Being a reporter vs. being a parent

I posted on Facebook how it sucked to miss my son's sixth-grade awards ceremony to cover the graduation of 400 strangers and got this response from one of my former schoomates.
While our children say they understand when we skip their events for work, do they really?
Will they resent it later?
This woman has held these feelings for more than 30 years.

As you may remember, my mom was a reporter for the Podunk Press when we were kids. She worked like a slave for them and eventually became an Editor, where she worked still harder. Your post, reminded me that she wasnt there for us either.
Because of her absences, I never miss any of my daughters events. I make HER awards more important than my classroom's. I remember how horrible it was to have my mom going to a Senior Medalist Winners Dinner to cover it, and leave us home with nothing. Your fortunate if you have a wonderful wife to attend those things, but I KNOW your son wants you there to share HIS accomplishments. I also know that the joy of seeing your child be proud and happy that youre there is worth any money you may make for that graduation assignment. As a teacher I have had to make this decision a lot. Because of my experience with Mom, I ALWAYS choose my daughter over other children. I know this may be over-stepping, but consider turning down these assignments to honor your son's hard work! The job of a reporter is killer, I know. It gets into your blood and is a lot of fun. Just don't forget your kids want you at their stuff!

 

I went to sixth grade. I passed. I got a report card a week after school ended. The end.

Awards ceremony? Not in my era.

 

There is a happy medium between being an absentee parent and feeling attendance at every single moment/accomplishment/game/ceremony/bowel movement is of tantamount importance to a child's lifelong happiness.
The current generation of parents has lost all common sense just as the previous generation did. They're just at opposite ends of the spectrum.

 

There are now Kindergarten commencements. A good parent wouldn't even have their kid participate in such garbage.

 

Does the kindergarten valedictorian get to say, "this is not an ending, but a beginning?"

 

I saw a car the other day that was decorated with "Congratulations, class of 2017"

Seriously? That means they don't graduate high school for another 7 years... so this was what? a sixth-grader? Really?

I don't even know what to make of that.

 

I had a graduation ceremony for Kindergarten and that was about 20 years ago so they're really nothing new.

They do suck balls though.

 

He warns them of the dangers of eating to much paste.

 

I read this earlier today ... http://www.1to1advantedge.com/uslacrosse/enews_June10_f_ask.html

When I was a kid playing sports, you'd be lucky if there were 20 parents at a baseball game. Hell, parents would arrange carpool schedules to rotate not having going to the game. Now parents tsk-tsk when kids are dropped off for practice and the parents leave.

 

I wouldn't sweat missing a sixth-grade awards ceremony, unless your kid was named outstanding student or something.

Be there for your kid when you can. Try to make it work as much as possible.

Love them.

Don't let work become an excuse, but you've gotta work, too.

 

I saw pictures on my Facebook feed yesterday of a 4K graduation, cap and gown and all.

Are you serious?

 

Thanks, Ace, for being a voice of reason here. While raising our children is the single most important thing most of us end up doing, it doesn't have to be the only thing. There needs to be a happy medium. I'd posit that our children learn some modicum of time management from the example we set. So long as we don't miss so many things they feel like we've completely forgotten them, they'll grow up well. And we might, just might, retain our sanity.