I can’t even begin to describe how much I loathe science fair projects. Talk science to me and my eyes glaze over like a Krispy Krème doughnut. I struggled in science in all grades and barely got away with the bare minimum to finish high school and college, so do you really think I care or want to know; if you shake up different kinds or brands of soft drinks will they all spew the same amount? Or how many beans can a student stick up his or her nose? (From what I understand, the answer is three). Or how to stop a nuclear bomb with chewing gum and a paper clip (MacGyver, I am not).
Yes, the dreaded science fair—thrusting parents into projects we know nothing about. Most parents aren’t any more science literate then their school age kids. (Raising my hand here). Googling ideas until your eyes cross. The pressure is awful. Then there is the whole guessing game of finding the perfect project (one that will not only interest the child, but also not require the parental role model to run to four different electrics stores looking for the correct type of copper wiring). Think about the dozen or so eggs which lost their lives all in the name of science. Or the time I had to pour out a full bottle of extra virgin olive oil because the glass bottle was the perfect size for someone’s experiment. The sacrifices we make for our children. Followed by all the time required working on the experiment or model, the results, the report, the visual aids, and then having to stop at three different box stores looking for the 3-fold display board (true story, because every store was sold out of them). As a parent, I feel I put as much work into the project as the kid.
Science fairs are just not fair.