# What was your most torturous school activity - as a parent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 28, 2022, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610 "2022-04-28T14:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/41 "2022-04-29T16:22:06Z")
Ya know - that sorta brings up another point. When did it become a thing that parents felt a need to attend EVERY event? I mean, it is great to support your kids’ interests. But you can pick and choose your spots - attend the more meaningful events, or when they are convenient and weather cooperates… ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/42 "2022-04-29T16:23:10Z")
Probably around the same time dads became required to be present for their kids’ birth. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/43 "2022-04-29T16:24:31Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Ya know - that sorta brings up another point. When did it become a thing that parents felt a need to attend EVERY event? My parents never came to my wrestling matches. “We did that stuff with your brothers” I think they said. I didn’t especially want them there, so it was fine. We didn’t go to all of our kids things, but we did enough so they knew we were interested. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/44 "2022-04-29T16:29:03Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Ya know - that sorta brings up another point. When did it become a thing that parents felt a need to attend EVERY event? Probably somewhere along about the same time that it became a movie trope that one of the parents, usually the dad, is unable to be there for some school event, thereby providing an easy way for the writers to increase the tension in the parents’ marriage. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/45 "2022-04-29T16:56:50Z")
Any of you people have kids in competitive chess? I never did, although I coached an elementary school chess team for a few years. Imagine watching 150 kids play chess, from a seat far enough away that you can’t see what they’re doing. For about 10 hours. On two consecutive days. I wouldn’t say “coach” in the sense of “helping them be better chess players,” as I myself am a terrible chess player. My role was mostly making sure they understood tournament rules and then being their chaperone at the tournament. ---
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/46 "2022-04-29T19:15:18Z")
I second track meets. Excruciating. And since they’re in the spring and outdoors, the weather was, more often than not, unpleasant. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/47 "2022-04-29T19:57:55Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > Yeah Mom, I’m sure you would’ve been transfixed by a handful of kids and me plunking out _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star_ . After all, Mozart wrote it. Heh. Both my kids took Suzuki violin, which involves an entire year learning to scratch out “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. Culminating with a recital. Didn’t bother me, I’m blissfully tone deaf. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/48 "2022-04-29T21:33:14Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > When did it become a thing that parents felt a need to attend EVERY event? I’m old (HS class of 1977), and my parents attended all of our events. Of course, there were 6 of us (5 boys which is important because I’m old enough that my sister didn’t have a lot of athletic opportunities). Since we split 3/2 for wrestling/basketball they attended home games/meets when there was a conflict, but otherwise there was always at least one parent there. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/49 "2022-04-29T21:52:26Z")
There were a couple of years where some of the other school moms were obnoxious Queen Bees and Wannabes worse than any of the kids. My daughter’s high school graduation had a guest speaker who was a famous, highly admired author. Unfortunately, nobody edited his speech. It was way too long and hugely depressing - kids started booing about halfway through, and by the end of it even parents and grandparents were booing. The city newspaper reported on it the next day. Last graduation I hope to ever attend. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/50 "2022-04-30T01:24:01Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > For me it was all the fundraising. Selling wrapping paper, candy, popcorn, etc constantly gets really old. I understand the need, but wished schools would offer an opt-out option where you just plunk down a check to cover what your child is expected to bring in and skip the part where you have to annoy family and co-workers 4 times a year. This X 1 million. My kids went to private and parochial schools and for the massive amount I spent sending them there they shouldn’t of had to do fund raisers in the first place. I absolutely refused to take shit to work or let them stand in front of a store and harass customers going in to buy a goddamn candy bar or tin of crappy popcorn. If they wanted to go door to door and bother strangers in their home or hit up their relatives that was their choice. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/51 "2022-04-30T03:03:18Z")
My son was a very mediocre to average soccer player in second and third grades. My fault, I suppose. We played other sports together. Actually, what made it worse was that they were on a team that practiced once a week, only on Sundays, and then team got invaded by a bunch of kids from the team of a nearby elementary school. They were already practicing six days a week and joined to get more practice time, 'cuz eight year olds can’t take a day off, I suppose. That dropped my son down from being a regular to a backup that never got time. One or two kids from the original team played. We went to a few tournaments in the middle of summer in a semitropical climate and saw him play for a few minutes, total. Fortunately, he decided to switch sports and now does really well in kendo and sailing. Kendo is fun to watch. “Watching” sailing requires sufficient battery power for your phone. It’s not an activity, but the school requires all the homework pages be signed by a parent. I should make a stamp with my name. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/52 "2022-04-30T03:08:49Z")
