I found a couple of fun lists this morning on the Internet. Both have something to do with children. The first list is based upon the report that one out of every eight daycare centers puts children's health in jeopardy. Here are "Signs Your Child's Daycare Isn't Safe".
1. The welcome mat is a slip-n-slide.
2. Afternoon activities include "pin the tail on the kid with glasses".
3. Despite the lack of a present dog, the kitchen is stocked with bags of Kibbles 'n Bits.
4. A career day project involves "proper asbestos removal".
5. The sign on the door says "We support prison work-release".
6. When you register your child, you're asked to provide a "milk carton-size photo".
The second list is from a parenting blog that asked people to relate stories of strange requests included in children's birthday party invitations.
1. "Boys were required to wear bowties. Girls were required to have large bows in their hair."
2. "Guests were asked not to wear the color red because it was the favorite color of the birthday boy and he would freak out if anyone else wore red."
3. "My four-year-old son woke up sick the morning of the party, so I e-mailed his friend's mother to let her know we wouldn't be there and why. She wrote back to say that thanks to people like me, her son's birthday was completely ruined."
4. "The invitation specifically pointed out that the birthday child wouldn't be at the party."
5. "The invitation requested that all gifts be cash only. It wasn't for charity. The parents just didn't like anyone else's taste."
6. "Gifts had to be something zoo-animal themed because that was the theme of the party."
7. "All the parents were warned not to let their kids have a single bite of cake before the birthday boy, because he would throw a tantrum if he didn't get to go first on his special day."
8. "The invitation said kids arriving at the party would be required to change out of their clothing into cloth jumpsuits because of the birthday girl's allergies. In the pictures, she's wearing a pretty party dress and all the other kids look like miniature prisoners."
I have just a few things to say about this list. I don't mind accommodating allergies or party themes, but don't tell me what gift to bring. In my book, that's rude. And I don't accommodate freak-outs or tantrums from anyone, adult or child. I didn't throw a single tantrum as a child because I innately understood that doing so would not work out to my benefit, not to mention my continued good health.
I did try to remember if we ever received an odd request in a birthday invitation. The kids were asked a few times to bring swimsuits and towels, but in truth that's only weird if the hosts don't have a pool. I checked, though, and they did.
