am so fed up right now :(

[3andnomore]

I volunteer some time to help run a Parent Drop in morning...we do lots of activities and stuff...so all great...
BUT
whatever suggestions I seem to make seem to be completely ignored and dismissed right away, and it really annoys me.

Just as an example...Potatoe printing today...so, I got the paint out and put it into little pots, thinking that the Kids then could use brushes to put the paint onto the potatoe stamps...well...was told that is not the way it's done, and I had to change it all around and put the paint on Paperplates...apparently that is the way it's done...
thing is, it ended up as just another session of handprinting that way, and also the Kids that tried to do Potatoe printing got so much paint onto their potatoe stamps that you couldn't make any shapes out once they "printed" them onto paper...

It's just little things like this that do annoy me, I mean, I know I have no specific training or anything...but that doesn't always mean all my ideas are rubbish.
I have no problem being told if I do something wrong...but I feel that others also should accept that there is more then one way to do things...it is really discouraging me to keep on helping out...!
I could spend those mornings on here on mn...seeing that my own Kids are all either at school or at Nursery...
why do I bother?????????????????

I probably am unreasonable and silly...and I know I will be told...but nice to have had a rant

YANBU if you are helping out people should tae you seriously. And what makes there ideas better than yours, rant away.

are you feeling down generally? then the littlest things might upset you more than usual?

It wasn't the way it was 'done' but you weren't to know, and whoever told you that was just being a busybody set in a routine.

Perhaps try and forget this incident, and see how you could make yourself feel better.

say s she who must remember follow her own advice !!!!

I once was on a playgroup committee & had a craft idea - was told it wouldn't work out. Was surprised and annoyed. I stood my ground as my kids loved it and......... it was a huge success in the group.

Your idea sounds fab and would be a good change. Kids would love to paint on the potatoes & print.

I can see that it's annoying if your ideas are often discounted but I'm puzzled by your method of potato printing, tbh - have never heard of using brushes! I'd do it with the paper plates. So maybe this particular idea wasn't a runner. Doesn't mean your others won't be fab, though, obviously.

thanks girls.
Edam, it's the way we have always done it...maybe it's a german thing...but basically you put the paint with a brush on the stamp and then you print the stamp onto paper...you can actually see the shapes that were cut out when printing...which often you can't if to much paint gets all over the stamp when using the paperplate method...

a lot less messy my method ...I must admit, am not great with messy play, which is why it's ironic that I am the one having to do it, lol...

Also, I just felt, that, as I had already poured the paint into pots, that we could have just tried it that way...surely no harm done, and if it wouldn't have worked than we could have always poured the paint onto plates instead...

it's more interesting for the kids as well - give it a go - don't let the stuck in the mud mums get you down

In settings like these people always have their way of doing things. If you do not 'know' the 'correct' way, just move on, it wasn't a personal attack on you. Next time you go, you will know!

next time tell them that your way of doing it (painting onto the ptatoes) will help refine their fine motor skills so therefore is a totally diffrent activity grasping the potatoes. both should be encouraged not just one way. some children dont like getting hands dirty so the paint brush way would appeal to them more and may include them in a activity that they would have otherwise not enjoyed.

Maid...I think that is what it is starting to feel like....not exactly a personal attack...but like anyhting I say isn't good enough...it's lots of little instances...

I honestly haven't got a problem being told something isn't whatever way it should be, if there is a point to it. Iykwim...I am not trained in this so, so I bound to not know some things...but when it becomes nit picky and about things that would work either way...etc...or aren't causing a problem in a Health and Safety way...

Thanks to you all, btw...

Ignore the nit pickers. Do it your own way. As long as no one gets hurt, its fine!

Thing is, I am only a volunteer, and obviously the manager of the childrens centre (who this group runs throughh) is boss, and one of the other girls has some sort of childcare course and is actually employed to do the activities ...

I think I will have to start standing up for myself or cut my losses and get disinvolved...no good me moping about afterwards in frustration...

And Pirate...I am a bit stressed out wiht life at the moment, so, am possibly feeling a bit more sensitive about things then I otherwise would.

Have earlier spoken to one of the other girls who helps out a bit, and she feels the same...i.e. any suggestion being dismissed...so, at least I am not on my own.

YANBU - yours sounds like a good idea, I think I'll try it that way next time as my dd's love potato printing but they make such a mess, even dd1 who is 8 puts too much paint on the potato.

I agree as you had put the paint in pots and you were supervising they should have let you do it your way.

YANBU - yours sounds like a good idea, I think I'll try it that way next time as my dd's love potato printing but they make such a mess, even dd1 who is 8 puts too much paint on the potato.

I agree as you had put the paint in pots and you were supervising they should have let you do it your way.