Stress Free School Thanksgiving Parties

It's Thanksgiving time! As with any holiday, this means party time to kids in school. They will be super excited about the break from the everyday routine, and you will begin to slip into the anxiety of what to do about your children during the feast.

Never fear! Remember, we just got through Halloween without a hitch. Granted, each new holiday will carry a new challenge, think of it like a puzzle. You know what you want, you have the basic framework, now let's insert the Thanksgiving pieces.

Teacher's Are Our Friends

If you are not best friends with your child's teacher yet, work on that! Aside from the fact that kids are hugely more successful in school when their parents are involved, it also means you are never out of the loop when it comes to parties. Teachers are great at puzzles and can help you with this one.

With Thanksgiving, parties can run the gamut from a few snacks and games to a full feast. Your parental party planning starts with two questions: (yep, only two!) What can I expect? and What can I do? After you have the answers to those questions, all other pieces fall easily into place.

What Can I Expect at the Thanksgiving Party?

Here is where you find out how panicked you need to be :) If the Thanksgiving celebration is going to be a few snacks and games, you're pretty much done with this piece and can skip ahead to What can I do... Though that won't be as fun.

Egads! There's going to be a whole feast in the classroom, with (gasp) rolls and everything! Take a second to catch your breath. I promise, it's not as bad as it seems. The important thing here is to remember to get all the details you need. Who is providing the food? What is on the menu? What ideas does the teacher have for protecting your child? And, most importantly, What can I do?

What Can I Do for the Thanksgiving Party?

There are two things in very short supply in society today, time and money. Believe it or not, this works in your favor. Most school districts do not have the funds to spring for an entire feast for the kids. At most, they'll probably offer a special lunch. This means that any special feasting plans a teacher has will most likely be up to the teacher and classroom parents to provide and plan for.

True story, at the Halloween party in my daughter's classroom this year, only four people brought snacks. This made it easy to coordinate with the teacher and ensure that my daughter had plenty to eat. The sweet stuff consisted of cupcakes and candy. I sent my daughter with a large gluten free cookie to make up for the cupcakes. Also, by asking what I could do, I ended up sending two bags of corn chips, a jar of salsa and a bag of cheesy popcorn. For less than $10 I was able to ensure that my daughter could eat most of the food at the party. She was more than happy about the fact that she spent the party with the same food as her classmates.

I took that minor detour to show how easy it is to be involved in the party planning. Most likely, when you ask what you can do, the teacher will reply, “What can you do?” Now is your chance, grab the control you are being offered! This teacher wants your help, and will be glad to receive it.

Thanksgiving Party Planning

You've done your prep work and have a solid frame. Here is where the pieces fall into place. If the party will be just a few snacks, bring popcorn. Lots of popcorn. Kids love popcorn and it is a historical part of Thanksgiving. If you like being the cool parent as much as I do, find the popcorn that is still on the cob and pop it in the classroom. So fun! Find out what everyone else is bringing and try to send comparable goodies for your child.

For the feast: Admittedly, this one takes a bit more finesse. Find out what the idea for the menu is. Chances are, the teacher will be looking for the basics: Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, pumpkin pie. There are a few regional variations, but most teachers look for menu simplicity.

Since foods that are brought to classroom parties need to be pre-packaged, this most likely means instant mashed potatoes, veggies in a can and store bought pie and turkey. The mashed potatoes and veggies are usually alright (a quick label check will confirm). If you are not providing the turkey, send a turkey sandwich to school with your child in case the turkey doesn't check out. Don't forget to send a dessert of your choosing to replace the pie.

Double check to make sure that the teacher has an updated list of ingredients to avoid. It is equally important to make sure the teacher has a basic understanding of the dangers of cross contamination.

If at all possible, be there for the party. I know, shortage of time and money; but who couldn't use a day off to party? Besides, this covers the parental involvement thing. There is nothing better than being there to see the joy on your baby's face as all of your carefully laid pieces come together to create the picture of the perfect Thanksgiving party.