PTA

[Booie09]

Was thinking of joining the PTA at my child's school but there seems to of been a shuffle around and a load of the mafia mums have joined and given themselves made up titles like
Chair (same nice lady)
Vice chair (mafia mum)
Vice vice chair (mafia mum)
Marketing (mafia mum)
Book keeper (mafia mum)
Two lovely ladies (not mafia mums)
And about another 8 mafia mums (mafia mums are all friends) do I join or keep out of it and just help out on occasion?

I think PTAs vary from school to school. The one at my son’s old school moaned about people not joining or helping. But they were the same people who set up a school Facebook page, decided which parents were allowed to join and which weren’t, and then slagged off children at the actual school whose behaviour they didn’t like on the page.

I’m sure some PTAs are wonderful. Some are not.

Go and help. If they didn't turn up to an event more help is clearly needed. Keep your help to what you are comfortable with and will enjoy doing e.g.. Staffing a stall at an event, or making teas and coffees, decorating a venue, organising a raffle. If you find some personalities challenging you can keep your distance. They might be putting others off as well so if you are seen to help it might encourage others to see that the pta isn't meant to be a clique. It's for everyone.

I do despise the sneering at pta. I help run the pta at my children's school. The budget situation is so bad that we're now funding some essential items so the school can function. Never mind all the other lovely stuff we fund like Santa visiting, year 6 leavers event, pantomime, Easter eggs theatre productions etc.

It takes up a not insignificant amount of time on my part - from several hours to full days. It does a lot of the time feel thankless.

I am on the PTA at our school. So far we have funded a new IT suite (all new computers) and are now funding Virtual Reality goggles. We have also funded the play equipment and two storage huts as well as a fucking shit load of other stuff that benefits everyone's children.

We have two major events in the next two months - a fireworks display in conjunction with the primary school (profits to be split between the two schools) which is a massive thing to organise but will hopefully raise thousands. And a Christmas event. Also a headache to organise with licences required for both events for alcohol and ensuring all the relevant public liability insurances are in place.

We give up hours of our free time. We don't turn up to everything like school discos as it's not needed. But the fireworks event will need two full days of prep before the event. Who do you think will be giving up their free time to do it? The PTA. Because despite asking for extra help, no other parent wants to actually help out.

So stop sneering and join or just leave it. I am a very anxious person and it took a lot of courage for me to join but I have enjoyed what I've done so far.

Thank you Thehungrydonkey The rest of you can get off your high horses! The PTA do a brilliant job! But when the new ladies were thinking of joining the PRE going and asking the chair how they go about electing a new chair is a bit of a piss take! Sorry but you don't know these people I do!

To be fair you didn't say this in your OP. You called them 'mafia' mums and only now are you revealing why. I agree with others go along and see what you think.. they always need help.

Sorry maybe Mafia mums was the wrong term! Strong Clique maybe?

Yeah they probably are clique they spend a lot of time together and also exchange emails everyday. At least I do in my PTA. I have friends outside of it but I know the other PTA members on a much more personal level simply because I see them so regularly or catch them at the school for one thing or another.
It's a really good way to meet new people, my DS is in the nursery and I have found the parents with older children in the school an invaluable asset to have when I need advice or I am confused about one thing or another, an amazing support system. Do it! You might find yourself seeing a new side to the 'mafia' mums!

By “clique” do you mean friends who have decided to support each other by helping out together, because it’s easier to dragoon people you get on with well into the crap of cleaning up, setting out chairs, folding thousands of raffle tickets...

Do you know them well? I'm in a group at my kids' school and when one mum joined she said she'd put it off for a bit because she thought we were a 'clique' because we stood together in the playground at pickup time. Well yes, we're friends so we do go and talk to each other. However I try to be friendly to everyone and always smile at other mums etc and we are always welcoming to new members. Which she realised, once she'd joined.

kitsandkids Their children are in the same school year as my child! They go on holiday together,nights out together, spend Christmas and New year together! I would say they are very good friends!