Ok so what am I to do? Last night was the first night for Imani to perform with the Cardinal Drill Team. It was a home game which was a good thing and so I decided to sit this one out since they were only performing during game breaks and I don't do football that well.
I figured that the game should have been over at about 8 or so but she did not call me until 10 o'clock last night!
I was livid, Lili and KJ were asleep already and I was working on a project at the time that she called. I had been anxiously awaiting her call which came two hours after the game should have ended. Mmmmmmmm I'm not feeling this.
Well the game had just ended, parents were picking up kids, families and fans of the Camden Fairview Cardinals were leaving the game and I could not find my child. So not good. Eventually she walks up and admits she had been waiting on me at the front of the building so I would not have to sit in the horrid traffic in the back of the school.
While on the ride home I am trying to figure out how this is going to affect my work schedule and how I am going to have to work around her drill team schedule of events, my work schedule which includes Lili's book series, the swap meet and other things I do? I told Imani she may have to find something else to do and get off this drill team thing because it was affecting everyone at the house. I had to get KJ and Lili up out of bed since there is no one home but me to see about them, get them in car seats and booster seats to drive five miles to come and pick her up from this game at 10 in the evening when they were in bed by 8 pm. I knew she was upset and I was thinking about when I was in school in the city, we had city buses so if you wanted to participate in extracurricular activities you just got on the bus so it could take you where you needed to go. Period. Mommy or Daddy did not have to pick you up you just went. But then this is a tiny town where the whole community is about football season, basketball season, and track and then it starts all over again. Aaaaaaaagggggh! Then she is in choir did I mention that? But that's for a grade so she will have to go to these events.
My level of tolerance is null for this seriously. I did not know I was going to have to add limousine chauffeur to my already busy schedule of things that I do throughout the day, week or month.
As I write this I'm thinking and thinking hoping that as I write I come up with ways to make this work for everyone involved.
See here is the problem that I'm having, the late games and the late chauffeuring I am going to have to do. So not feeling that especially with the small kids and the fact that she is in all Advanced Placement classes. Mind you she is only one of a handful of African American students with ALL AP classes. I don't want her focus to just be on just the social activities for school.
I know she is disappointed but with my busy schedule and her adding to it with all these after school activities, it takes away from the time I need to be working to make money and since I work from home every minute counts literally.
As the cooler months come upon us it will be dressing kids to get them out in the cold to go pick up one child who won't get back from games until late. I'm not so sure about all of this.
Imani for all that I hear other parents going through around here is a good, good kid and I know she really wants to do this whole dance team thing but you know at what cost to the family is this going to have or am I just being a mean horrid, selfish parent who does not want to compromise and bend?
Any suggestions?
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