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Ray Cmil carries on Room Dad tradition at Stadium Drive
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Neighbors | Submitted.Ray Cmil III (center) poses with children Raymond Cmil IV and Olivia Cmil. He followed in his dad's footsteps by volunteering time as a "Room Dad" at Stadium Drive Elementary.
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Neighbors | Submitted.This photo includes three generations of the Cmil family, including Ray Cmil Jr (left)., Ray Cmil III, Raymond Cmil IV and Olivia Cmil. Ray Jr. volunteered as a "Room Dad" at Stadium Drive Elementary when his son attended the school in the late 1980s.
By ERIC HAMILTON
Time with your children is precious. No one knows that more than Boardman’s Ray Cmil III.
He valued the attention his parents, Ray, Jr., and Betty, gave him as a boy coaching his teams and staying involved in his school activities. He appreciated it even more when his own kids were born.
His twins, Ray IV and Olivia, were born 10 weeks early in October 2003. They weighed roughly 3 1/2 pounds and were in the hospital for a month. It was at a time like this he knew he wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps.
“It wasn’t even a thought,” said Ray III. “He was a Room Dad, so I just assumed I would be, too. I was just taught that you needed to participate in your kids’ activities. My wife and I do the same thing my parents did.”
Serving as a “Room Dad” has become a family tradition in the Cmil family. Back in the late 1980s, Ray Jr. was working the early shift at Schwebel’s and found himself with some free time during the school day. His wife was the PTA president at Stadium Drive Elementary. She helped coordinate class trips and parties and recruited other mothers to help out.
But there was too much to be done and she needed help. She turned to her husband.
“She was just too busy,” said Ray, Jr. “So they asked me to be a Room Dad. With my job, the hours were flexible and I had some time, so I said yes. I helped out with Ryan’s [my son] class and went on field trips. I enjoyed it and had a good time.
“It was a good part of my life. I enjoyed the kids and being able to keep track of what was going on with Ryan in school and the other kids. I think Ryan enjoyed having me there, too. It made us closer.”
Back then, a Room Dad was unheard of. In fact, Cmil was the first one at Stadium Drive.
He thinks more dads need to get involved with their kids’ school. He believes that it’s a win-win and that the dads get a lot out of the experience. And it brings families closer together.
One of Ray, Jr.’s best memories of his time as a Room Dad stems from one of the first field trips he went on. The class went to the Cleveland Zoo and he had seven kids in his group. He was determined to make sure there weren’t any problems, so he came up with a plan.
“I told them that if they listened and were good with no problems, I’d buy them ice cream,” said Ray. “Everything went great, so on the way back, I bought them all ice cream. When we got back to the rest of the groups, my kids are eating their treats, but the other three groups had nothing.
“The other adults told me, ‘You can’t do that.’ So I learned that you can’t bribe them to behave. I still remember that and people remind me of it all the time.”
“Some parents don’t get involved at all,” he said. “They just drop them off and ask what time to pick them up. I think they should be involved. Kids are only little for a short time.”
Ray III echoes his father’s sentiment.
“Time is precious and, as you get older, time goes by faster and faster,” he said. “I enjoy coaching their teams and being a part of their lives. It seems like yesterday that my kids were in that incubator, and now they’ll be 7 in October. If you ever get an opportunity to be a Room Dad, jump at it. It’s all about the kids.”