To wonder how to get school parents to volunteer to do anything?

[FishfingerFlinger]

I’m a somewhat reluctant volunteer for the school PTA - only reluctant because I have a full-on job (12hr+ days most of this week) another volunteer role and am frankly frazzled.

Trying to get volunteers to help do small tasks for the school fair and no one will do ANYTHING. Everyone wants the school fair to happen. Everyone moans if it doesn’t happen. But they think the magic fairies make it happen?

Some schools seem to have an abundance of volunteers making elaborate fairs happen. All I’m asking is for someone to man the bat the rat stall for half an hour and I can’t even get that.

What am i doing wrong here?

How are you able to volunteer if you work 12 hour shifts?

I could never volunteer because I worked FT and it would mean taking time off work to volunteer, which i obviously couldn’t do.

The main parents that can volunteer are SAHPs or the ones working PT but these usually don’t work/work PT for a reason and often it’s because they’ve got little ones.

I do think volunteering at the school is a great way to make new friends with other parents but people just don’t have much free time.

It is also publicly advertised on local FB pages and the like. Anyone can go in so long as they’re paying the entry fee.

think what you like, I am not comfortable with it

Plus clear commitment that if no one turns up to take over your stall you can close it and hand the float in to the treasurer.
People can be worried incase they get stuck all afternoon.

We had the same issue last week, no one wants to help but they moan when kids don't get their free ice cream on sports day. Don't know where they think the money for that comes from.

At a PUBLIC event run by a school PTA. No they don’t walk themselves to school. They are 9 years old and it’s a mile each way and involves crossing several roads.

I'm going to search Classics for the Lemon Drizzle Cake Thread.
But.
Stalls based around Mumsnet topics......
I bet you'd get volunteers for the AIBU one.
Litter Tray

They could. But perhaps they don't want to, for any number of reasons. Maybe they are introverted, hate crowds/noise, maybe they get anxious in social situations or when dealing with unexpected requests or change of routine. Maybe they are going through something in their personal life that you're just not aware of and don't want to explain that the reason for their partner's absence is because they're on the brink of divorce. Maybe they've got a sick relative or elderly parent that takes all their time, or a SEN child or a toddler or baby who is keeping you up every night and they've just got nothing left to give by the time the event comes round. Maybe they're just finding life tough at the moment and it's all they can do to get their child to school on time each day. Maybe they hate the absolutely vile amount of waste and landfill and plastic tat that is generated by holding a school fair. Perhaps their heart just sinks at the thought of having to deal with another armful of stuff when they get home that they don't really want: old bottles of mulled wine that no-one likes, cheap gift sets that give you a rash and come wrapped in loads of plastic, a coconut that no-one knows what to do with, teddy bears to add to the collection of ten million gathering dust upstairs etc etc.

Perhaps it's enough for those people to just show up to the event and support it by visiting the stalls and giving their money (which they may barely have enough of after bills are paid).

I used to say: if i don't get X number of volunteers Y won't happen. First time? nobody volunteered and it didn't happen. Lots of complaints. I just reminded everyone what i'd said.
Next event: if i don't get x volunteers (tasks listed) Y won't happen. 1 volunteer, not enough and it didn't happen.
So people complained that i wasn't doing my job as class rep so i resigned. And for the rest of the year? none of the usual events happened and the other parents bitched and whined. And i just laughed at that point.

I’m a teacher so slightly different perspective for PTCAs, but DD1 will be starting at my school next year so will have this issue from a parent POV.

We both work full time and DH often does Saturdays too. When DD1’s preschool ask for weekend volunteers I always say yes, but then get told I can’t bring the toddler or the preschooler with me.

It would be lovely if it was different and we didn’t all have to work ridiculous hours to keep our heads above water, but sadly I think the days of being endlessly free for volunteering are disappearing rapidly.

I have two part time jobs, I volunteer regularly at school and have put my name down for both my kids' classes for summer fete this year. Why are parents being so lazy? They're not all single parents with new borns for god sake. I find it's actually quite fun running stalls for the kids.

