Hi Mamas!  Happy Tuesday!  

We are now 3.5 weeks into Maycember, 1 full week to go.  But who’s counting?  ME.  Totally me!

The other week, I had the honor to chaperone a field trip with my 6th grade son and his class.  I’ve helped out in the classrooms a lot, and organized social events at school, but I’ve never actually chaperoned a field trip.  Honestly, it’s a miracle more teachers aren’t living on boxed wine and prayer.  

If you’ve ever chaperoned a middle school field trip, you already deserve a medal.  If you haven’t — buckle up, I’ve got stories.

Our itinerary looked like this: 

🚌 3-hour bus ride to Baltimore—in rush hour, in the rain

🏰 Fort McHenry: 20 minutes of learning instead of 60 minutes of burning off energy

🧪 Maryland Science Center: packed with other field trips, a.k.a. a kid mosh pit

🍔 Lunch at Hard Rock: glorious adult-only table, glorious adult conversation

🐠 National Aquarium: oddly quiet… and kind of magical

🚌 3-hour bus ride home: a repeat performance of the chaos 

Anyway, here are my Top 10 Lessons I learned on this field trip:

1. The Bus Ride is an Event Unto Itself.  Forget the destination—the ride is the event. Seat-switching chaos, attempted sing-alongs that got shut down fast, and a rogue beach ball flying around like we were front row at a Jimmy Buffett concert. All before we even arrived.
2. Forget Herding Cats. Chaperoning 12-Year-Olds Is Basically Herding Toddlers… who’ve had energy drinks.  Or toddlers chasing cats.  My friend and I had a group of five boys—all friends, yet all chaos. Two of them were wanderers. Opposite directions, of course. We were outnumbered, under-caffeinated, and constantly in motion.
3. Headcounts are a Competitive Sport.  You’ve counted five kids five times and still can’t find one. Then suddenly, boom—he’s right next to you.  How long has he been there? No one knows.
4. There’s Always That One Tour Guide Kid.  Every group has one. “I’ve been here three times.”  Cool, kid. Does that make you the docent now? Are you certified? Didn’t think so. Please rejoin the group.
5. Walking in a Straight Line?  Hilarious.  Personal space? Nonexistent. What should look like a neat, orderly line instead becomes a slow-motion, zigzagging game of bumper cars. One kid veers off to taunt a bunch of Orioles fans. Another finds a “lucky” penny. Order? We don’t know her.
6. Girl Drama hits Different.  I don’t have a lot of experience in this department—both of my kids somehow avoid drama like it’s a group project. But watching and hearing it unfold? Whew. The intensity. The whispered alliances. The sudden, dramatic exits. It’s Shakespeare meets TikTok.
7. Teachers Deserve Medals (and Probably Therapy).  Our two teachers were young, calm, and completely in control. Beach ball flying? Nope. Seat switching? Not today. Sing-along uprising? Shut down in 0.5 seconds. Even the day after, they were still managing the fallout. Heroes. Saints. I hope someone brought them coffee.  Or wine.
8. Field Trips are an Extreme Sport — for Adults. Between the constant motion, the tracking of kids, and keeping kids from walking too close to the edge of the dock with no barrier to the water below, your Fitbit hits record highs and your patience hits record lows.
9. You’ll say “Stay with the Group” 100 times.  And yet… two steps later, someone is lagging, sprinting, or somehow ahead of you by a full exhibit. “Stay with the group” becomes your personal mantra, your chant, your desperate plea.
10. It’s Exhausting, Hilarious, and Totally Worth It.  Despite the chaos, memories were made, laughs were had, and the kids actually learned something. (Maybe.)

Special shout-out to my Co-Chaperone Moms, Jen and Kat.  It wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without you!

Fellow chaperones and teachers, what’s the funniest or most chaotic thing you’ve experienced on a field trip? Drop it in the comments—I need to know I’m not alone in this! 🙃