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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A lot of the projects are make-work by underemployed women with too much time on their hands.  Like Ancient Civilizations day where the hyperweird moms show up in costumes themselves!  We moved from a school with lots of stay at home moms to one with significantly fewer and the demands for silly make-work projects went down exponentially.
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+1. We're only in PK-4, not K yet, but we're in an area of the city with a lot of dual high incomers. I can only think of one stay at home mom in our three years at the school.  We have almost zero requests/obligations to participate. The occasional "please send in any milk cartons for a craft project" and a once-annual request to work the bookfair. But nothing else.  Another anecdote: We looked at the Capitol Hill Day School last year and they have a field trip at least once a week, and insist that no parents chaperone because they know that parents in the city almost all work, they didn't want to create parent one-upping, and they think kids do better without the heavy involvement.

My friends in the suburbs describe preschool as hell, with weekly requests for chaperoning trips, mother's day tea, and other requirements to take a half day from work.  Lots more stay at home moms there.

It's one thing to try and increase family involvement in poor districts where the kids' academic outcomes can be affected. But I see zero benefit in upper middle class areas to having moms miss half days to hang tinfoil snowflakes for the holiday party.  [/quote]

When I was working, I had two hours a night with my kids. It was not enough for me. My preschooler was sad when mommy missed yet another class party. I'd be relieved if I wasn't chosen to chaperone a field trip. I'm now a SAHM of 3 kids. They keep me plenty busy and our family is happier, especially me. I felt such guilt missing out. All parents handle these feelings differently. Some moms seem to get angry at the school for being demanding. I would feel guilt to know my child wished I was sitting next to him at Thanksgiving lunch at school. [/quote]

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