I’ve always been one of those parents who signed up to take in snacks first, wanted to be room mom, and couldn’t wait to sign up as a field trip chaperone. Of course, I want to take a trip to a new city, pumpkin patches, and adult friendly educational venues like Discovery Place. Sign.me.up.
Naturally, you have certain questions you’ll ask that are pertinent to your attendance. Do I need to provide my own transportation? Can my child ride with me and can I take them home straight from the trip? Is the cost of my attendance covered or do I need to pay as well?
It never dawned on me that there might be other, more important, questions I should be asking. Questions related to the children I will be chaperoning. Questions I never even thought about until my child took her first field trip post Myasthenia Gravis.
Are there any physical limitations?
On a recent field trip to Charleston, it was extremely hot. Heat is a definite trigger for Victoria. It causes her to get tired and slower as the time goes on and it doesn’t even have to be a significant amount of time. Unfortunately, her chaperone was unaware of this and it led to a “hurry up” from a chaperone.
A simple check of limitations will keep you from being frustrated and your chaperone child(ren) from being embarrassed that they can’t keep up with everyone else.
Is there anything I should look out for?
With Myasthenia Gravis, eating can be a challenge. Foods that were perfectly fine before suddenly become serious choking hazards. Things like soup, rice, and even bread can all pose a danger while eating due to the throat becoming weak. It’s not just the throat, chewing, in general, becomes an issue as well.
Keeping an extra eye out to make sure everything is going okay during those lunch, dinner, and snack breaks can help prevent some unexpected situations.
I do still volunteer to be a field trip chaperone but they don’t need as many now, so it’s not always a given I’ll get picked. I certainly don’t want my child, or any other with special circumstances, to be singled out by being unable to go. With a couple of extra questions, chaperones can better equip themselves to watch over the kids they been entrusted to supervise.
What are some things you think would contribute to being a better chaperone?
