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Notarized Field Trip Slip?

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Cara brought home her “Wednesday Folder” today–it’s always packed full of forms and requests for money–and along with her work from the past week, there was a stapled group of permissions slips for me to sign and get notorized. Notorized. NOTORIZED.

I’m not quite sure why this bugs me so much.

First off, I have to send a check for $10 for the trip; we’ve already sent in a check for the custom shirt she’s supposed to create for the trip.

Then there’s the issue of what to do with Ollie since he’s home with me. This is supposed to be like the field trip to attend since there’s no limit on people who can come along and it’s at a pumpkin patch.

But if I go, Tucker’s going to have to take off work to keep Ollie or we can all go and Tucker still has to take off. I guess the other option is for just Cara to go but she’s excited about us all going.

Back to the notary thing.

Maybe I’m annoyed cause this is such a pain in my ass? I’m probably–most likely–overreacting.

The trip is across state lines and according to the information sheet,  the district’s policy is any overnight and/or out of county trips have this sort of treatment. Aren’t we going to have to pay to have this done? And I don’t care if it’s only five bucks; it’s the fact I have to pay to sign a stupid permission slip.

What do you think? Dumb of them or dumb of me?

*Edited 9.27.12*

After a conversation with Mom, I realized I didn’t specify the permission slip isn’t what has to be notorized. It’s the medical release form that has to be notorized.

  • http://thepsychobabble.net thepsychobabble

    Oh, it’s a TOTAL pain. But call your bank/credit union. Every one I’ve ever been a member of notarizes things for their members free of charge.

    • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

      I have to get the address on our checks changed anyway so I’ll just add this to the list. :D

  • Jennifer

    While it seems like a bit much, I feel that there must be some sort of precedent for them doing them. And honestly, anything that they do that they feel keeps our kids safer is cool with me. Even if it’s annoying for me. If they want the slip notarized, whatever, I’ll go to the bank and have them do it. I roll my eyes at a lot of stuff, but school just isn’t the same as it used to be. I guess that’s fine. Someone probably had divorced parents or a weird grandma and it was an issue. I like to imagine weird scenarios. Ha. The pumpkin patch field trip sounds fun. Can’t you just bring Ollie without Tucker if there are enough chaperones? He’s not a baby.

    • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

      This isn’t the one where I need to defend my concern over my child’s safety, right?

      Tucker and I talked and he says he’ll either do a “guy’s day” with Ollie or we can all go so Ollie’s no longer an issue. Pretty sure they wouldn’t have let me bring him by myself since it states on the form preschoolers aren’t permitted and he’s right around that age.

  • http://www.jeansandtshirt.com Kia

    Pain in the ass not because of the cost but because you have to go and get it done. Maybe they should just not have out of state trips for kids that young. We are an hour from the state line but there are no out of state trips before 8th grade here.

  • http://www.amillionboxes.com Amy

    I would be annoyed. If they’re going to require a notarized form, they should at least designate a day and have someone at the school (during drop off/ & or pick up) to notarize them for you.

    • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

      This idea makes me happy.

      • Malia

        Yes, what Amy said (the other Amy). When we had to get a form notarized for an out of state trip my daughter took with the Nashville Children’s Choir, they at least had the decency to find a parent that had a notary license and set-up a time during rehearsal drop-off when parents could get the form notarized and tuned in all in one fell swoop.

        • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

          “…notarized and tuned…”

          I see what you did there.

  • http://therebelchick.com Jenn @therebelchick

    Since it is across state lines, it makes sense that it has to be notarized…that is kind of a big deal. What’s weird is that it is a medical form that has to be notarized and not the form itself!

    • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

      I thought that was weird, too! Mom asked me how I’d feel if someone forged my name on the permission slip and that this would prevent something like that. But, yeah, this is on the medical release form.

      Weird. Whatever. I’m going to get the dumb thing notorized and quit bitching. Promise.

  • http://www.musingsofahousewife.com Jo-Lynne {Musings of a Housewife}

    That is insane. This is just another example of how everyone goes overboard these days. And I agree that it is the effort of going and getting it done, more than the cost, that would be annoying. Amy is right. If they are going to go to such extremes, they should make it easy on you by providing the notary at the school.

  • http://momgenerations.com Audrey McClelland

    I can’t believe that, that’s ridiculous. That takes time to get something like that done. I would be extremely annoyed if I were you.

  • Jen T

    They could use a lesson in free-range parenting. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

  • http://www.moderndaydonnareed.com Steph {Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom}

    That seems like such a hassle, but if this is the direction school activities are taking, what is next? Having you physician accompany you on all trips? Fingerprinting before activities?

  • http://www.facebook.com/JustShortofCrazy Just Short of Crazy via Facebook

    Ugh! Kinda crazy.

  • http://jershaanddup.com Jessica Holbrook

    I thought it was a standard thing to have medical release forms to be notarized? I remember being 17 years old and going on a field trip with my church youth group and my parents had to sign and get notarized a medical release form in case I was injured and needed to go to the hospital. Without that form, you have to BE there to make medical decisions (such as x-rays or even admittance to the emergency room) but with that form, they can talk to you over the phone or the field trip leader can get the medical help if they can’t contact you.

