If you attend a parent-run playgroup but don’t volunteer, what makes you think you’re so special?

[asdapryce]

The group I chair is run by parent volunteers and will have to close after Easter unless the parents who attend week in, week out agree to go on the volunteer rota and help occasionally.

I don’t understand why they don’t. It’s a group for parents of multiples - we’ve all got 2+ babies and mostly other children too; we’re all tired; we’re all busy but we all benefit hugely from the support of the group yet literally no one has put their name forward to be on the committee after Easter and get involved in the week to week running of the group after Easter.

Not to mention the support we offer to expectant mothers of multiples in terms of running a talks with our local hospital and for all local twins+ parents through a large, active Facebook support group and a twins+ buy/sell/donate site.

What makes people happy to take take take and never give back? I’m genuinely interested.

Let it close if being a volunteer is such a burden and you’re disappointed by other parents perceived lack of commitment

But how does this benefit the community as a whole? What benefits does it bring?

I meant it's open to everyone. Playgroups in church halls or community centres are generally open to all comers. Anyone in the local area with a child of the right age. Mums, dads, grannies, nannies, childminders.

It's totally and completely different from me arranging with Ann, Barbara, Carol, Diane and Ellie to go to soft play with the kids.

People are fundamentally lazy, the majority will always stand back and let someone else do it. It’s the same for all sorts of things, our fete committee is the same. I freely admit to being guilty!

I helped at a volunteer run playgroup for 8 years (with and without my DC in tow). There were a team of about 6 or 7 of us some only made tea and coffee/put biscuits out, some did craft, some held tiny babies for new mums, some just chatted with new members or those having a hard time. We all helped pack up. I did it on one of my days off work and did most term time weeks for 8 years. The lady that set it up must have been doing it for 15 years. She works too. A few ladies were retired. There was a minimal cost that covered tea/coffee/snacks, craft materials, a gift for each toddler at Easter and christmas and flowers for a mum with a newborn. None of the members generally helped except the core of volunteers.

DDIJ it brings people who might not know any other mums in the area together.

We moved to a new area whenI was pregnant with DS. Didn't know anyone, so playgroups were a way of meeting up with other parents.

OP's group is specifically for helping parents of multiples. When DS was little I only knew one parent with twins who were a similar age to DS. So a group like OP's would be invaluable for helping parents of twins meet up locally.

@SarahNade, what on Earth are you in about?

A playgroup is something held weekly (or a few times a week) in a church or community hall. It’s run by volunteers. Those attending pay a small fee towards the cost of the hall hire and tea bags/coffees.
It’s common to have biscuits , fruit, sliced veg or toast available for the children at some point, and hot drinks for adults.
Some have craft activities, often related to the seasons.
There’s usually a singing circle at the end.

Volunteers open up, turn the water boiler on, take the ride-on toys and mats and stuff out of a storage cupboard, set out chairs. Them make the drinks, wash up, put everything away again and sweep up.

There may be only 15-20 children, there may be 120+ depending on the size of the hall and local availability.

It’s not 3 parents meeting for a play date.

I loved my years at playgroups. I made new friends, my kids tried different toys and activities, learnt to get along in a group. I was happy to volunteer, and to muck in unofficially at other ones. Playgroups are valuable assets in a community and appreciate all volunteers for creating them

Fetes run to raise monies to purchase items for school pupils
The obvious transaction & expectation is adults,kids turn up spend money,pay an admission
Irrespective of whether one as a volunteer helps set up stall etc,the act of turning up spending money is the desired result

I wanted to join a local volunteer-run baby/toddler group. When I phoned up, they asked whether I could help out on my first week, because they were short on volunteers that week.

I said sure.

I turned up early as requested (toddler in tow) and waited outside alone because the leader was very late. She turned up eventually and unlocked the door, totally ignoring me because she was on the phone giving someone a bollocking. Eventually she spoke to me by barking orders at me. I did my best to set up unfamiliar stuff in a place I'd never been to before. Every now and then she told me I was doing it wrong. That was the extent of her communication with me. This went on for an hour or so. I barely got to speak to a soul (and I'm quite outgoing). Everyone looked a bit cowed and scared.

Left early and never went back.

Can't think why they were short of volunteers.

SarahNade
but I've never been part of or heard of playgroups that require such militant precision. Where I'm from, playgroups don't need to hire halls or anything like that.

Phew finally we're getting somewhere! So indeed you don't know what we are all talking about.

Playgroup

For the person who appears to be living on another planet.

And if you can't be bothered to click through, the first line states:

"A pre-school playgroup, or in everyday usage just a playgroup, is an organised group providing care and socialisation for children under five. The term is widely used in the United Kingdom."

Emphasis mine.

DDIJ is that a serious question?

RedLipstickHighHeels but if there's no stall there's nowhere to spend money

I am sure most schools would be happy to at least half all their charity events if parents would just send a cheque instead at the beginning of the year, but guess what... parents don't. So they do need volunteers to host fund-raisers, and YOUR kid will benefit.

Playgroups directly benefit the participants & volunteers
Social contact
Sense of purpose
Satisfaction from hosting a group

DDIJ
Do they actually help people who are socially isolated then?

even more so now that a lot of Sure Start and children centres have had to close down...

I am pretty sure i know the club you are referring to.
in the East Herts area?

I never got around to actually coming to your club, time flew by when my twins were little.

I do hope you manage to find some people to help as from the facebook group, you guys help so many people.

Where are the toys stored? Can't everyone help put them out and back in? Run it without hot drinks and snacks for a few weeks, I'm sure someone will step up when they realise they don't magically make themselves; if not then maybe the group has, unfortunately, run it's course.

Satisfaction from hosting a group

I love MN

I think people who are taking the piss out of the existence of the committee and its positions mustn’t be reading properly. The playgroup is one part of what the Twins & Multiples Group provides to local twins+ parents in the community. It’s not just a little playgroup, it’s an invaluable resource for parents of twins+.

I’m obviously not expecting the woman with newborn triplets to be Treasurer or the couple who still have one twin in hospital at 16 months of age to buy the coffee, but the other women who, like me, have young twins and 1-2 other children and attend group every week to OCCASIONALLY spend an extra 20 mins.

People are never short of complaints about guide/scout leaders, sports coaches, playgroup organisers, church volunteers... but have no interest in volunteering their own time.
I agree.
Whilst it would be wrong to judge individuals as we don't know their circumstances, I do think there is a type of person who expects groups to run for them and their children but quick to think the fairies run them and they're nowhere to be seen in terms of giving a little back.

Could you maybe have it so that people do one end or the other.
Eg. Volunteer to get there 20 mins early to set up / volunteer to pack away, rather than volunteering to do both.

No advice just support as I am facing a similar but running my cub pack. Lose my other leader in February and none of the parents are coming forward to even just help for a single week. I'm going to try a parent rota in the new year but I've never seen them work well before.

It's a thankless task and your doing something that really does benefit and it would be a massive shame to shut. It's ok to be annoyed but I truly to be annoyed at the state of our country that both parents are working all the time to keep the children and homes running rather than the parents themelves (i do know some parents that are lazy and I am annoyed at them) Good luck

Why doesn't your group just charge a fee? And use that to pay the volunteers.

Frankly I’d give whether or not there was a stall,or fete.Thatd be more efficient fundraising
PTA enjoy hectoring other parents,like to bagsy the roles in play and act all martyred