No magnet schools for us
OK! I made a mistake! I admit it!
I messed up my 11-year-old daughter's application to Don Estridge High Tech Middle School in Boca Raton, the computer-friendly and trendy magnet school that every fifth grader in Palm Beach County is dying to get into! I am ashamed!
I applied on-line and in my haste to get it done and get to the next thing on my to-do list, I checked the box next to the one I was supposed to. I found out last week, two months after I applied, when I got a confirmation postcard and it had the wrong school on it.
I called immediately and was told there was no possibility of changing it.
So I had to tell Rachel she could not attend Don Estridge, where she believes all her friends are going to be accepted (they won't; it's a random lottery and there are 1,000 kids competing for 420 sixth-grade spots). I told her the truth and admitted it was all my fault. She was crushed, hurt, depressed and angry.
Fortunately, this only lasted a couple of hours. I hoped she was watching the way I came clean and apologized.
Have you ever had to admit to your kids that you screwed up?
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work.
Joy Oglesby has a preschooler...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s.
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters.
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces.
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 15, and Lily, 7, and is married to a journalist, Bob Norman. She covers Broward County government, which is filled with almost as much drama as the Norman household. Almost.
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator and the father of a 7-year-old girl, and two boys ages 4 and 3.
Kyara Lomer Camarena has a 2-year-old son, Copelan, and a brand new baby. 
South Florida Parenting is your guide for local events and things to do with your family. Our site offers resources, features and insightful columns on all types of parenting issues.
Parents and their children can access a multitude of free educational resources.