Monday, August 18, 2008

Parent Teacher Organization

What is it about PTO/PTA that sends many parents running for the hills? Is it that many are afraid of the constant phone calls asking for baked good donations, manning a table at the spring or fall festival, donating money? Or is it that many of the parents who are available, stay at home and have the time are not willing to give up the time they have allotted for themselves to catch up on soaps, get they're hair or nails done, clean house or run errands.

That use to be my excuse. When the kids are gone, it's me time, right?

Becoming a PTO officer was ideal for me. I was spending a lot of my time volunteering in my boys' classes anyway, right? Well the only thing that made me nervous about becoming an officer was the rule that says you'll be volunteering about 30 hours a week. Now, I'm all for helping out, but the idea of 30 hours out of my day... and FREE? Want want me to VOLUNTEER my time, then give me a set amount of hours that I need to do it? Okay where is that darn hill?

Lucky for me, I love the idea of passing the buck, uuhh I mean delegating out duties to others.

Everyone is always saying that I don't know what I'm getting yourself into. I must be crazy for becoming a PTO VP. They're going to work me to death. The simple fact is, I don't do it because I have to, guys. Hence VOLUNTEER. The simple fact is, I'm a stay at home mom. Why shouldn't I take time out of my precious schedule to do all I can to help make the school better? Help raise money for the very place that houses my children 8 hours a day and crams their heads with all of the things they need in life? Why shouldn't I do my best to help out the teachers, address their concerns and do everything possible to make things easier for them?
Getting people to follow suit isn't always easy, but I've learned that if you possess a positive attitude others will follow. So my goal is to get as many people involved by making their first volunteering experience with me as great as possible.

Besides, before PTO, I was seriously considering going back to work. Taking on ANY job I could get, just to get some adult conversation during the day. Would haven't been beneficial to the family, though with the price of gas and childcare. So for me, I get a since if pride and importance. I feel like I get to do something other than sit home with Miss Missy and watch Dora all day. It's fulfilling, so I plan to stick with it for a while.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I feel exactly the same way:)

Rebecca @ Mom-a-Tron said...

I am terrified of the PTA. I'm scared not only of the constant request for more, but also the possibility of clique-y behavior. I sneak around as a rogue volunteer. Even so, I revere the PTO/As at my kids' schools. They work!