Why do so many SAHMs insist on PTA or activity meetings during the school day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why won't they meet in the evenings or after the kids go to bed? Do your husband not allow it? Do you not trust them to be alone with the children? This has happened to me multiple times over the past several years where I've proposed meeting at 7pm or 8:30pm and they say they can't because it's dinner time, kids bedtime, they have so much to do. Please explain.

You think you’re sooooo much better than SAHMs, don’t you

[Anonymous]

You're right, OP. It's a big conspiracy to exclude you. You should run for president and create a schedule that suits you better!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As you can see, they don't care that it excludes working moms, who would have many of these exact same issues with the evening meetings that they do. Selfish.

Ok drama llama, what is the precise exact time that works for everyone?

[Anonymous]

Ours does it to exclude working parents. They are super elitist. They have a way of doing things and tell people at the first meeting that they are surplus to requirements (not quite in those words, but fr). I’m on my last kid of several and I’m a SAHM. Well, I suppose more accurate to say WFH, but I have near total control of schedule, how often, etc. Our PTO is like a little mafia and they are very effective. I decided I really don’t need that energy in my life.

I just volunteer for the fun stuff that means something to my son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why won't they meet in the evenings or after the kids go to bed? Do your husband not allow it? Do you not trust them to be alone with the children? This has happened to me multiple times over the past several years where I've proposed meeting at 7pm or 8:30pm and they say they can't because it's dinner time, kids bedtime, they have so much to do. Please explain.

Because the working parents do not show uo for evening events. At least at the schools I was in pta. So we did when it was convenient for the people doing the work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why won't they meet in the evenings or after the kids go to bed? Do your husband not allow it? Do you not trust them to be alone with the children? This has happened to me multiple times over the past several years where I've proposed meeting at 7pm or 8:30pm and they say they can't because it's dinner time, kids bedtime, they have so much to do. Please explain.

I’ve literally never heard of a daytime PTA meeting. 8:30 would also be inconvenient and annoying. Our school does them at 6:30.

[Anonymous]

As a working mom I’m just glad other moms are willing to do this work. I wouldn’t take time from my job for this in the am and I don’t want to take time from my kids in the evening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As you can see, they don't care that it excludes working moms, who would have many of these exact same issues with the evening meetings that they do. Selfish.

Ok drama llama, what is the precise exact time that works for everyone?

This is it. There is no time that’s someone won’t complain about, so they just choose what’s easiest for them. I guess in an ideal world some in the AM and some PM would be best.

[Anonymous]

When I was recruiting for our PTA board, I got push-back from people saying they couldn't do it because all our meetings were during the school day. But none of our meetings were during the school day. They were all on weekday evenings to accommodate working parents. I'd point this out to people but they didn't want to believe it. Just absolutely convinced that the PTA was a bunch of SAHMs who met during the day to exclude others.

[Anonymous]

Our meetings are at 5:30. I still can’t make it because it’s a day my husband works late and I’m shuffling the older kids to/from practices. I guess I could ask for favors those days, but it’s not worth it to me to make the meetings. I just volunteer for the things I’m interested in doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why won't they meet in the evenings or after the kids go to bed? Do your husband not allow it? Do you not trust them to be alone with the children? This has happened to me multiple times over the past several years where I've proposed meeting at 7pm or 8:30pm and they say they can't because it's dinner time, kids bedtime, they have so much to do. Please explain.

I’ve literally never heard of a daytime PTA meeting. 8:30 would also be inconvenient and annoying. Our school does them at 6:30.

yeah - our school did 630 usually with babysitting or kids playing on playground. I think there would have been IMMEDIATE listserv blow-up if someone tried to schedule a PTA/volunteer meeting during working hours, lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is there to explain? Much easier to meet without distractions of children and evening routines and needing to arrange childcare. By 8:30 I'm tired.

Exactly this. I’m not a sahm anymore and I’m not involved in any pta stuff but, for sahms, it seems pretty obvious why a night meeting wouldn’t be ideal. Much easier to get things like this done during school hours when the rest of the family is out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As you can see, they don't care that it excludes working moms, who would have many of these exact same issues with the evening meetings that they do. Selfish.

Ok drama llama, what is the precise exact time that works for everyone?

+1. I’m a WOH mom but much more of the PtA work is done by SAHMs in many PTAs. If the WOHM wants meetings later in the evening, let her step up and make sure she can find an evening crew that can get the required duties done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why won't they meet in the evenings or after the kids go to bed? Do your husband not allow it? Do you not trust them to be alone with the children? This has happened to me multiple times over the past several years where I've proposed meeting at 7pm or 8:30pm and they say they can't because it's dinner time, kids bedtime, they have so much to do. Please explain.

I’ve literally never heard of a daytime PTA meeting. 8:30 would also be inconvenient and annoying. Our school does them at 6:30.

yeah - our school did 630 usually with babysitting or kids playing on playground. I think there would have been IMMEDIATE listserv blow-up if someone tried to schedule a PTA/volunteer meeting during working hours, lol

Who is paying for babysitting at a pta meeting?

[Anonymous]

Never seen that.