their room, as long as they follow the rules. Be firm. Your reward? You will have a bunch of students who will come up to you at the end of the trip and thank you for being such a great chaperone! A
nd if the students don’t thank you…well, all of the parents appreciate you for taking such good care of their children.
Talk with the
Booster Leaders about any concerns.
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