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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t PTAs get with the times and do virtual meetings like the rest of the world?!

Because it mostly about building community, not accomplishing a list of tasks. We do both, of course, but the virtual meetings are pointless -- might as well send an email to accomplish the same thing.

It's hard to build community when you are excluding a large portion of families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So am I sweetie, but I try to be inclusive to everyone.

Don’t you dare call me sweetie you dog

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing I think is hilarious is that our PTO meets at 10:00am on weekdays twice a year and has zero information about what they do on their website (does not share the meeting notes or budget) then has the audacity to complain to anyone who can listen about how parents don't volunteer for anything. I'm all in on the Venmo mom trend, ladies. F* you, you little hypocrites.

We all are in the pta even if you don't acrtively participate. Not one time did I hear any sahm complain about lack of volunteers or partcipation from working parents. Not once. And yet you are on here trashing parents who do spend their time helping your kids.

Please stop tearing down other women

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re usually eating dinner at 7 or driving to and from activities, even as late as 830. This is no more or less convenient than the morning. It’s exactly as it was already explained to you.

I feel sad for mothers whose husbands refuse to parent in the evenings. I don't understand how if DH and I who both work out of the home can make evening meetings and activities happen, a SAHM with a husband who works can't. I mean by 8:30 my children are home from activities and winding down. DH can handle getting them to bed if I have an activity or event.

You do understand that people have more than 1 kid and some have 3, 4 or more and it takes two parents to drive the kids, manage dinner, put kids to bed when kids are at different ages and stages. Nobody wants to jump on a zoom for a boring PTA meeting by 830 after a long day. This isn’t a SAHM issue that you’re trying to make it out to be. On any given night one kid has an activity from 430-730, another from 530-630, and another from 6–8pm. It’s all hands on deck after school until late in the evening.

Yet somehow my husband manages just fine with three children on the nights that I have work events that don't get me home until after the children have gone to bed. We rely on carpools for the children's activities on those nights. The children my husband isn't engaging with at that time play or read in their rooms - putting a kid to sleep doesn't have to take a lot of time. My kids are pretty independent, even the youngest. It's not as hard as you are trying to make it out to be.

So what? Dropping everything to run to school for a late meeting is no more convenient than staying after drop off with no childcare issues. You could do it if you wanted to but you want to push the hassle to other people rather than inconvenience yourself. Most people in here are telling you they don’t want an 830 meeting. What problem are you pretending to solve?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t PTAs get with the times and do virtual meetings like the rest of the world?!

Because it mostly about building community, not accomplishing a list of tasks. We do both, of course, but the virtual meetings are pointless -- might as well send an email to accomplish the same thing.

It's hard to build community when you are excluding a large portion of families.

I find it hard to believe neither mom nor dad is ever available at whatever time your PTA meets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t PTAs get with the times and do virtual meetings like the rest of the world?!

Because it mostly about building community, not accomplishing a list of tasks. We do both, of course, but the virtual meetings are pointless -- might as well send an email to accomplish the same thing.

It's hard to build community when you are excluding a large portion of families.

I find it hard to believe neither mom nor dad is ever available at whatever time your PTA meets.

And I find it hard to believe you think it’s appropriate to schedule an in person meeting during working hours …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t PTAs get with the times and do virtual meetings like the rest of the world?!

Because it mostly about building community, not accomplishing a list of tasks. We do both, of course, but the virtual meetings are pointless -- might as well send an email to accomplish the same thing.

It's hard to build community when you are excluding a large portion of families.

I find it hard to believe neither mom nor dad is ever available at whatever time your PTA meets.

And I find it hard to believe you think it’s appropriate to schedule an in person meeting during working hours …

It has been explained to you over and over. The world doesn’t revolve around you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re usually eating dinner at 7 or driving to and from activities, even as late as 830. This is no more or less convenient than the morning. It’s exactly as it was already explained to you.

I feel sad for mothers whose husbands refuse to parent in the evenings. I don't understand how if DH and I who both work out of the home can make evening meetings and activities happen, a SAHM with a husband who works can't. I mean by 8:30 my children are home from activities and winding down. DH can handle getting them to bed if I have an activity or event.

You do understand that people have more than 1 kid and some have 3, 4 or more and it takes two parents to drive the kids, manage dinner, put kids to bed when kids are at different ages and stages. Nobody wants to jump on a zoom for a boring PTA meeting by 830 after a long day. This isn’t a SAHM issue that you’re trying to make it out to be. On any given night one kid has an activity from 430-730, another from 530-630, and another from 6–8pm. It’s all hands on deck after school until late in the evening.

Yet somehow my husband manages just fine with three children on the nights that I have work events that don't get me home until after the children have gone to bed. We rely on carpools for the children's activities on those nights. The children my husband isn't engaging with at that time play or read in their rooms - putting a kid to sleep doesn't have to take a lot of time. My kids are pretty independent, even the youngest. It's not as hard as you are trying to make it out to be.

It’s all about priorities. I’d be hard-pressed to leave my kids at bedtime for a PTA meeting. I like being with my kids! After dropoff is better for me. Most/many jobs offer time off, which people may or may not utilize to use for PTA meetings. It’s up to them, but I’m not taking time away from my family for things that can be accomplished during school hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t PTAs get with the times and do virtual meetings like the rest of the world?!

Because it mostly about building community, not accomplishing a list of tasks. We do both, of course, but the virtual meetings are pointless -- might as well send an email to accomplish the same thing.

It's hard to build community when you are excluding a large portion of families.

I find it hard to believe neither mom nor dad is ever available at whatever time your PTA meets.

