If you have a child in elementary school, you’re likely familiar with Box Tops. These little squares found on various products, from cereal to school supplies, help raise money for schools. However, as one dad discovered, handling them can be quite the ordeal.
Meet Jake Thompson, who opened up on social media with a line that sets the tone: “Let’s talk about Box Tops and how they nearly turned my life upside down yesterday.” Jake and his partner, Lisa, volunteered to manage the Box Tops this year, which meant they were responsible for cutting, counting, and preparing these tiny treasures for submission.
With Lisa busy, Jake declared, “I’ve got this!” Little did he know, he was about to embark on a chaotic adventure. He found himself staring at an overly stuffed packet of instructions that seemed more like a NASA manual than a simple guide. “How complicated could it be?” he thought, tossing aside the instructions with a casual air. Spoiler alert: he was about to find out.
Jake dove into cutting the mountain of Box Tops, only to realize he had only skimmed a fraction of the instructions. “I did the classic guy thing and read about 11.5% of the manual,” he lamented. As he sat there, he had an epiphany: there are three types of parents out there.
First, you have the meticulous ones who cut out each Box Top perfectly. Kudos to them! Then, there are those who seem to have never owned a pair of scissors, resulting in jagged edges. Lastly, there are the parents who couldn’t be bothered at all and send their kids to school with the entire box. “Seriously, don’t be that parent,” Jake warns.
After three grueling hours of cutting and counting, Jake’s hands were starting to resemble a scene from a horror film. “Should I post a pic of my blisters and tag it #BoxTopCrossFit?” he joked. Just when he thought he was done, Lisa dropped a bomb on him over the phone: “Did you check for expiration dates?”
“Um, no. You’ve got to be kidding me!” he exclaimed. At this point, he considered writing a check to the school instead. Digging through the Box Tops, he found some dating back to 2014. “Come on, folks! Either you’re feeding your kids ancient food or your junk drawer needs a serious clean-up,” he quipped.
Eventually, Jake and Lisa teamed up to tackle the Box Tops—at 9 PM, no less. “We might need a few therapy sessions after that,” he laughed.
After this wild ride, Jake has some advice. He’s not against Box Tops, just the whole process. “Let’s make this easier, people!” he urges. He wants parents to help out by cutting out Box Tops, checking expiration dates, putting 50 in a zip bag, and labeling it with the amount and teacher’s name. “This will save sanity, possibly marriages, and who knows—little Timmy might earn two gold stars instead of one!”
And a little side note for dads: “Swallow your pride and read the instructions! They actually save you a ton of time and headaches.” He also gives a shout-out to the teachers and parent volunteers, saying, “Respect!”
In conclusion, navigating Box Tops can be a hilarious and somewhat taxing endeavor, but with a little teamwork and organization, it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. For more information on family-building options, check out this excellent resource for pregnancy and home insemination.
Summary: Jake Thompson hilariously recounts his chaotic experience managing Box Tops for his child’s school, covering everything from cutting and counting to checking expiration dates. He offers insights for parents to make the process smoother and stresses the importance of teamwork in this hilarious yet relatable parenting tale.