Anyone else's parents...

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by c-squared_2006

Hey does anyone else's parents complain alot during the Build season due to the fact that you're not home alot and they think you need to have something else better to do? My mom is relentless about it, she wouldn't understand. I kindof am the leader and I want to be there. Any ideas on how to make her more understanding? (I tried the talk about education and scholarships and all the wonderful FIRST talk)

Have you invited your mom to visit the build site and see what's going on with your team in person?

This year, our Parent Booster leaders have arranged for many of the students' parents, including those of rookie students, to bring in food to our shop at 6:00 PM every work day. Not only does this practice supply me with a constant source of free food (woo!), it also gets more parents into the shop to see what their kids are doing. Witnessing all the action in so many different areas - seeing different groups of students and mentors designing the robot, building the playing field, assembling prototypes, fabricating metal parts, and experimenting with the vision camera - it really shows the level of participation and dedication team members pour into the team each day. If that kind of experience doesn't convince parents that FIRST teams are a worthwhile endeavor for their children, I don't know what will!