PTA event

[conflictedwithexh]

Posted here for traffic really.
ExH is being a massive twat because there is an event coming up organised by the PTA taking place in a community centre with a bar. He's trying to ban me from taking our kids and said he's going to cause holy hell to try and stop the school letting the event take place. It's been happening for years and raises funds for the school.
AIBU to think that he's a massive nobhead and the school will think the same?!

We have no alcohol at our events. It’s the same with all schools round here and we just live in a normal industrial town. I am always a bit when I see it on here schools do have it at schools fetes etc. However that is by the by I would just let him crack on and distance yourself as much as possible.

we had mulled wine at the Christmas fair. it was yum.

OP - are the newspaper going to do a sadface photoshoot with your DH? Or perhaps a picture of him outside the social club frowning with arms crossed or a waggling finger? That would just show everyone what an idiot he is.

He sounds mental. Lots of school events have alcohol around here. I've never seen anyone even slightly drunk at one though.

I would give both the school, and the PTA the 'heads up' that he is setting out to cause some grief over this, to be fair to them.

But clearly he is in a pretty small minority in thinking it is unreasonable to take a child to an event where there might be alcohol, unless he has either a strong religious belief (Methodist, Quaker, Muslim) or alcoholism issues.

Sounds like if it wasn’t this issue it would be something else...

Honestly it sounds like your ex is just trying to make an unholy show of himself. If it wasn’t this event, it would be something else presumably.
Let him. Leave him to be a total prick by himself. Let him show himself up as a total tosser and let the world see what a dick he is.
Your kids will be protected by the fact that the world will be aware their dad is the prat, not them. And you will probably gain more solidarity with the rest of the mums, who will know what an arse he is.

@MsTSwift you are 100% correct!

I wouldnt go to one of those events without alcohol being available!

I'm not comfortable with alcohol being sold at school PTA events. Just because it's legal, doesn't make it okay. I think it normalises drinking

The reason our PTA serves alcohol is because it makes the most amount of money. Simple economics.

Drinking at some level is normal to most people though, although everyone has different ideas of what is acceptable. I don't drink unless I am going out, which is rarely, so would be termed as binge drinking. I have friends who drink a couple of glasses every single night, which I wouldn't like to do and would be termed as harmful as well by the NHS.

A couple of glasses of Pimms at a school fete, I don't have a problem with. Mulled wine at the Christmas Fair, no problem.

Our local church serves mulled wine and mince pies at one of its Christmas services. Nobody thinks they are a bunch of alcoholics and there are loads of children there too as they perform a song every year.

The DC don't bat an eyelid as they are more interested in the bouncy castle.

and yes, it makes a lot of money for the PTA funds. Which is needed when they are buying basic supplies for the school like pens and paper.

Yes, I realise that a PTA event can probably raise more money if alcohol is sold. I get that. However, I still think it's not very wholesome

Most of our pupils are driven to school, so anything encouraging them to drink alcohol isn’t a good idea.

Or even their parents.

Perfectly fine to choose not to partake yourself but seeking to ban everyone else from something that is culturally acceptable here is extremely high handed

I take it he is active in the pta and often manages and runs events as a volunteer?

I wouldn't be at all surprised if this makes the online editon of a local newspaper but if it does he's only going to make himself look stupid, make sure he doesn't get your DC involved in any sad face photos

allthgoodusernamesaretaken

We don't sell alcohol at every event. It's always discussed before we agree to an event. Some of our events are adults only, those can be quite popular. We've had mulled wine at a couple of winter outdoor evening events, alongside tea, coffee, hot choc, etc. We don't do alcohol at the Xmas fair, that's a Saturday morning so not appropriate.