By Charlotte Bowman
The Friday before Easter I had the pleasure of participating in Career Day at a local elementary school. My mission was to speak to the kids about a career in blogging. With me in the classroom were a retired Judge and a Veternarian Dermatologist from Auburn University.
It was my first year to be included on the docket, and I wasn’t prepared to wow the first graders with my coolness status as a blogger. Both the judge with her black robes and the vet with her boxes of animal skeletons were oozing with “coolness.” It’s hard to compete with a sobre black robe, a cast of a sabre tooth tiger, and three viles of live fleas. Ew!
Fortunately, I had my tablet and smartphone on hand and fully charged.
After sharing about the Muscogee Moms website and facebook page, I made the unorthodox decision to demonstrate the power of an engaged community. I told the kids I would post the following question on our facebook wall.
“What’s in your kids’ Easter baskets? Tell us in the comments and we may use your comment in a story. Does the Easter Bunny go all-out with the chocolate and jelly beans at your house, or do you try to limit the candy?”
Thank goodness — our fans came through for me! As I read aloud the following comments to the class, the kids cheered.
We’re limiting the candy. My kids are getting Six Flags passes in their Easter baskets. The real surprise is we are leaving for Six Flags Easter morning!
My kids get something they can use outside. This year they’re getting sand pails since we’re going to the beach for Spring break.
Mickey Mouse & Thomas the Train gear! Goldfish & squeeze fruits. No candy.
Childrens praise and worship cd, book, Jesus has risen stuffed animal, and peeps.
Books and dress-up princess clothes!
Clearly, baskets stuffed with candy aren’t the only way to a child’s heart. The first graders that morning loved the idea of little gifts and heartily approved the surprise trip to Six Flag.
As Easter weekend progressed, the comments continued to roll in. I was amazed by the diversity and creativity of our fans.
Some parents skipped the commercialism all together in favor of focusing on the true meaning of the Holy day. Others went all out with the Easter bunny, candy, eggs, games and gifts. Still other parents strove to balance the two.
My favorite comment was the following:
[We give] Barbie and horse, clothes, shoes, books, and a little candy. We plant jellybeans tonight and in the morning lollipops will have sprouted. Plus we will put about 100 eggs in the garden for them to find. And we go to mass and pray for the true meaning. We have been observing Lent and attend mass a minimum of twice a week always. My kids go to Catholic school and are very aware of the true meaning of everything.
I want to be a kid at her house next year!
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
