RANT - I Hate the PTA

[Anonymous]

Our PTA has ever so helpfully organized teacher appreciation week into a 5 day ordeal of holly homemaker hell. They have given us a different assignment for each day of the week - day 1, bring in 1 flower for the teacher, day 2 bring in food for a 7am breakfast, day 3 have a your child make a card for the teacher, day 4 get your teacher something from a "wish list" and day 5 bring in a gift for a specialist.

I have 3 jobs, I am running on 5 hours sleep, and I don't have a nanny, housekeeper, or even a babysitter, and one of these women - the kind that hasn't worked a day in 20 years but whines constantly about how hard it is being a stay-at-home mom, asks me what I'm bringing to the breakfast, and I say NOTHING. I am at work at 7am and don't have time, and she says - everyone is busy, you just have to make time!

What is wrong with these women? This is one more domestic expectation that seems to be forced only on women, regardless of whether or not we work as much as men. PTA is a tool of oppression and I want to punch it in the face.

[Anonymous]

This is how teacher appreciation week works.

[Anonymous]

I don't get it either. Ours has five days plus a teacher lunch and breakfast. I'd rather get one nice gift than a bunch of crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our PTA has ever so helpfully organized teacher appreciation week into a 5 day ordeal of holly homemaker hell. They have given us a different assignment for each day of the week - day 1, bring in 1 flower for the teacher, day 2 bring in food for a 7am breakfast, day 3 have a your child make a card for the teacher, day 4 get your teacher something from a "wish list" and day 5 bring in a gift for a specialist.

I have 3 jobs, I am running on 5 hours sleep, and I don't have a nanny, housekeeper, or even a babysitter, and one of these women - the kind that hasn't worked a day in 20 years but whines constantly about how hard it is being a stay-at-home mom, asks me what I'm bringing to the breakfast, and I say NOTHING. I am at work at 7am and don't have time, and she says - everyone is busy, you just have to make time!

What is wrong with these women? This is one more domestic expectation that seems to be forced only on women, regardless of whether or not we work as much as men. PTA is a tool of oppression and I want to punch it in the face.

Then don't be in it and let someone else do it idiot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is how teacher appreciation week works.

But why does it work that way? Because PTA parents design it that way. There's no reason it has to work that way.

--Teacher, also a parent, so I've seen it from both sides and think it's ridiculous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our PTA has ever so helpfully organized teacher appreciation week into a 5 day ordeal of holly homemaker hell. They have given us a different assignment for each day of the week - day 1, bring in 1 flower for the teacher, day 2 bring in food for a 7am breakfast, day 3 have a your child make a card for the teacher, day 4 get your teacher something from a "wish list" and day 5 bring in a gift for a specialist.

I have 3 jobs, I am running on 5 hours sleep, and I don't have a nanny, housekeeper, or even a babysitter, and one of these women - the kind that hasn't worked a day in 20 years but whines constantly about how hard it is being a stay-at-home mom, asks me what I'm bringing to the breakfast, and I say NOTHING. I am at work at 7am and don't have time, and she says - everyone is busy, you just have to make time!

What is wrong with these women? This is one more domestic expectation that seems to be forced only on women, regardless of whether or not we work as much as men. PTA is a tool of oppression and I want to punch it in the face.

You sound unhinged.

[Anonymous]

Just don't participate. This is not hard. And maybe tone back the whining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our PTA has ever so helpfully organized teacher appreciation week into a 5 day ordeal of holly homemaker hell. They have given us a different assignment for each day of the week - day 1, bring in 1 flower for the teacher, day 2 bring in food for a 7am breakfast, day 3 have a your child make a card for the teacher, day 4 get your teacher something from a "wish list" and day 5 bring in a gift for a specialist.

I have 3 jobs, I am running on 5 hours sleep, and I don't have a nanny, housekeeper, or even a babysitter, and one of these women - the kind that hasn't worked a day in 20 years but whines constantly about how hard it is being a stay-at-home mom, asks me what I'm bringing to the breakfast, and I say NOTHING. I am at work at 7am and don't have time, and she says - everyone is busy, you just have to make time!

What is wrong with these women? This is one more domestic expectation that seems to be forced only on women, regardless of whether or not we work as much as men. PTA is a tool of oppression and I want to punch it in the face.

You sound unhinged.

Yes. Yes she does.

[Anonymous]

There is nothing wrong with "these women" but there is something kinda bitchy about THAT particular woman's response. She didn't need to ask you what you were bringing...but you also probably aren't too busy to volunteer to send in plates, napkins, or a container of pre-packaged mini muffins from Costco--so she has a small point.

That said, the one-thing-a-day gifts is annoying, but not required. If you don't want to do it, don't do it. But I'm a working mom too and I find time for the things I want to do...and so do you.

[Anonymous]

1) grab a flower from your garden
2) ignore this-- everyone brings in food. Or send in some grapes or cookies.
3) Have your kid make a card.
4) Get 2 amazon gift cards -- one for the teacher...
5) and one for the specialist.

[Anonymous]

I never contribute to catering teacher lunches--that is the one thing I find so ridiculous. You want me to volunteer at the school, fine. But cook food for lunch involving shopping, prep, cooking, cleaning up, delivering...ridiculous and after all the threads I've seen where people refuse to eat other people's home cooked food due to worries about cleanliness...I can barely get dinner on the table for my on family

[Anonymous]

RANT: PTA prob "hates" you too, OP. Classic freeloader who lives in the fantasyland of pretending all the PTA mom's are SAHMs. We're not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never contribute to catering teacher lunches--that is the one thing I find so ridiculous. You want me to volunteer at the school, fine. But cook food for lunch involving shopping, prep, cooking, cleaning up, delivering...ridiculous and after all the threads I've seen where people refuse to eat other people's home cooked food due to worries about cleanliness...I can barely get dinner on the table for my on family

You sound super nice.

[Anonymous]

I am on the board of our elementary PTA.

I don't think it's necessary to turn teacher appreciation week into a whole rigmarole and apart from one year, I have never lifted a finger for it! The chairperson responsible for it decides on the events for that year, finds parent volunteers, gets funds from the PTA general funds, and I look the other way because it's really not my cup of tea.

OP, your mistake is thinking that you are required to do something. YOU'RE NOT.

Please remember that PTAs allocate scholarship money for field trips and backpacks filled with food and clothes for the neediest students, pay for extra training during the summer or during the year for teachers when public schools don't have the funds to do so, pay for maintenance of electronic boards and laptops, buy books/supplies for teachers, help maintain the playground equipment, pay for artists to come in to enrich the students' curriculum, etc...

Your hate is misplaced. PTAs do excellent work. Just ignore the stuff you don't want to do. It's easy.

[Anonymous]

I’m with you. PTA is run by bored housewives looking for a reason for being.
I would suggest ignoring it, but said housewives get their children involved. Sigh. Just do what you can.
The good news is that these queen bees become less prevalent in middle school.