You are a dorm mother? Yes, I have 46 children. People ask me how many dorm rooms my family gets to live in. Sillies-we have a whole house just like you...actually probs bigger than you.
I live in a boys dorm. My apartment is 3200 square feet. It is giant but it comes with 43 adolescent males. Our study is attached to our apartment and to the hall of the dorm. It is an alternative lifestyle--it's busy, pretty loud, incredibly public and for the most part really fun. We are each on duty one night a week, checking students in, making sure there isn't a melee in the hall during study hall and making sure students are in and safe for the night around 10:00pm. It makes for many late nights...I've kind of aged like a President ages (have you seen the before and after pics of Obama--poor thing). We have been doing this for about 15 years.
Some days there are problems. Kids get sick. They do things they aren't supposed to-it saddens you and it makes you have to stay up really late. That is one surprising thing -when there is trouble you better believe you will be seeing 3 am. But there is also joy....20 boys in your kitchen dancing to Michael Jackson, stooping with a kid who plays guitar while you are looking over the quad, watching reality TV with teenagers which brings about interesting discussions, a student saying thank you for some little thing you have done for them.
It's the best part of prep school. They see you and your family as real people not just teachers or administrators. They pet your dog. They dance in your kitchen. You learn alot about them just hanging out. And sometimes just sometimes you make a little bit of difference in their lives and that little bit makes it all worthwhile.
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