To think class parents need to do more?

[annoyedatotherparents]

Probably will get told that people have their own lives, everyone's busy, etc etc.

But am seriously annoyed today. I've done two years of being a class rep at my DS's school. Primary aged kids, but pretty minimal work - organising vouchers for teachers at Christmas, occasional presents for class mums who've had babies, organising volunteer rotas for two fairs a year (Xmas and summer). The kids are getting older so there's minimal reminders needed and everyone knows everyone else now so fewer social things - people just hang out in the groups they like. So all pretty easy.

I asked around today as the usual pattern is for people to do two years as class rep then hand over to someone else. The class WhatsApp was totally silent...tumbleweed. Everyone appears to be utilising the Mumsnet maxim of no being a complete sentence. However....this will mean I end up getting saddled with it all again. And I have 3DC and a full time job. There are plenty of mums in the class with one child and no job. (Rich enough husbands to not need to work).

I guess my AIBU is - would I BU to just tell everyone I'm drawing names out of a hat? The competitive busyness thing is ridiculous and I'm sure everyone will have a tantrum if I do that but the alternative is me just putting up with it and that will drive me mad!

Does there need to be one? If you want to finish the role, can't you just say

Just stop. Nobody needs a class rep nobody has to be one. Just stop doing it.

Just say you aren't doing it anymore. No one else needs to do it.

I would just say ‘decide between yourselves who is taking over from me ‘. I’ll be finishing on x date. Then just not do anything else x

Sorry accidentally posted too soon. Can't you just say you're finishing as of X date? If no one takes over, then, people can just organise things themselves?

You don't need to do either though? If you want to step down, do that. It's not your responsibility to find a replacement. Either someone steps up, or they don't. Either way, not your problem.

of course you're unreasonable, just stop it. if no-one else wants to do it, then it doesn't get done.

no-one is obliged to do that stuff, you just do it because you want to... its not a requirement.

None of that happens in my kids school, so I would never think of volunteering for such a role. Are you sure it’s needed? Just don’t do it if you don’t have the time

YABU. I would not appreciate you pulling my name from a hat, and telling me how to spend my time.
In my experience, most people who do things like this at school enjoy the ‘glory’ of it. They do it to look good in the eyes of the school.
You chose to do it for a couple of years, now step down and if someone else doesn’t want to, why do you care??

Is this a school or pta thing or just self appointed class rep?
If it's school or pta organised just let them know you won't be doing it anymore. Two years is plenty

This sounds quite ott. Organising presents for mums who have had other babies? These are jobs that don’t actually need to be done.

Maybe the other parents just don’t want to be involved, it’s not necessarily competitive business.

If you don’t want to do it next year then don’t but it’s totally unreasonable to sign someone up without their consent.

Just stop. I've never heard of a class rep so it's hardly essential.

You don’t need to do it-don’t martyr yourself!

No class needs a class rep. People can choose to buy presents for teachers and pregnant people if they decide they want to.

There doesn't need to be one.

organising vouchers for teachers at Christmas, - not needed, parents can do their own gifts if they want to
occasional presents for class mums who've had babies - not needed at all, organising volunteer rotas for two fairs a year (Xmas and summer) - could be done directly by PTA

You don't have to keep doing it. Say you have done 2 years. If it is valued someone else will step forward.

I've never heard of a class rep so it's clearly not essential. Can't people just sort out their own gifts for teachers and new babies if they want to? I think it's fine for you to just declare your finishing date and step.back.

Class rep? WTF is that?

the alternative is me just putting up with it

It really isn’t!

Just say you aren't doing it from September and live it at that.

You don’t need to draw names out of a hat. If someone told me they had drawn my name, I would just say no. But you also don’t need to keep doing what you’re doing. None of it is necessary. People can get their own gifts for teachers. Mums in the class with new babies don’t need presents. Stalls on the school fairs will be looked after by those who volunteer and if nobody does then there will be fewer or no stalls. Just stop. You have done your bit but you can’t force anyone else to step up.

I’ve never heard of this role before. I always sort out my own end-of-year gifts for the teachers, as does everyone else I know. We don’t do gifts for new parents, unless we know them personally, in which case - again - I sort it myself for the families with whom I’m close. Fairs are organized by the school council for the entire school, not class by class (that’s madness!). It sounds like this “class rep” takes on a lot… but possibly (probably) doesn’t have to…?

YABU. You cannot know everyone else's workload and circumstances.

I work full time, I have full time care of my ds. His DF does about 14 nights a year, I do everything else. I'm already at capacity, I'm two staff short in my job and I'm recovering from chemotherapy so I'm quite tired.

Putting my name in your hat would get you nowhere.

Just say you aren't doing it anymore. You don't need to continue just because no one else is willing to step up.

If someone picked my name randomly and told me I'm now volunteering for something that I never said I'd do I'd tell them to get lost frankly. Suspect you may well get a similar response if you tried the random name out of a hat idea.

Never heard of a class rep just pack it in

Not your problem, just leave .

You can decide you aren't doing it any longer. You can't decide someone else is going to.