I don’t want to donate baked goods or shop for Secret Santa’s

[Anonymous]

Same as a pp, I do support the pta in other ways but completely ignore the things they do that are frankly stupid. I’m pretty immune to pleading emails.

[Anonymous]

All these things started when there is as one parent at home. Now, most parents work and most teachers don't need cookies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All these things started when there is as one parent at home. Now, most parents work and most teachers don't need cookies.

I don't think this is true. I've been teaching a long time, and my mother was a teacher before me. This kind of performative parenting is a recent phenomena.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these things started when there is as one parent at home. Now, most parents work and most teachers don't need cookies.

I don't think this is true. I've been teaching a long time, and my mother was a teacher before me. This kind of performative parenting is a recent phenomena.

Quoting myself to add that the part about teachers not really needing cookies is 100% true.

[Anonymous]

I dunno. I enjoy all the cookies and baked goods the kids bring in! And they are so excited to share!

[Anonymous]

Teacher here - please stop gifting baked goods and candy! You’re on the right path OP. Ditch the pta and gifts your kids teachers something they’ll actually like. Everyone who PP is right - 75% of us throw it in the trash or regift it somehow

[Anonymous]

You know what I would love, and would he cheaper and easier - coffee. Just coffee available in the office. Or a water cooler I don't have to contribute to pay for. If water and coffee were more available to me throughout the day and I didn't have to lug 2 cups/bottles with me I would be thrilllllllled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously do what you want. But I can’t imagine depriving my child of the secret Santa from their activities and teams. They love it so much and it’s not that time consuming.

OP here. We do the secret Santa’s. I question why the parent organizers of all these spoiled kids (mine included) feel the kids “need” this. And as for the teachers, the baking is in addition to the gift. I get that some people are really gung-ho, but the pressure and “reminder” emails are really high to get full buy in on this.

It’s not about need. It’s about celebrating the season and giving gifts is part of the celebration. As for the baking, I don’t think it’s any big deal not to do it. There were a few years where I didn’t join the PTA and I never got the emails to participate. So there’s that option as well as just declining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously do what you want. But I can’t imagine depriving my child of the secret Santa from their activities and teams. They love it so much and it’s not that time consuming.

OP here. We do the secret Santa’s. I question why the parent organizers of all these spoiled kids (mine included) feel the kids “need” this. And as for the teachers, the baking is in addition to the gift. I get that some people are really gung-ho, but the pressure and “reminder” emails are really high to get full buy in on this.

It’s not about need. It’s about celebrating the season and giving gifts is part of the celebration. As for the baking, I don’t think it’s any big deal not to do it. There were a few years where I didn’t join the PTA and I never got the emails to participate. So there’s that option as well as just declining.

How do you know the teacher even celebrates Christmas? (Which is what you mean by "the season.")

Seriously give it a rest. If teachers celebrate they can do it at home. Give a gift card if you'd like, but lay off the crazy baking performances.

[Anonymous]

Secret Santa isn’t appropriate for schools. People forget that not everyone celebrates Christmas.

[Anonymous]

I have given teachers nuts I candied but do not anymore because they are deluged by edible gifts. I consciously choose impersonal things that I hope they can regift like candles or Rituals scented products. In the European country where I live one parent in the class usually coordinates a gift card for the teacher and everyone chips in 20-40 euros.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers don't want baked goods...they want gift cards. And I agree, I don't want anymore $5 crap in my house...it all ends up in the landfill.

Exactly--- especially during Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I never participate in food exchanges, partly because my child has a deadly nut allergy, partly because I don’t trust what random people bake in their kitchens (more so in times of Covid). It all seems unappetizing and risky to me.

I volunteered on the PTA for years and logged countless hours at school in the course of my duties.

You’re not getting Covid from Christmas cookies. You’re just a generalized germaphobe. Admit it.

[Anonymous]

OP here. It’s also this notion from the do-everything joiner moms that if we don’t constantly lavish the teachers with effort and attention and gifts then we must not appreciate them very much. In my neighborhood you are definitely expected to help with the many many teacher appreciation things throughout the year. Same with donating to food banks, giving trees, etc. People will share over and over on social media and then when they don’t get enough participants they start texting the signup geniuses “in case you didn’t see this.” The implication is 100% that you WILL participate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I used to teach I remember the PTA assembled cookie plates for everyone that were beautiful-everything homemade. Then in the teacher's lounge you saw a sea of the plates everywhere and to be honest the people willing to take extras home were either young male teachers or people entertaining that weekend. So much ended up in the trash. I remember the head of the PTA coming into the the teacher's lounge with even MORE treats and being horrified to see all that hard work set out on tables because so few people wanted it. They still did it every year. So many teachers are watching their weight or have pre-diabetes or diabetes or just prefer healthy stuff.

Point is-do NOT feel guilty for not baking cookies.

One year the teacher in the room next to me asked me to stop by because she felt so bad for the PTA moms in there. So much food and no one was going. It was embarrassing. I went and took a plate, said thanks so much and then threw it out. We really don’t want the cookies.

x100000


No home made baked goods, please. Ever.