This week, I was one of a select few parents chosen to join my daughter’s kindergarten class on a field trip.

After pouring through thousands of entries to their essay contest, “Why I would make a responsible chaperone,” sifting through police background checks and birth certificates to determine if we were in fact Canadian citizens, I was a semi-finalist and after the pre-qualifying interview (which I nailed), the phone survey, safety/CPR demonstration, proof of community involvement,  pop-quiz and mandatory defibrillator rehearsal, I won myself a seat on the school bus wedged in between my daughter and fellow name-tag wearing classmate.

That’s not exactly what happened. I received a notice of consent form home a couple of weeks ago, checked the box that asked, “Would you be available to join us?” and there I was.

I guess it felt more like winning, maybe because not unlike the election this week, I had won myself a seat.  I highly encourage every parent to check that box and tag along on one of these excursions for a plethora of reasons.

1. This is a great way to see how your child behaves in a social setting when you are not the foreman/woman on the job. Do they share? Are they kind to others? Do they monopolize the teacher’s time? Do they pick their noses, ask for seconds, remove their muddy shoes? Hug your leg, ask you to bend down and whisper, “Stop embarrassing me?”
2. Do they shout out their movie and/or video game collections starting with titles followed by sequels at bizarre moments? When other students shout overtop, “I have Ironman 2!” do they simply continue shouting (with increased volume) their own list to make their presence known?
3. When told they would be playing games made popular in the 1800’s do they ask, “Are we playing Ironman 2?”
4. When told there would be a picnic and after being handed a granola bar do they ask any adult willing to listen, “Is this our picnic?”
5. Are they obsessed with dinosaurs so much so they can’t play croquet unless they growl the way they assume dinosaurs would have growled if they ever found themselves in possession of a croquet mallet?
6. When the bus passes the grocery store do they begin listing all of their favourite foods available at the grocery store beginning with goats cheese and when engaged, “I like goats cheese too. What do you like to put it on?” Do they respond, “Cookies?”

A class trip gives you so much perspective as a parent. It’s a great way to see your child in a different setting, how they act among their peers and the amazing challenges our brave and dedicated teachers face every day when working with such passionate, dinosaur, goats-cheese loving, varied personalities.

Also, remember how you thought your child was gifted?