LOL at posting "mind your own business" on a public forum when your are cruising what is basically a real-life problem page for your own entertainment with no self-awareness of that statement is astonishing.

I think those who are saying that they'd rather throw £20 at it, and not volunteer, are forgetting that many of these events are fun for the children, as well as fundraisers

They’re fun for some of the children (usually the children of the people who are so keen to try and get everyone else to volunteer to put their ideas into action). My DD is currently really pissed off at having been effectively strong armed into writing a piece for a yearbook and having to go to a full year party that she doesn’t fancy at all.

No parent ever enjoyed a summer fayre.Do things that require less work such as 100 club or tha parents enjoy such as race night, or boozy quiz night

I volunteered at the Xmas fair one year, booked half day off work. It was terribly organised to the point I was stood around with nothing to do, there were cries of the school fair will be cancelled yadada, they didn’t even ask my name and hardly acknowledged me.

I assume that’s why a lot of people don’t volunteer for our PTFA…..

They’re fun for some of the children (usually the children of the people who are so keen to try and get everyone else to volunteer to put their ideas into action)

Well, the school discos and fairs were always really well attended, and the children usually looked at though they enjoyed it. Otherwise, why would they go? It's hardly compulsory. And whatever makes you think that only the children of the volunteers enjoy it?

My DD is currently really pissed off at having been effectively strong armed into writing a piece for a yearbook and having to go to a full year party that she doesn’t fancy at all

As said above, it's not compulsory. If she doesn't want to go to the party, tell her she doesn't have to.

My advice is tackle the Key Stage 1 Dads and Grandads. Send your most charming PTA members out at drop off/dismissal and don't take no for an answer. If you can get one, the rest fall like lemmings.

Our school fair is on a weekend so it's not like people have to take time off work or anything. But then loads of parents manage to show up for sports day which WAS on a week day so it's not like people are so busy they can't make the time when it suits them to. I do think it's just that people don't want to take any responsibility for this stuff happening

I work a full time job with unsocial hours (sometimes finishing at 9pm at night), have a child in Y4 plus a toddler. My DH also works full time. I can’t help out at the disco or fete or PTA event as it frequently clashes with my working hours. DH can’t help because he has our toddler. There really isn’t anything I can do about that. However, I never moan when an event is cancelled.

I will say that the thought of joining the PTA is hideous and I won’t even entertain it. One of the mums from DD’s class is a ‘PTA mom’ in all of the stereotypical ways and I cannot stand her. She doesn’t work (no, your MLM doesn’t count as a job!) and her children are both at school so she has endless time to devote to it and she dictates everything. She makes passive aggressive comments about people not volunteering even though they’ve made it clear why they can’t. The class WhatsApp is filled with her waffle as a platform for PTA crap or her flogging her MLM crap.

I’ll stop my rant now. 😂

I will use annual leave for a sports day or class assembly. I will not use it for a fundraising event.

PTA veteran here. I found that requests in school newsletter etc. fell on deaf ears. However if you went up to people in person with a rota and asked them to sign up for a half hour slot on the bric a brac they would be likely ti agree. Usually they found it such fun they would stick around for longer. I think a lot of people think that they're not a PTA type of person/ someone else is doing it/they wouldn't
be welcome.

Make it really really clear that they won't get suckered into being on a committee or doing hours and hours of work. I drew up half hour slots for stalls at a summer fair and made it really clear 30 mins was all I needed and all that was expected. I then made sure that's what happened. Worked really well and subsequently people were keener to help.

Do you have an ally who's at the school gate a lot and has children in more than one class? Getting people to commit in person to small things all builds up.

Do you use the sign up genius app to try to fill the slots (sorry if this has been covered already)

Even on the school premises, walking round with a group of friends, while you're manning the tombola for 1/2hr?

One year at my eldest school the Yr6 children manned the fare with supervision from PTA staff, it was one of the most successful events.

My Aunt (who is semi-retired with no caring responsibilities) was a school reader before covid lockdown. Now she's been told the school don't need her.
I thought maybe it was because more parents are able to work flexible hours from home so they've recruited more parents and don't need others.