And I find it hard to believe you think it’s appropriate to schedule an in person meeting during working hours …

It has been explained to you over and over. The world doesn’t revolve around you.

DP. So it revolves around you, I suppose.

I’m a teacher. My children attend another school where the PTA often does meetings during the school day. I haven’t been able to attend a single one. I can’t justify leaving my own students with a sub (if one is even available).

Teachers are parents, too. I know we tend to forget that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re usually eating dinner at 7 or driving to and from activities, even as late as 830. This is no more or less convenient than the morning. It’s exactly as it was already explained to you.

I feel sad for mothers whose husbands refuse to parent in the evenings. I don't understand how if DH and I who both work out of the home can make evening meetings and activities happen, a SAHM with a husband who works can't. I mean by 8:30 my children are home from activities and winding down. DH can handle getting them to bed if I have an activity or event.

You do understand that people have more than 1 kid and some have 3, 4 or more and it takes two parents to drive the kids, manage dinner, put kids to bed when kids are at different ages and stages. Nobody wants to jump on a zoom for a boring PTA meeting by 830 after a long day. This isn’t a SAHM issue that you’re trying to make it out to be. On any given night one kid has an activity from 430-730, another from 530-630, and another from 6–8pm. It’s all hands on deck after school until late in the evening.

Yet somehow my husband manages just fine with three children on the nights that I have work events that don't get me home until after the children have gone to bed. We rely on carpools for the children's activities on those nights. The children my husband isn't engaging with at that time play or read in their rooms - putting a kid to sleep doesn't have to take a lot of time. My kids are pretty independent, even the youngest. It's not as hard as you are trying to make it out to be.

It’s all about priorities. I’d be hard-pressed to leave my kids at bedtime for a PTA meeting. I like being with my kids! After dropoff is better for me. Most/many jobs offer time off, which people may or may not utilize to use for PTA meetings. It’s up to them, but I’m not taking time away from my family for things that can be accomplished during school hours.

I’m the teacher who just posted above. Would you find it okay if I leave your child’s classroom with a sub once a month so I can attend these meetings, as well? Sincere question here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t PTAs get with the times and do virtual meetings like the rest of the world?!

Because it mostly about building community, not accomplishing a list of tasks. We do both, of course, but the virtual meetings are pointless -- might as well send an email to accomplish the same thing.

It's hard to build community when you are excluding a large portion of families.

I find it hard to believe neither mom nor dad is ever available at whatever time your PTA meets.

And I find it hard to believe you think it’s appropriate to schedule an in person meeting during working hours …

It has been explained to you over and over. The world doesn’t revolve around you.

SAHM don’t own the school, as much as they delusionally believe that they do. Our school had PTA meetings at 6pm because the working moms (and dads) were the competent once who knew how to run a 200k budget organization. The SAHM did stupid things like foist their inconvenient momentary pet projects on the school that nobody actually wants. If you cannot figure out how to run meetings that allow attendance by people with j-o-b-s (and on whom you are relying for the bulk of your donations) then you are not completent to run the PTA. OTOH if you just want to control teacher appreciation week, go ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So am I sweetie, but I try to be inclusive to everyone.

Meeting at 8:30 pm is inclusive to no one sweetie.

[Anonymous]

This whole thing is stupid too. You don't need to attend a PTA meeting to participate in the PTA. Pick something you want to help with and send an email. They will surely include you as free labor to plan and run whatever thankless program in service to your child's school you want and you can choose the hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So am I sweetie, but I try to be inclusive to everyone.

Meeting at 8:30 pm is inclusive to no one sweetie.

DP. It’s more inclusive than 9:30am.

The PP above simply wants the convenience of a daytime meeting. It isn’t merely about convenience for many working professionals. They actually need an evening meeting because they are busy with obligations during the day.

So I’ll take meeting most people’s needs over some people’s wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re usually eating dinner at 7 or driving to and from activities, even as late as 830. This is no more or less convenient than the morning. It’s exactly as it was already explained to you.

I feel sad for mothers whose husbands refuse to parent in the evenings. I don't understand how if DH and I who both work out of the home can make evening meetings and activities happen, a SAHM with a husband who works can't. I mean by 8:30 my children are home from activities and winding down. DH can handle getting them to bed if I have an activity or event.

You do understand that people have more than 1 kid and some have 3, 4 or more and it takes two parents to drive the kids, manage dinner, put kids to bed when kids are at different ages and stages. Nobody wants to jump on a zoom for a boring PTA meeting by 830 after a long day. This isn’t a SAHM issue that you’re trying to make it out to be. On any given night one kid has an activity from 430-730, another from 530-630, and another from 6–8pm. It’s all hands on deck after school until late in the evening.

Yet somehow my husband manages just fine with three children on the nights that I have work events that don't get me home until after the children have gone to bed. We rely on carpools for the children's activities on those nights. The children my husband isn't engaging with at that time play or read in their rooms - putting a kid to sleep doesn't have to take a lot of time. My kids are pretty independent, even the youngest. It's not as hard as you are trying to make it out to be.

It’s all about priorities. I’d be hard-pressed to leave my kids at bedtime for a PTA meeting. I like being with my kids! After dropoff is better for me. Most/many jobs offer time off, which people may or may not utilize to use for PTA meetings. It’s up to them, but I’m not taking time away from my family for things that can be accomplished during school hours.

I’m the teacher who just posted above. Would you find it okay if I leave your child’s classroom with a sub once a month so I can attend these meetings, as well? Sincere question here.

You don’t have to justify your use of time off to me or any other parents. If you want to attend a PTA meeting, do so.