PTA thing..

[MaryAnnSingleton]

have been asked whether I can help serve teas at a meeting for new yr 3 parents and have said NO...my reasons being that ds is now in the last couple of weeks in yr 6 and throughout his years there I have helped with PTA things/school events/helped in class/afterschool club and been on 2 school bases initiatives committees,and served teas last year. I just think that it's time for some of the other parents in yrs 3,4 and 5 whose children are still in school and will be for a few more years should get off their bottoms and help out...the PTA will be left with 2 people when we leave. Or is this mean spirited - I think not though.

Not mean spirited at all, they should ask someone else. I, like you have helped at all PTA events etc & after 4 years I feel like I have had enough, it's always the same old faces that help out. Let School find someone else or even get a Teacher to do it

thank you alfielooloo - I did feel quite elated being able to say no !

Good for you MaryAnn. I hope I am strong enough to do similar as I am getting fed up with the fact that over the last few years only a couple of new people have come through onto PTA. Those of us who have been on it since our kids started school would like a well-earned rest but no-one wants to take over. New intake in September has only 4 new parents - so not alot of hope there.

Don't even mention PTA to me. A lot of frustrated, control-freak, back-stabbing, gossiping bitches. I resigned, of course!

Our PTA is fab! but you have to be strong to say no to things.

I have only recently joined but am still keen tho looking forward to summer and then being full of energy again for Sept!

They probably asked you as you were an easy yes having done it for years. I think it is fair enough that other parents help out now.

I am a class rep, and our PTA has asked to find replacements if we don't want to be class reps again.

I'll make anhonest effort. But I'm afraid I do have the right to discontinue my services whenever I so choose. Maybe I'll tell them that I'll continue if we can have better hot dinners.

If you keep doing it nobody else will. Its unfair that the people who do help get asked all the time. Surely people who haven't helped before sdhould be asked

Good for you! I agree with what itati said - they probably asked you because it was easier than them having to find new blood.

what cariboo said.

a pity, as the principle is good, just not the individuals involved.

sounds liks you've done your stint tbh and therefore should not have any guilt

YANBU.

I ran the primary school PTA for years (definitely NOT frustrated back-stabbing bitch!)

The school is just taking the easy option by asking you. I always found that many parents who didn't want a regular commitment would be really happy to help as a 'one-off' like this. I think the school is being unreasonable by failing to recognise that they could let someone else feel good about helping out instead of always asking the same old faces.

YANBU.

I ran the primary school PTA for years (definitely NOT frustrated back-stabbing bitch!)

The school is just taking the easy option by asking you. I always found that many parents who didn't want a regular commitment would be really happy to help as a 'one-off' like this. I think the school is being unreasonable by failing to recognise that they could let someone else feel good about helping out instead of always asking the same old faces.

I'm always invited to a tea at 2:30 in the afternoon on a workday to say "thank you" for my contribution. Funny enough I don't leave work to attend it.

I believe our school could make a bigger effort to appeal to working parents and they'd find they had a few more helpers. No one is deliberately rude and excludes working parents. But, they have missed a marketing trick be recruiting in person at the gate.

it is hard to say no isn't it, but quite frankly I feel I can now I'm almost no longer there !!

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To the OP - YANBU - as you know it is the same pople all the time that help out.

The people who usually dont get off their backsides to help are USUALLY the ones that make all the nasty comments about the PTA who themselves are back stabbing and gosspip bitches as they have nothing better to do with their time but quite happy for their child to use the facilites etc that the school provide because of funding from the PTA . Deep breath ....

thanks all..am just thinking I might run into PTA chair on way to pick up this afternoon - she is a bit scary,nice but scary, but I resolve to say no.

Be strong MaryAnn!

I'm useless at this sort of thing. I can't say no which is how I ended up as PTA chair for 2 years

am not doing the disco either !!

YANBU - it sounds like you've well and truly done your bit.

Some PTA stalwarts are mean-spirited control freaks, but probably weren't when they joined - it's caused by years of simmering resentment that you're one of just a handful of parents who are manning stalls, selling raffle tickets and baking endless bloody cakes; that brings out the worst in anyone .

One of the event organisers on my pta was really grumpy that only a third of the parents offered to help at the summer fete! A third was fantastic as far as I was concerned. Pta organisers need to recognise that a lot of people just aren't comfortable in these situations. Most of the ones who never offer to help have a good reason - and they usually dip their hands in their pockets to support the school financially.

The ones that used to piss me off were the ones who never helped and then turned up half an hour late to collect their child from the disco! Grrr!