TAP

So, you know that parental gathering that is usually related to educational activities that require daily attendance? You know what I am talking about. The one that is the anagram of TAP. And that is what we shall be calling it so that no one finds out that I am bitching and...revokes my cupcake baking rights, or something of that ilk. (Because I do like to bake the cupcakes. My family, however, cannot ever imagine that I should make food for someone that is not them, and therefore circles like hungry...no STARVING piranhas. And that annoys me.)

Anyway, I would like to assert that being in TAP does not automatically make you a good parent. In point of fact, I think it might make you a shitty parent. Case in point: you might have a major event coming up for TAP and have agreed, as an elected official type TAP person, to bake 4 dozen cupcakes, make signs, drum up membership, sell pizza, write grants, and a hundred other things that don't really actually improve the life of a child one little bit in any way you can see. Or your specific child at all. In fact, the added stress of being an elected official type TAP person might make it so there is much yelling at your own offspring for silly things like *touching* one of the 4 dozen cupcakes or being on Nick Jr. when OMG YOU HAVE TO DESIGN CUTE SIGNS ABOUT CUPCAKES! And there is the added conundrum of trying to get other people to buy into TAP and dedicate time to TAP when really, you kind of loathe it. Selling a product you would rather not use? Not easy.

Additionally, it takes a toll on your marriage as well as you will expect your partner to be inside your head, do everything fully and completely and *possibly* even better than you do it. And you will inevitably get mad, because lo and behold: You did not marry a mind-reader. Or even someone who is good with details.

And you will want to quit TAP less than 3 weeks in but won't. Choosing to sacrifice your family's sanity and stress levels so that you won't be seen as a 'quitter'. And you may kind of hate yourself for being so prideful that you would put the people who are most important to you in the world, on the back burner. You will pray for May to come as soon as possible. Because of TAP.