In 2 weeks is teacher appreciation week. In the past we have gotten small things each day and then one bigger or nicer thing on the last day of the week. This year we are only getting a free meal/party on Friday.
Principal just announced yesterday that we will combine our free meal/party into a baby shower for a coworker. I am not happy and neither are many others. I think it sucks because now if I want to get my free food I have to attend a baby shower which I usually avoid. Also I will look like a party pooper because I also live that frugal life and don’t like to buy gifts, especially for people I have never interacted or even see normally. Last person who was pregnant I knitted a baby hat with some extra yarn I had laying around. This one I don’t have enough time to make anything since it is only two weeks away.
I’ve also had a coworker tell me she doesn’t go to baby showers because she is so sad about the lack of babies in her own life, and was almost in tears as she told me how sad she was that we are now basically made to attend if we want our only gift for the year.
We also work in an online school so we won’t get the normal trinkets from students and super cute cards.
Am I reasonable in my sadness over this combined party or should I just not go and not get my free food? I’m considering telling my principal how some of us are feeling about this, but she doesn’t like us to bug her so I try to not talk to her unless I have to.