I did luck out on fund raising. One of the activities we do is that some of us parents have a dragon boat team, and we donate prize money to the school. [![](https://www.travel.taipei/content/images/articles/195869/1024x768_articles-image-kga724m59ecqe6iekjygng.jpg) ](https://www.travel.taipei/content/images/articles/195869/1024x768_articles-image-kga724m59ecqe6iekjygng.jpg) (Photo from internet) It’s a lot of work, but much better than selling stupid crap. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/53 "2022-04-30T05:06:14Z")
Whilst it might be excruciating to you, seeing my twins on stage at a 6th grade choir concert was one of the happiest moments of my life. I didn’t know if my youngest would ever take the breadth of life for 45 minutes, and is on the autism spectrum. After being stuck in a special needs school for elementary, middle and high school she goes to the same school as her siblings. Her elder twin is an amazingly helpful sibling to the youngest. Watching them both in the same horrendous choir recital was breathtaking and I bawled like a baby. I don’t mind the excruciating school stuff because it pales in comparison with the alternative. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/54 "2022-04-30T06:10:57Z")
This is a video of a girl walking out from her high school graduation after she gets her diploma. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oUA3LNG4Xy0/hqdefault.jpg "Teen Defends Walking Out High School Graduation After Facing Backlash") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUA3LNG4Xy0) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/55 "2022-04-30T22:41:03Z")
I know a woman who teaches piano lessons in her home, and she too has the recitals at our church. IIRC, she divides it up into pre-teens, teenagers, and adults (with a bit of overlap, of course) so nobody has to sit through a long, boring recital. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/56 "2022-04-30T22:44:15Z")
Started BOOING? That’s funny, almost. Who was the author? You can PM me if you don’t want to post it here. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/57 "2022-04-30T22:51:51Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Who was the author? You can PM me if you don’t want to post it here. Absolutely not, we ALL want to know who that author is. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2022, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/58 "2022-04-30T23:11:51Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Started BOOING? That’s funny, almost. > > Who was the author? You can PM me if you don’t want to post it here. > [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Absolutely not, we ALL want to know who that author is. Heck, I wasn’t going to out one of my favorite authors, but it was pretty widely known out here. > **[Author Guterson heckled for gloomy speech at Roosevelt graduation](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/author-guterson-heckled-for-gloomy-speech-at-roosevelt-graduation/)** > > High-school graduation speeches are often upbeat confections that melt from students’ memories before they finish crossing the stage to claim their diplomas. The speech that author David Guterson gave Wednesday at Seattle’s Roosevelt High already has... > [@](#): > > High-school graduation speeches are often upbeat confections that melt from students’ memories before they finish crossing the stage to claim their diplomas. > > The speech that author David Guterson gave Wednesday at Seattle’s Roosevelt High already has lasted longer than that. > > Students and parents are still talking about the 25-minute address Guterson gave Wednesday evening, which upset some members of the audience so much that they heckled Guterson from the stands at Memorial Stadium, and tried to cut his speech short by clapping before he was done. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2022, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/59 "2022-05-01T04:03:07Z")
Behold the transcript of the speech. I’m honestly surprised he didn’t get shut down when he started talking about God. [https://www.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/14/the-full-text-david-gutersons-controversial-commencement-speech](https://www.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/06/14/the-full-text-david-gutersons-controversial-commencement-speech) ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610/60 "2022-05-02T20:37:41Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > It was way too long and hugely depressing - kids started booing about halfway through, and by the end of it even parents and grandparents were booing. We had a Swedish exchange student at our school one year (mid 1970s), and a graduation speaker who went on a tear about socialism and the hellhole that the Scandinavian countries were. At one point it looked like she was going to either walk out or possibly slap him. > [@Baker](#): > > This is a video of a girl walking out from her high school graduation after she gets her diploma. Youngest son did that for his college graduation. We were all OK with it - he got in line early and we got to skip the reading of several hundred names. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-torturous-school-activity-as-a-parent/963610.md?page=4)