Why do PTA parents get to reserve the best friffing seats at the school plays HMMMM?

[BaublesAndCuntingCarolSingers]

Seriously, pack it in.

I know you do good for the school yadda yadda but it DOES rather cheese one orf when one has being waiting for 30 minutes outside school to get a decent seat and then one finds that PTA wimmin have reserved all the good seats for them and their DHs/children's siblings. Then said PTA wimmin waft in 2 minutes before the performance starts.

You want a good seat then put the work in, m'kay? Kfanx. xxx

your attitude towards me (or PTA's in general) has been sneery, Sm - little politics, posturing, many parents think PTA are PITA.

OP described officious busybodies

Someone else described PTA as having the Luxury of empty hours to fill.

If you are all allowed to described the terribleness of your PTA's who all sound unremittingly awful and I have no idea why anyone would join, then its only reasonable for me to point out how much work our PTA do. Not sure why its OK for you to say what you like about yours but I am not allowed to defend myself/ours . Interesting approach to a discussion.

Kew I dont consider myself a" moaner"
I wouldnt whinge about the food because I would never eat it anyway ( germ phobic)and cant afford £ 4 for a sausage or burger anyway.
My point is that some parents are not interested in half baked social events that could easily be bypassed by each parent donating a cheque .
I would prefer this to be phoned by an angry PTA member and gotten out of my bed to be berated at 11.30pm into doing something I dont want to do .
The "oh you are a terrible mother if you dont want to spend your weekends doing what we do "is what pisses me off.

Because Kitty if the only people who come up to say anything are the ones with a cross to bear then its unpleasant. It may not be rational but its still not pleasant.

That would piss me off too AYO.

you really do feel martyred and undervalued by the PTA experience
yes I do think PTA are pita,you think they're moaners who opportunistically use free child
you've nor been reticent in your opinion but don't want to tolerate other opinion

tbh kew they nearly tipped me over the edge
Its such a relief to be away from it all .
Sorry if you have had a bad time ont his thread but our PTA were truly vile people.

I am so glad our PTA is not like how some of you describe, our recent xmas fayre consisted of PTA and various other parents who were able to help in anyway they could in between work, young children and other commitments.

Some people complained as always and my response was 'Well you can't please everyone'.

I would hate the thought of someone feeling they have to help and have been forced into it by the PTA - as long as the other parents turn up and buy the cakes/toys etc and help raise the money it really doesn't matter.

I just don't think that people really have the right to moan about people giving up their spare time for free in order to help their DCs school to raise money.

TBH though the majority of the parents/staff are really supportive and appreciative and in the past I actually was awarded a volunteers award that I was put forward for by the school staff/committee.

If our PTA was like you described then maybe I would be saying something very similar to you but don't ever think this is how most PTAs are as it really isn't the case!!!

Kew Because Kitty if the only people who come up to say anything are the ones with a cross to bear then its unpleasant. It may not be rational but its still not pleasant. I don't understand the need for affirmation. If one is doing good stuff for the PTA does it matter what anyone (other than the DC) thinks? Do the pupil's enjoy it? Has it raised money? If yes, then it's a success.

I don't need to feel valued by the PTA experience! I totally tolerate your opinion but I think its rude. And no I don't think the PTA are moaners who opportunistically use free child care. I don't even think the majority of parents are moaners who use free child care (we only run one cinema evening a year) everything else requires an adult to attend.

I am however starting to feel like a martyr when I didn't prior to this thread. But only for another 6 months when I will be able to bitch and moan about what the PTA do to my hearts content.

you need to read some if you're own posts kew,you're revising own pov.significantly

Its not about affirmation, my conscience is clear - I do the best I can with the time I can commit and I'm clear with PTA about what I will and won't do. But I deal with enough shit at work I don't like taking it at school too. Its like the drunk on the bus- of course it shouldn't make any difference to me that he shouts abuse at me - it doesn't mean anything. I still don't like it though, and I'm not totally sure that it says anything fundamentally horrible about me that I'd prefer it not to happen does it.

I've seen much more offensive things about PTAs on this thread than I hear from school gate whiners. Habitual moaners, when you can recognise them for what they are, are easier to disregard than reading in black and white that people volunteering their time are officious busybodies with nothing better to do. The only common feature is the implication that the PTA-haters could organise things so much better, if only...what? If only they could be arsed?

why do folk complain about PTA,it a mn perennial.shared common experience
it's same usual themes,the hectoring to participate. the ill feeling generated
its so often discussed because it's so prevalent

Was on this thread earlier and now revisiting. Wow, what alot of vitriol.

To all those who would rather just make a donation

• we have this at our school.

Amount raised annually by the voluntary donation: £1000.

Amount raised by PTA events: £17,000.

You can see why our school don't leave it up to just the voluntary donation - and why I bother helping, regardless of any politics
(which yes of course there are, but personally don't give a damn if my kids then end up with a new computer suite).

Ps amount raised by school cake sales is more than the voluntary donation.

if you want to be on PTA,do so.thats your choice
and the £17k is the footfall,parents buying stuff
even if not participating on stall but attending and spending parents do contribute

And Pps obviously our school is in a fairly affluent area, given amounts raised.

But even the affluent parents won't/can't be bothered to give without a fair amount of Nudging. There you go.

give what?time?I don't participate on stall.never will
i do attend and spend
and that's a valid contribution,that raises money.

Scottishmummy - of course we need the footfall.

But there wouldn't be the footfall without the events. That's my point - the Nudging. And for that, it seems, in our school at least, the PTA is needed.

But without the events there would be nothing to contribute to, would there, SM?

I attend as the kids like it. I donate stuff
that attend and spend is in itself a contribution
PTA is self selecting the daytime meetings exclude workers,and some folk they want to

Yes Scottishmummy I meant give money.

We have a donation scheme in place but it raises a fraction of the events.

It's a shame your PTA only does daytime. Ours rotates between day (with crèche - and different days to accommodate parttime workers with set days) and evenings for exactly that reason. Plus we send round afterwards what help is needed so that anyone can get involved regardless their hours.

Ps and yes we are extremely grateful for all the people like you who can't help otherwise but attend the events and raise the money. Obviously the events wouldn't work otherwise.

My point was to all those prefering to make a voluntary contribution - it's a nice idea, but simply not at all effective.

(reminds me of Greek taxes!)

I don't have spare time to volunteer for the PTA. But sometimes I inconvenience myself by doing so anyway, as my way of showing commitment to the school.

There are some very stupid anti-PTA posts on here. Some people just don't think beyond the narrow limits of their own minds.

FWIW our PTA doesn't do school play organising, and doesn't get special seating either. In fact, the only reward we get for all our year-round bloody hard work is a thankyou and the satisfaction of seeing good results. Which is fine, because that's what we work for.