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It is Safe2Say
1-844-SAF2SAY
Dear Parents and guardiands,
Yes, you, the ones who are driving the carpools, forking out money for pizza, opening closets for major scavenging, waiting while the team cleans up after a meeting, postponing dinner because one more prop needs finished, and generally watching from the sidelines while the team “gets creative!”
Did you know that you are the team’s secret weapon for success? You are the “wind beneath the wings” of the team and the coach and are a vital part of Odyssey of the Mind.
Did your child tell you that you may not help? That is absolutely wrong and right. You may do many things to help the team, but there are also things you might want to do that would cost the team penalty points. So … how do you know the difference? Here is your own handy, dandy, just-for-parents guidelines!
| Does | Don’ts |
| Transport the team to buy things | Suggest what to buy |
| Transport the props | Repair props if broken in shipping |
| Teach the team members a skill if the team asks, such as: sewing, woodworking, calligraphy, art, electronics, principals of simple machines and welding. | Suggest to the team which skills to use to solve a problem |
| Help provide snacks | Suggest to the team which skills would result in a better-looking or better functioning solution |
| Bring spontaneous problem supplies | Give the teams any ideas for their problem solution |
| Help get props into the building for the tournament, even to the staging area | Sew anything, paint anything, do anything to contribute to the team’s problem solution |
| Open attics, closets, basements for “garage sale value” materials | Analyze why something failed |
| Provide lots of encouragement | Expect perfection from a solution not done by adults (or from a solution done by adults, for that matter!) |
| Provide a place to meet/store props | Suggest what materials to get from the attic, closet or basement |
| Provide a place to meet/store props | Fix anything that breaks |
| Get everyone and everything to the tournament | Criticize any part of a team’s solution |
| Applaud A LOT and help get props offstage afterwards | Put emphasis on scores instead of fun |
As you can tell, parents ARE important, as resources for leaning skills, helping get materials, providing moral support, supplementing working brains with nourishment, and generally facilitating the logistics of a working team. Without your encouragement, your child will not develop the self confidence that Odyssey of the Mind promotes.
What parents may not do is provide the dreaded “Outside Assistance”, for which the team will receive penalties at the tournament. Just remember that all ideas for the long term problem solution, as well as all of the implementation of those ideas, must come from a team member.
However, there is NO “Outside Assistance” in Spontaneous Problem Solving, so feel free to assist the coach, practice at home around the dinner table, and have fun with your family doing spontaneous problems with your child and/or other children. (Everyone loves spontaneous!)
Your Odyssey of the Mind Regional Board also relies on parents and guardians for help. On tournament day you will find many opportunities for parents, friends, and relatives to help make the regional tournament possible. We feel certain you will enjoy helping, and few volunteer opportunities directly benefit so many children in an educational program!
We need you help on Tournament Day to:
We believe that this program offers something unique for your children. We believe that they will learn teamwork, creative problem solving, divergent thinking, persistence, practical skills, and many other abilities through Odyssey of the Mind. Please remember we are all volunteers working together to make this happen. Thank you for your support, for your child, for his or her coach, and for the state volunteers! We wish you creativity in your own life and have fun watching these wonderful problem solvers at work!!