The kids had a good time and I guess that's really the most important part. It was nice to see them having a great time enjoying some of the games that I was responsible for putting together.
Over the past two years, I have paid my $5 membership fee to be part of the PTA, but I never go to the meetings. I'll happily send in supplies for PTA events, but I don't volunteer to run the events. I'm happy to stick to volunteering specifically for my child's class. Apparently, I'm an anomaly in that regard. You either sit back and do nothing, or your jump in and do everything and become part of the PTA clique (I don't do cliques, I'm against them.) Today I pretty much went up against the 2nd grade PTA clique. Yay me (<-Insert sarcasm here.)! As the ONLY parent from my child's class to volunteer to help run the Luau, I was vastly outnumbered by the PTA moms from the other classes. I realized about 15 minutes into the morning that I was being deliberately ignored by the other moms (the PTA moms) despite my numerous attempts to interface with them. It made for an interesting morning. I can't tell you how happy I was to scamper home when the event was over.
If I learned one thing only today, it has to be that my instincts to not force myself to be a PTA mom was dead on. I may be a soccer mom now (yes, I'm finally admitting it now that it's been a full year since Madeline has done dance--I sort of miss being a dance mom), but I'm very clearly not a PTA mom. I guess I'm too friendly and inclusive for that snake pit. Hooray for being the inferior version of a volunteering mom!
Yeah, cliques for me is so LAST High-School! LOL; When my kids went to PS (public school) I didn't fit in with the PTA (PTO) crowd either or "the room mothers". I think the room mother's were hand-picked from the PTA (PTO). I only say that because I never got any info home on how to be a room mother, and I just assumed with me being a SAHM I would get involved that way. Even though I wasn't a room mother or a PTA (PTO) member, I did participate often in my children's classroom. I just didn't click with the "it" crowd. I'm so thankful that I don't have to deal with that these days! It's less stress!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm a/the "room mother" for Madeline's class. After the awful year we had with the first grade teacher the year before, I made sure my presence was known before the first day of school. I emailed the teacher a week before school started and introduced myself. I also asked if she had a wish list for the classroom and let her know that I was more than happy to help out with any class parties. I wound up being the mom who organized every class party this year, and I supplied the class room with a few hundred gluesticks (cleaned out three Target's of all their .22 glue stick double packs) and other random items that were needed throughout the year. Madeline's old teachers from Ellie's preschool say I bribed her with glue sticks.
ReplyDeletethat was sad and pathetic behavior on the other moms to ignore you just because you didn't fit their mold of what a PTA mom should be. They should have welcomed you with open arms and be grateful that someone showed up to help volunteer, instead they closed a potential door of how much more you might choose to volunteer. They so need to grow up.
ReplyDeletebetty