North State Shasta Region
PARENTS
Parent Guidelines
Welcome parents and guardians to the Odyssey of the Mind journey! You are about to witness your child do some extraordinary things such as use their ‘noodle’ in a creative way, write a humorous skit, build some awesome sets, make some cool costumes, and solve problems of various sorts left and right! As involved parents you have always been there to lend a helping hand, be cheerleaders, and offer support, but now your child is saying things like, “You are not allowed to help!” and “No Outside Assistance!” There is some truth to this, as the very core of OotM is its Outside Assistance rule. But there are ways you can support your child and his/her team. Below is a guideline to the dos and dont's for parents and other team supporters. Also, feel free to ask your child's coach how you can be of assistance.
CAN DO
Transport the team to buy things
Transport the props
Teach the team members a skill IF the team asks, such as
● Sewing
● Woodworking
● Carving
● Art
● Electronics
● Engineering
● Principles of simple machines
● Welding
Help find “experts” to teach skills
Help provide snacks
Bring spontaneous problem supplies
Help get props into the building for the
tournament, even to the staging area
Open attics, closets, basements for “garage sale value” materials
Provide lots of encouragement
Provide a place to meet/store props
Get everyone and everything to the
tournament
Applaud A LOT
and help get props offstage afterwards
Practice spontaneous problems
Ask questions
CAN'T DO
Suggest what to buy
Repair props if broken in shipping
Suggest to the team which skills to use to solve a problem
Suggest to the team which skills would result in a betterlooking or better functioning solution
Give the teams any ideas for their problem solution
Sew anything, paint anything, do anything to contribute to the team’s problem solution
Analyze why something failed
Expect perfection from a solution not done by adults (or from a solution done by adults, for that matter!)
Suggest what materials to get from the attic, closet or basement
Pack props for the team for easier use on stage
Fix anything that breaks
Criticize any part of a team’s solution
Ask leading questions
Put emphasis on scores instead of fun
Being a hands-off and zipped-lip parent can be very, very hard!
But Remember:
By stepping back and letting your child navigate this “odyssey” on his/her own you are allowing your child the opportunity to grow into a confident, self-reliant, teamplaying, creative thinking, problem solver!
How Awesome is That!
For more info on how OotM works, check out our FAQ page and these websites: