Now it all makes sense

Sometimes I wonder why kids act the way they do. Then I meet the parents. Here are some of the more frustrating/disturbing parent incidents I've had this year.

~ The kids had the day off on Monday. It was on the school calendar AND on our weekly homework sheet last week. On Tuesday, one of my girls gave me a note from her mother that said, "Please excuse my daughter for being absent yesterday. She was sick."

~ I sent a note to parents about our upcoming field trip. I requested that ALL money be sent to school in a labeled envelope. I had 3 children who came to school with loose cash, and 2 who came with checks -- no envelope at all.

~ When I sent home a Scholastic Book Club order form, I sent a letter with it asking that all checks be made payable to Scholastic. One mother sent her child with a check (with no envelope) made out to our school.

~ Another child came to school with $8 in cash (no envelope). He said it was for Book Club, but he didn't have an order form. I had no idea what books he wanted, or if the money was even for the Book Club.

~ A mother sent me a note about her son, and she misspelled his name. Her own son's name.

I mean, really. They're parents. They're supposed to be responsible, right? Or is that asking too much?