Sunday, April 27, 2014

5th grade Science Fair: The Parent Project

Ahhh, the Sunday Panic before this week's science fair. It never gets old.

I hypothesize that the real question is...
by which number child (ie; first, second, third, etc.) do the parents 
realize that TWO WEEKS would be a better time frame for getting 
the child to do a less stress filled, better quality science fair project?

Child #1 (DD1):
Weekend before = Chaos 
Not too stressful, as an entire weekend to run the experiments proved sufficient for child #1's project. Child had time to complete write up, print, and glue information / pictures / graphs to board by themselves, but only just. Glue MAY have been wet on display board as Science Fair was beginning.

Child #2 (DD2):
Sunday before = Greater Chaos (because the parents forgot how involved this actually was... and had plans all day on Saturday).
Mother to spend time during Monday or Tuesday typing and printing up the information which child is busily compiling with Father on Sunday evening. Some frustrated yelling in the kitchen has ensued. Glue will for sure still be wet on Thursday for Science Fair. Consider variable of using quick dry glue stick.

Child #3: this variable is lacking in our household. Suspect two possible outcomes:
Outcome #1: Start experiments two weekends ahead so there was no last minute rush = Happiness
or
Outcome #2: Night before Science Fair would be dubbed "sufficient time necessary" = Child in tears at 10pm when experiments not yet complete, parents sitting in living room Googling "results." Presentation board simply drawn on old Christmas boxes taped together by mom while child sleeps (using the only two markers she can find in the house), and spelling mistakes go uncorrected. (Let's face it, spelling mistakes go unnoticed until board arrives at school.)

Therefore, I conclude that - no matter how many children the parents have - this never gets easier.

3 comments:

tz said...

even after a whole weekend of knowing he had homework, Isaac chose to watch TV, complain, play and is now anxiously and busily doing homework at 715 am Monday morning before school. As a matter of fact, after working a night shift, I too am procrastinating my PowerPoint presentation due today (I have to work again tonight) -- gah -- I think it's probably a good thing neither of us had child three because I believe scenario 2 is what would more likely be.

Dodi said...

Haha! So true. Although, I do so hope that Jim and I get an A on this assignment!

Rae Ann said...

I'm laughing at this as I have just sent an email to my daughter's teacher begging for more time for the autobiography project I found out about this morning, that is due tomorrow. In my defense, we were out of town on a ( kid-free) trip. Honestly, though, even if I had known, the timetable would have probably looked the same.