    This might be helpful reading: http://singleparents.about.com/od/yourchildshealth/f/medical_release_form.htm

    • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

      I understand the need for a medical release; I didn’t have a problem with that part of it.

      My gripe was the inconvenience of having to get the form notarized. This is the first time I’ve encountered the notary requirement.

      • http://jershaanddup.com Jessica Holbrook

        I did some research and from what I found, the notarization is required or else hospitals can’t accept it. It may vary from state to state though.

        • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

          I wonder how much of this angst was due to me being overwhelmed by the whole school thing?

          Thanks for looking into it. :)

  • http://mommybknowsbest.com Jennifer Bullock

    Yeah totally annoying, my daughter is going on a trip to a place we have a membership at and she still has to pay the full admission price. I just take one for the team and figure it’s how it goes when you have a kiddo in school. I’m sure there will be many more things to annoy me in years to come. I hope regardless of all the frustration and hoops you have a great time!! Try to enjoy the memory not the hang ups xoxo

    • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

      Man, we’re gonna have a BLAST. :)

  • http://hacscrap.com hchybinski

    ok that seems crazy. . .we really are taking things to extreme these days. . .Amy has a greta idea though – maybe you could suggest it to the school – you can’t be the only one. . .

    Hillary

  • Karis

    I am sure the district rule comes from some previously stupid parent who made a fuss about something. I have often found that while I hate government regs and similar hoops, often times they were created in response to some bimbo. I know my kids lost a great scholarship camp opportunity due to foolish, greedy parents….so the organization just said, no more camps.

    My solution would be:
    my child would just happen to be absent that day, and I would simply happen to take a “family” day to the same pumpkin patch driving my own child AND her younger sibling. Once in the patch I bet she and her classmates will talk, you will have cute photos of both your kids.

  • http://themommaven.com Cindy @MomMaven

    We homeschooled so parents accompanied kids on all field trips so no forms were required. That being said ALL of our church activities where kids are not traveling in their own vehicles require a notarized permission slip and medical for-according to the Christian Law Association. Thankfully, we are stringent on those rules. On 9/13/12 one of the vehicles carrying 7 of our youth in a 4 vehicle caravan to an event in Orlando, blew a tire and the vehicle flipped. All 7 were injured. Three teens were severely injured and 5 days after the accident a 17yo girl died from those injuries. The medical professionals were able to treat the children prior to their parents arriving at the hospitals due to the youth pastor having the appropriate, notarized forms with her. Yes, they would always stabilize the injured even without consent but they will not treat their injuries without a notarized permission and medical form.

    Hopefully none of you will ever go through what we have gone through the past 3 weeks. (None of my kids were involved in the accident but their best friends were). Yes, it is a pain to get forms notarized but it could save your child’s life.

    • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

      Filling out the form hurt my heart…the possibilities of what could happen…stuff you don’t want to think about.

      But I got it done and got it notarized. It was an inconvenience but I either got it notarized or Cara didn’t go and she has been looking forward to it since orientation this summer.

      I’m so sorry your community is having to deal with such a tragedy.

  • http://selfishmom.com Selfish Mom

    That is completely asinine. The point of having something notarized is to prove that who signed it really did. Do they think your kid is going to sign it, and that they’ll get sued if the kid gets hurt? Or that parents are going to outsource it to a nanny? I blame the lawyers. Completely ridiculous.

    • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

      I got in trouble by the notary because I messed up and signed the form at home.

      She crossed it out, gave me a good-natured glare and told me to not let it happen again; the woman was a hoot.

  • http://www.righteousbacon.com Diana

    I’m rather convinced that everything schools do these days is explicitly designed to be a pain in parents’ asses.

    • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

      It is because of this comment I’m going to add a “Like” option to my comments. :D

  • http://www.facebook.com/PureNaturalDiva.Tania Tania Reuben via Facebook

    Crazy… and expensive…. now this field trip will cost an extra $15

    • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

      Luckily, it was free through our bank and the woman was cool as all get-out.

  • http://treerootandtwig.com Stacey @ Tree, Root, and Twig

    Notarized forms were absolutely standard in our school district in Texas. Shocked me when we first moved there! And I had four kids in school, so if I didn’t get their paperwork all at once (because sometimes it would come to me peppered throughout the school year), it was a total pain going back and forth to get this done. I got to know the guy at the UPS office really well. (they had a notary on site there) Oh, and like has been mentioned, our schools would sometimes set up *one* night when a notary would be there (usually Open House), and you had the joy of standing in line for 30 minutes or so with everyone else.

  • http://twitter.com/FashOrganized/status/253277363884929026/ @FashOrganized

    Is it crazy to have a Notorized Field Trip Slip?: http://t.co/TFWsPtQo

  • http://tastelikecrazy.com/about-me/ Amy @ Taste Like Crazy

    I took care of it today at our bank. Worked out really well since I had to order checks with our new address and also deposit a check. I rewarded myself with a very large Pumpkin Spice Latte. :D

  • http://twitter.com/TruFem/status/253287376481308672/ @TruFem

    Notorized Field Trip Slip? http://t.co/2ZH4tBjb

  • http://brainfoggles.com ConnieFoggles

    Schools love red tape except when it’s to actually help students. There I said it.

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