Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry but you are playing the martyr. My situation is almost word for word identical to yours (except one kid with special needs, not two), and I still volunteer by doing things like stuffing envelopes, or stapling flyers or researching stuff at night after the kids have gone to bed. We have parents at our school who are dirt poor and still out of the goodness of their heart managed to donate a fair amount of food to our canned food drive for the holidays.
Your kids are clean, dressed appropriately, do their homework, and you attend school events and are in communication wtih the teachers. So does just about everybody else, unless they can't afford to dress their kids, etc.. That doesn't make you exceptional.
At the end of the day, if parents chose not pitch in because they feel like the PTA is somehow trying to lord it over them or isn't deferential enough or they feel the board members are primma donnas or whatever, the kids get fewer opportunities. Your choice.

Anonymous wrote:

I just don't get it. I don't understand how any parent can choose to do nothing at all over the course of a school year. I don't care how financially strapped or busy (a lot of these parents are well resourced) - if you chose to parent you should make time for some school related duties in your life. If every parent did ONE thing, the same ten parents wouldn't do everything. They do it out of a sense of responsibility, not because they magically have 'more time'. It's kind of like shoveling your elderly neighbor's car out; you just do it b/cause it's the right thing to do.

Of course you don't understand. You can't see beyond your own experiences. People like you are like a repellant. You DO have more time, you DO have more resources than others and to expect anyone to operate as you think they should is bullshit. We have a lot of ESL and FARM kids at our school whose parents are doing the best they can. They have the same aspirations for their kids as we do. How dare you think you understand what it's like to work two or three jobs trying to make ends meet, have unstable housing and limited English proficiency? Even someone like me has challenges you can't imagine. Two of my three kids have special needs. DH and both WOH. We have 3-5 therapy appointments every week. Insurance doesn't pay shit and we have no family around that is capable of helping us in any way. In fact, my FIL is a home bound invalid, paralyzed on the left side from a stroke and suffering from dementia. My MIL died 4 years ago and DH is an only child. How dare you think you're just as strapped for time and money as I am. You're not. We do make time for school related activities - my kids are clean, dressed appropriately, get to school on time, eat breakfast, do their homework, we attend school events and are in frequently communication with the school and teachers. Volunteer at whatever level you're comfortable but don't presume to think I should give PTA any of my time.

If PTA is where you want to focus your energy on PTA because you think it's worthwhile, goody for you. Just don't expect others to make the same choice and don't play the martyr.

Anonymous wrote:

I just don't get it. I don't understand how any parent can choose to do nothing at all over the course of a school year. I don't care how financially strapped or busy (a lot of these parents are well resourced) - if you chose to parent you should make time for some school related duties in your life. If every parent did ONE thing, the same ten parents wouldn't do everything. They do it out of a sense of responsibility, not because they magically have 'more time'. It's kind of like shoveling your elderly neighbor's car out; you just do it b/cause it's the right thing to do.

Of course you don't understand. You can't see beyond your own experiences. People like you are like a repellant. You DO have more time, you DO have more resources than others and to expect anyone to operate as you think they should is bullshit. We have a lot of ESL and FARM kids at our school whose parents are doing the best they can. They have the same aspirations for their kids as we do. How dare you think you understand what it's like to work two or three jobs trying to make ends meet, have unstable housing and limited English proficiency? Even someone like me has challenges you can't imagine. Two of my three kids have special needs. DH and both WOH. We have 3-5 therapy appointments every week. Insurance doesn't pay shit and we have no family around that is capable of helping us in any way. In fact, my FIL is a home bound invalid, paralyzed on the left side from a stroke and suffering from dementia. My MIL died 4 years ago and DH is an only child. How dare you think you're just as strapped for time and money as I am. You're not. We do make time for school related activities - my kids are clean, dressed appropriately, get to school on time, eat breakfast, do their homework, we attend school events and are in frequently communication with the school and teachers. Volunteer at whatever level you're comfortable but don't presume to think I should give PTA any of my time.

If PTA is where you want to focus your energy on PTA because you think it's worthwhile, goody for you. Just don't expect others to make the same choice and don't play the martyr.

I just don't get it. I don't understand how any parent can choose to do nothing at all over the course of a school year. I don't care how financially strapped or busy (a lot of these parents are well resourced) - if you chose to parent you should make time for some school related duties in your life. If every parent did ONE thing, the same ten parents wouldn't do everything. They do it out of a sense of responsibility, not because they magically have 'more time'. It's kind of like shoveling your elderly neighbor's car out; you just do it b/cause it's the right thing to do.

Anonymous wrote:i volunteer with my church to help kids who have reading problems improve their reading skills. i also volunteer with habitat for humanity. however, going with the argument of pta supporters, i am a terrible person since my time isn't spent ON THE PTA!!!!!

seriously, pta parents, if you spent as much time educating others as to the benefits/results of an active pta and less time bitching and being exclusive, you might do better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Three kids, I work full time and we move quite often. I just don't have the time. I attend school functions, donate and make purchases through the PTA. Overall, PTA is pretty low on my totem pole. Sorry.

In my mind the PTA is for SAHMs. I'm sure that is a broad assumption and I will get flamed, but that's my two cent donation.

That's completely untrue at my school - about half the board is WOHM, and some WAHM, and some SAHMs. I am a WOHM, and I see that SAHMs have just as much "work" to do that isn't school-related. I think that it is unfair to expect SAH Parents to shoulder burden of providing opportunities/benefits for everyone's kids - especially since SAH parents really don't make up THAT much of the parents in the school. Which is why I volunteer, pay dues, etc. Plus, I just like knowing what's going on.