Moms or dads who volunteer at your child's school.....

[Beth76]

what do you do and do you enjoy it or not?

This is my first year with a child in school and I signed up for a lot of things since I'm a SAHM. Most of it I enjoy, but I'm finding a lot of things that I will not sign up for next year. The number one on that list is planning comittees. Wow, what a pain those are. I'm on the planning committees for the kindergarten fall and spring parties and the whole school's 20th birthday party. Never again.

I also work in the library shelving books and in my son's classroom helping with "Centers". Those I really like. I help teachers make copies once a month and occasionally I bring in food for teacher appreciation days. I guess I like the things that are just a task I can do for one hour or whatever and then get on with my life. But party planning with 10 other women who want it done their way is just not my cup of tea.

 

[CEDmom]

I work in the library 2 times a week, am a class parent and work on fund raising. I like what I do. Being a class parent can be a little hairy especially when it involves contacting other parents to send in supplies and/or money.

 

[RitaZ.]

But party planning with 10 other women who want it done their way is just not my cup of tea.

Beth, that part wasn't my cup of tea either. I enjoyed volunteering in the library, with the students in the reading program, helping out during parties, hanging up the students' drawings/art work, etc. Anything that involved getting together with a group of nasty women, I avoided.

Actually, that's one of the things that turned me off about volunteering. Some of these women were really nasty and petty!!!! This was worse than high school! I was there to work, I didn't care to belong to the popular cliques or participate in the backstabbing. They didn't like that.

I liked doing it for the kids, to help the teachers and knowing that I was helping in some small way.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I like the things that are just a task I can do for one hour or whatever and then get on with my life. But party planning with 10 other women who want it done their way is just not my cup of tea.

LOL, I am my kids' school's BoxTops for Education Coordinator (and I help out with other PTO stuff as needed). The job landed in my lap this year when a good friend became PTO President and asked me to do it. I resisted for a while, but ultimately decided - why not.

At work I regularly take on projects, and once I do, I do them my way, that's how it works. With BoxTops, all of a sudden I had 6 or 8 women tellling me how it should be done - it was frustrating. I also "inherited" a huge rubbermaid box of [thousands of] uncut boxtops which had to be cut and counted, in addition to setting up a new system for collecting and counting this year, an inexpensive yet meaningful reward system for the kids, and an email system to coordinate all of our efforts. The other night myself, DH and our kids sat and sorted out over $500 worth of BoxTops (@10cents each) into bags of 50 so I can now send them in. (I'm waiting to hear how the heck to do that. ) I came close to throwing in the towel a few times, but I'm going to stick it out. I think we're finally making progress, and compared to the less than $200 our school collected from them last year, we're already ahead.

I think it's perfectly ok to choose what suits you and stick with that. If it's something you enjoy, then do it. If not, don't. One thing I think is that the kids are proud of their mom for helping out, so for that alone, it's worth it. But the efforts really do add up to help the school as well. Good luck.

 

[RitaZ.]

Being a class parent can be a little hairy especially when it involves contacting other parents to send in supplies and/or money.

When I did it, I tried to be as equitable as possible, but I found that someone will always be unhappy. There was one mom that I called everytime before we had a party, she wouldn't return my calls.

Fast forward to a few weeks before the end of the school year... DD was invited to a classmate's birthday party, I was there with her. With so many moms there, the conversation turned to the upcoming end of year party. This one mom began telling the group of moms that no one ever called her for anything. Imagine her shock when I told her that I had called her. I told her not to worry about feeling left out because she would be the first mom on my list to call for the upcoming party. Her response, "Well, I don't know if I'll be able to help out."

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I only volunteer in my children's classroom. I do whatever the classroom teacher needs to be done. I didn't enjoy the wasted time of committee work. It takes too long to come to a consensus among all of the SAHMs. I gave that up with my oldest son.

Lori

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Nothing anymore.... I used to do the PTA stuff, roommom stuff....

We moved here to Texas and I said done. Need a paying job now.

 

[unbroken chain]

Volunteering in the classroom - yes, that's the way to go.

The one no one wants - cafeteria duty. Eeekkk! They finally assigned each class certain weeks, because no one ever wanted to do it. The room mom HAS to find parents from her class for her weeks.

 

[Cindy B]

Was class mother (shared job between three moms) last year.. never again!

I had two very uptight mothers who wanted things just so, and they were so upset that I never came to PTA meetings.. (those gossip fest meetings were scheduled on class nights)

I sub in all the schools within the district --19 schools total. I do a lot of time with all the students, not just my own kids.

 

[disykat]

I will do just about anything EXCEPT party plan with a bunch of other people. I've enjoyed working with kids or in the library. Running the fundraiser, being in charge of assemblies, bookfair, being PTA President, etc. weren't that bad either. However, I am NOT a person who gives a hoot about anything related to table cloths. I tend to think about food and entertainment, yet anytime I'm on an "event" committee, I always end up with people who want to fuss and debate about things I consider 5 minute nobrainer decisions like tablecloths or the color of the streamers.

 

[MELSMICE]

I always volunteered in my DD's classrooms when they were younger. I was room mother for a few years. I did all the parties. I also was a "school" volunteer, but I stayed away from the PTO meetings.

A bunch of woman (& a few men) with different ideas & clashing personalities was not my idea of an enjoyable evening. Too much gossiping & politics for my liking.

I volunteered on my time, got to know the kids in the classes & also got to know their teachers very well throughout elementary school. I felt that if I was going to give my time I wanted to really be involved with my kids, their peers & their teachers.

I really could care less about the politics of the ice cream socials or what the best end of year gift was going to be from the 4th graders to the school. I can't be bothered with all that petty stuff.

