Science Fair. Two loaded words that are filled with possibilities of tears, frustration, hours of observation, tears, glue, construction paper, and tears. The Science Fair has entered our home and the world will never be the same.
I remember the first time I received my first Science Fair project. I was in 3rd grade and my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Zara, announced a special new project that was going to be great fun. If I knew then what I know now I would of called out Mrs. Zara for what she was, a liar and fraud.
That day I ran to my car and announced to my mother that I was given a Science Fair project. I was so excited and my mother started coming up with the ideas for me. (That’s how it worked back then, the parents came up with the idea and passed it off as their child’s) Mold. ”We” chose to study mold. I lived in Florida so with the heat and humidity, mold was a frequent guest in our home. For six weeks I had to watch and record the growth of mold on wheat bread that were strategically placed through out my home. During those six weeks I discovered that not only did I not care about mold but this Science Fair crap was not for me and Mrs. Zara was going straight to hell for her lies.
At the end of six weeks I turned in the Science Fair project and ended up winning first place. It was a bitter win. I was forever changed by the Science Fair. The tears, arguments and glue sticks had turned me into resentful child that lost all faith in Science teachers. So when my son came home with his very own Science Fair Folder and a glint of excitement in his eye it took every bit of self restraint not to squash his hopes and dreams into little bits. Instead I gave him a small smile, excused myself to my bedroom and curled up into a ball and started rocking in the corner…..
No Science Fair…No Science Fair….No Science Fair…No Science Fair
My son is so eager to begin. He looks at the sheets and his assigned project with anticipation. I don’t have the heart to tell him the harsh cruel reality that this may stink and that he may hate it. This is what I call a life lesson. It’s hard but he is going have to learn it on his own…..Unless, he doesn’t hate.
What then? How will I handle it? (Because, apparently, this is all about me.) He may find pleasure and joy in the entire process. He might just WANT to find out how and why things happen the way they do. This is a life lesson that I might not be prepared for, a child that enjoys a Science fair.
My seven year old is a kid that actually does math for fun. He actually LIKES challenging himself with increasing difficult math problems. They are studying birds in science and he loves tell me all about it. I might just have a math/science kid on my hands. What kind of sick joke is this?! I am literature/history loving kind of gal. I enjoy learning about the past far more than how things actually work. I strategically avoid all things that have equation like qualities. For example, take a look at this blog. It is fairly simple. This is because going behind the scenes is difficult and frustrating. If I work on the html code for too long I inevitably want to toss the laptop out the window. So how am I supposed to handle a child that likes to do the very thing I avoid?! Is this supposed to be my life lesson?
I feel tears coming on again…Science Fair tears…
I think I need to go back to my dark corner.
