Do You Volunteer at your children's school?

[Earlybird]

Do you volunteer at your children's school - Parents Association, class rep, PTA, cake day organiser etc? Do you think it benefits you/your child in any way and if so, how?

If you don't volunteer, why not?

[sowoffended]

I don't disagree. It is individual choice and that's how it should be.

Just irritates the hell out of me when some people say they don't want to get involved because of cliques when sometimes it's used as an excuse.

Not saying there aren't cliquey PTAs.

[GreenDolphin]

My children are in secondary school, a community school where most people live locally. Our PTA is really struggling to recruit new members, so it is the same few people all the time, as a result morale goes down and it gets harder to organise events, fundraisers etc. We all work during the day so our meetings are in the evenings. It is disheartening to send out letters to hundreds of parents inviting them to come to events and get a handful of replies, so few that we have had to cancel some events at the last minute. If each parent came to one event per year or offered to help once per year, the load would be shared and morale would improve, but as has been said above, there are plenty of moaners who run the school down but won't give up a couple of hours a year to get involved. I have been on PTAs at all my childrens' schools and have always found it useful to get to know other parents and staff members - we often hear the latest news first, and are consulted by the head teacher for our opinions on school matters. I like having the opportunity to go into the school and do a little bit to support it. We openly welcome new PTA members but if no-one comes along it is impossible to avoid being a clique!

[GDG]

Aubina - true, as long as they aren't then going to complain about 'cliques' and things that they don't like that they might have the power to change should they choose to get off their arses.

[puff]

I bake a shedload of cakes whenever they are needed and delivery them anonymously to the PTA pile. They have tried to find out who the culprit it but I'm not letting on.

I've had enough of being "involved" in schools. I do my bit, but I do it quietly.

[Earlybird]

Hmmm - I volunteer at dd's school quite a bit. It's a good way to get to know the school and some of the other mums. Also think there's something important about contributing toward maintaining/creating a positive environment where dd spends a great deal of time. And my schedule is flexible enough that I'm able to do it.

But, it's hard work, time consuming and not always fun. I also sometimes have the distinct feeling of being taken advantage of. The school fete was a perfect example: I volunteered to staff the class booth for an hour, which I did. But, the person who was supposed to take over from me showed up 30 minutes late (this woman is always late), which means muggins here had 30 minutes extra work, and 30 minutes less to enjoy the fair with dd. Part of me thinks I should have closed the booth when my shift was over rather than being the responsible one who picks up the pieces.....

I am resisting being the class rep next year, though I have informally been asked to do it. Don't know why, I seem to feel that just because I can volunteer, that I should. I think it's time to let someone else have a turn so I can run around with dd at next year's fete, and then sit with the other "glamour mums" and have a Pimms while the "worker bees" sweat in the hot sun! .

[Bugsy2]

I'm a single mum & I work part-time outside the home, but I still help out where I can. I bake cakes for the cake sales, deliver leaflets for various events & I worked for 4 hours on a stall at the fete a few weeks ago.
I like to help because I know that the money raised goes directly to the school & therefore benefits my children. However, I will say no to things if I haven't go the time.

[motherinferior]

I have been known to accompany a school trip. Otherwise I confine my support to Cake Baking and occasionally quoting the Head in stuff I write, in sycophantic hope this will miraculously improve DD1's results.

[puff]

rofl mi

[Hallgerda]

robinpud and GreenDolphin have both raised the issue of a few parents rushing round like "blue-arsed flies" (love the expression, robinpud) and the others doing nothing. In an ideal world, yes, GreenDolphin, we'd all do a few hours and it would seem relatively painless. But in real life, those that do nothing may well be doing nothing because they fear ending up in the blue-arsed fly camp - and with good reason. If more people come forward, usually it seems that either some of the previous blue-arsed flies take the opportunity to join the lard-arse camp, or that the work increases to keep all the flies busy. For my part, I have tried taking on the odd small task, but have then been put under pressure to do more, so I've given up.

[GreenDolphin]

Hallgerda, sorry that has been your experience, no offence but if everyone uses that excuse nothing will change! I hope our PTA would accept any small contribution of time or effort greatfully and without pressure to do more.

[GreenDolphin]

Oops, sorry I meant gratefully!

[Hallgerda]

No offence taken, GreenDolphin . Your PTA sounds remarkably civilised.