to think the organisor of parent & toddler group numpties

[elmoandella]

the school my dc are due to go to isn't private. but it only takes people from my estate. they built a brand "village" and school with it to hold the dc.

and i fear i am stuck dealing with these numpties for years and years to come.

i've gone along to their parent and toddler group for a while. to try and be involved with my community. as no doubt my dc are going to be friends with these people at some point.

but i find them and the way they are running this group absurd. several things

1. at the the group we must all take turn in dishing out the tea/coffee's. even when me, you have 2 dc under 3. little ankle biters we shall say. who i will either have to leave in the group unsupervised. or take into the kitchen facilities, where it is very unsafe and i shall be busy making 20-30 hot beverages and juice for all dc that are there.

2. they have a singalong time and refuse us to provide them with music. we just have to sing.

3)we pay £1.50. i have no idea what for. the room is a community room that is free of charge for use by whole village. all toys and equipment were donated by the village.

4)had thought perhaps the would use excess money for festive time/outings. but outings are all at your own cost/transport.

5. xmas party. we must give £2 per child. and bring them a gift (prewrapped with own dc name tag on it) of the value of £5 for each child. which shall be given to santa.

i've never heard of anything so ridiculous. thats going to cost me £14 for the xmas party for both dc.

next tues i'm going to a garden centre whereby kids get ride on tractor, nativity scene walk through and a present from santa for £5 each!!!

i see the organisors being lazy. i mean... how difficult is it to go to the pound store and pick up some little toy and wrap them for santa. i'd happily pay up to a fiver for them for party and santa. wtf is my £2 for if i have to do most the work myself. (gotta bring cake/food also each from a list)

and i dont see why i'm paying £1.50 for a tea/coffee if i have to make it myself.

i go to a few other toddler groups in this area. and every other one, the person that organises sorts out hot drinks.

when someone said they couldn't do hot beverages at the village one they were told they had to. the following week we were all made to sign a members contract saying we agreed to do tea/coffee when our name was pulled out of hat.

This sounds very, very normal. Some toddler groups can feel very cliquey, and tbh, that's why I don't go to any any more. If I were you I wouldn't go - I bet you will find when your DS starts nursery in April, there will be loads of other mums who come out of the woodwork who aren't going to toddle group either!

Are they a charity? If so, you should be able to view the accounts online at this site

mrsgboring - don't they leave their present from toddler group to open on xmas day then? everyone took their presents home with them last year at our group.

nicki - if the organisor is hard pushed then why did she insist on setting herself up as committe director and refuse to allow others to join???

macdog - see other posts about what happened when i tried to join committee

I think anyone who slates the organisers of toddler groups should try running one themselves.

Believe me it's a farking thankless task. Why the fark should the organisers if they have dc too make tea and coffee each and every week for no farking thanks.

This thread has made me [cross]

nappyaddict, that would be much better, to take presents home, but no, everyone opens on the spot.

bramshott does that cover scotland? cant find them?

The £1.50 a session will go towards paying for their insurance
Uf you dont like it dont go

Bramshott - brilliant link!!! I didn't know you could do that.

mrsgboring - can you not say to your dc we'll take these home cos you have to wait until xmas day to open presents don't you. not exactly the same but chocolate and sweets are forever being handed out at our toddler group and at playgroup too right before lunchtime and even though all the other children usually open theirs up right away and start eating them i usually say to ds give them to mummy and you can have them later.

I used to run one too fimbo. All the people that maoned still turned up every week and let their children have a fee for all whilst a few people did all the hard work.

If you want to go to tumble tots pay £5 and go to the tumble an m&t group at a local community centre or church hall, is what it is

oh and someone mentionned birthdays.

we were all asked to provide birthday details and told the money would go into getting cake and present to share when their was a birthday.

my dd was completely ignored. as was my friends twins. and my dd was the exact day we were there!!

funnily the organisors always get remembered!

i actually reminded them several weeks before my friends dc's. and asked if they would like me to get hte gift or get a suggestion of what they preferred. i was given a rude remark (cant remember exactly what) but i was let know that they wouldn't be forgot if they were on list. and told to look at list and make sure name was there. it was. but she got not a wiff of "happy birthday during song time

Yep Filz. And the ones who sat around yakking to their mates (whilst you are making their teas and coffees) and not paying the slightest attention to the fact their little cherub is whacking nine bells out of another child (usually yours!).

Bah

Only had time to read OP this is my take on it.
I do run a M/T group and charge £1.50 per family. This goes towards hiring the hall, providing snacks such as fruits, biscuits+tea coffee for mums and replacing brocken toys, batteries, craft fourniture, etc...

Once a year (or if people ask for it) I come to the group with the account sheets and let people go through them and I must say not many do.

I do not think she'll be offended if yo ask her where the money is going. If you pay a charge, small as it is, you are still entiteld to know why. Maybe if she is does not yet know what to invest the saved money in, you can suggest buying a portable CD/tapes player an some nuresery rhyme/party music to go with it.

As a group "leader" I think it is always a positive thing when people make suggestions or comments. Just ask her.

E&E - the Scottish site is here

Oh, and if there is a committe surely there also is an AGM where all the group members are invited? Why not try to put yopur point across there.?

Although, I do admit that what you are telling me about this group would not encourage me to go.

P.S I sure hope your not talking about my group as I would be mortified if I knew the way I run things was making someone so unhappy!

I sometimes wonder what the toddler group parents think of me and sometimes I lie awake at night worrying about the state of the accounts and the fact we don't have a treasurer or secretary. And that I'm three months pregnant and have no one to take over the group when I have the baby. On the upside everyone seems to have a nice time, we've invested in somelovely new toys and art materials. Someone even said thankyou after the Halloween party!

Stop going to it if it pisses you off so much. I think YAB a bit U, you have to pay to attend most parent and toddler groups these days. Although I must say I agree the hot drinks contract is taking the piss a bit.

I appreciate with the tea/coffee making scenario it can be difficult with 2 under 3. It depends how well you know the other folk at the group I guess as to whether you feel you can ask/have them offer to look after your kids whilst your brewing.

You would think that perhaps if you have 2 little ones you would have the option to pull out of rota.

Just start making the tea like weasle pee and then they will soon start leaving your name out the hat!.

SGM - does the toddler group money not cover any of the drinks/snacks/craft materials?

what about stuff like playdoh, glitter, glue, stickers etc?