I totally hear what you're saying & think you'll be happier if you steer clear of the committees & such.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

I volunteer in my daughter's kindergarten class once a week. They divide the class into centers and I usually am assigned a harder one so I can help the kids who rotate between them. It's a lot of fun and it helps me get to know the kids in her classroom. I get so see the troublemakers too! I dont know how that teacher does it. Hats off to all teachers out there. I know she really appreciates the extra help. The only thing I didnt like is during December she had me take a group of 15 kids down to the school "store" to buy gifts for mom and dad. Since I didnt know them all that well and they were mixed in with other kindergarteners I had trouble keeping track of all 15. That made me nervous but that was the only part I didnt enjoy.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

what do you do and do you enjoy it or not?

This is my first year with a child in school and I signed up for a lot of things since I'm a SAHM. Most of it I enjoy, but I'm finding a lot of things that I will not sign up for next year. The number one on that list is planning comittees. Wow, what a pain those are. I'm on the planning committees for the kindergarten fall and spring parties and the whole school's 20th birthday party. Never again.

I also work in the library shelving books and in my son's classroom helping with "Centers". Those I really like. I help teachers make copies once a month and occasionally I bring in food for teacher appreciation days. I guess I like the things that are just a task I can do for one hour or whatever and then get on with my life. But party planning with 10 other women who want it done their way is just not my cup of tea.

Good to know for next year!

 

[miss missy]

I was always a teachers helper. Last year I ran art class for 6th gr. Loved it all!

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

I work in my son's classroom helping with "Centers". Those I really like. But party planning with 10 other women who want it done their way is just not my cup of tea.

Exactly what I did. When my first DD was little, I helped in the classroom in Kindergarten in centers, particularly with the kids who were writing their own stories - I loved it. But that party planning deal - forget it!

Later I was a Brownie leader for DD's group, and that was fun, until it involved getting the other parents to do things - glad I'm finished with that!

 

["Got Disney"]

Okay for Middle school...I am a head lead parent to the Dean...he puts the Events together and I get in contact with the other 3 leads and we organize the events and get the volunteers...it does not soung like much but we are talking 1200 students, all dances, movie day,History Day,and so on.

Also incharge of all donations...get about $5,000 donations year all by myself...lots of calls and letters.

Ane 2 PTA's, Elementary School and Middle.

Elementary school involved in different commities every year....this year I am as always room parent, Honorary Service awards, 5th grade graduation,
5ht grade Field trips, End of the year pool party at my house with PTA familys(about 70 adults and children)...PTA Christmas party/meeting at my house with about 20+ people, pluse I volunteer at all events.

I am a SAHM also and work harder know than when I was a nurse(nurse for 22 years)..but I do love it...

 

[aprilgail2]

Was class mother (shared job between three moms) last year.. never again!

I had two very uptight mothers who wanted things just so, and they were so upset that I never came to PTA meetings.. (those gossip fest meetings were scheduled on class nights)

I sub in all the schools within the district --19 schools total. I do a lot of time with all the students, not just my own kids.

At my daughters school you can not be a class parent unless you attend PTA meetings. We have yet to "fire" one for not showing up since most do but other schools in the district have "fired" their class mothers for not attending repeatedly. I am class mom for my daughters class this year with another mother, we are the only ones that plan and show up at the class parties, no other parents can be in the classroom at all as helpers or whatever and I really prefer it that way. I don't want an adult I don't know in the class room all day and I know what happens when the schools do allow it. My friends district does and when she and the other moms get together its a major gossip fest as to which kid is bad, which kid can't read a lick, which kid wears old clothes etc...I don't think parents of other children should be able to have that knowledge and be able to gossip about other people kids like that, its terrible.

I was always a teachers helper. Last year I ran art class for 6th gr. Loved it all!

Why would a parent be running an art class??? Don't they have an Art teacher for that??

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

My DD goes to Catholic school so our parental involvement involves alot more planning then actually going into the school. Diocese requires fingerprinting, training and continual ed to have direct contact with the kids. And if anyone thinks this is overkill, yes there have been issues once fingerprints are run.
I'm on the equivalent of the PTA executive board (HSA at our school). I just ran the spirit wear sale, running the artwork program (not art class), part of the decision making for all fund raisers. Yes it takes alot of time but we have an incredible group of women that want nothing but the best for the kids and teachers. If we had a catty group of gossiping women then I wouldn't enjoy it and probably wouldn't be so heavily involved. But to be honest, its really hard to get catty and gossip when Father and Sister are right there with you the whole time. Seems to put you on your best behavior.

 

[Cindy B]

At my daughters school you can not be a class parent unless you attend PTA meetings. We have yet to "fire" one for not showing up since most do but other schools in the district have "fired" their class mothers for not attending repeatedly.



Why would a parent be running an art class??? Don't they have an Art teacher for that??

Believe it or not our "uptight rhymes with witch" principal actually fired a room mom this year. This room mom was fired because this mom did not agree with the principals viewpoint on an issue separate from being a room mom.

The principal said "Since we can't agree on this issue, you can not be room mom" and sent her an official notice and BANNED her.

The principal tries to BAN parents from coming in unless you are a room parent, but that didn't fly. The principal at one point had a checklist for entry--(door is a secure buzz in entry) of only room parents. The secretary had to check off only room parents!

Well that didn't fly, so she isn't doing that anymore.


As for a person doing art--some schools have no specials anymore unless someone volunteers to do them. I have seen this in other districts for art and PE and library type activities. I guess better to have a dedicated volunteer to come in to do this instead of having no art at all.

 

[Glinda64]

I have been volunteering for the past 5 years and have found that I enjoy all of the activities that involve the children, but few of the ones who involve the parents.