feedback for "Personal Essay: I Wish I Could Quit You"

1. I've been a PTA President and it can be a nightmare -- but I was at the elementary school level, where it's a whole different ball game. But I had to add a comment here because I DO believe that the fundraisers exploit the children. They should be doing school stuff, not hawking crap which some corporation gets 50% of (at best) and your school only gets the other half. Fundraisers, for the most part, suck -- especially the corporate run ones.

   posted by : ljwilliamson on 12/1/2008 at 3:43 PM Flag For Abuse

2. wait. pre-school PTA? really? a pre-school needs a PTA? i mean, i understand that a pre-school might ask for volunteers or maybe some extra funding from time-to-time. but an actual association? really? hmmm... who knew?

   posted by : kone on 12/1/2008 at 4:26 PM Flag For Abuse

3. yes, this is actually what you have to look forward to for the next 12+ years. I grew up in the private school system and my parents quickly made a rule to only go to education-based nights and avoid all info and meet-and-greet sessions that weren't directly related to education. Even only attending these meetings they still came back complaining about the INANE questions that the other parents felt they needed to ask. Wait until your kids hit high school when there are moms who had to throw fits about how much partying is going and what everyone else can do to control their kids when it is their kid who is wasted all weekend.

   posted by : eo on 12/1/2008 at 10:27 PM Flag For Abuse

4. Wow. That sounds annoying as shit. Personal crayons? So the kid won't learn how to share? Organic everything? Fundraisers 'exploit' kids? And to think of how many bake sale brownies I've bought...for shame. It's a pity you can't just pipe them down with, "Look, that'd be great and all, but we do have a school budget, so if your little Ruttiger really needs their own drawing utensils, buy them your own fucking self". Or maybe that's just me. The worst bit is, those aren't even really legitimate complaints. What about schools that have subpar teachers, lack updated textbooks, and have appalling rates of in-school violence? That's something to get irate over.

   posted by : CrysBellis on 12/3/2008 at 1:27 PM Flag For Abuse

5. I'm on the board at my kids' preschool and it isn't anything like this. It's parents who understand that in order to keep the preschool affordable, we ourselves need to do a lot of work. Sure, stupid things come up and there's always one mom (and it's always a mom) in any group of parents who wants everything to be organic, but for the most part people are trying to work together to create a fun, educational experience.
   
   
   One thing that's different about preschool vs. grade school is that you CHOOSE your preschool. I have to wonder why you've chosen to be a part of such a disagreeable community, let alone be the leader of it. If you choose to take a leadership role, then don't you have some responsibility for how the community behaves? As President, can't you institute some rules for meetings that demand basic respect for other parents' opinions and points of view? Can't you at least start the community down the road to behaving like a community?

   posted by : justsaying on 12/3/2008 at 3:36 PM Flag For Abuse

6. My kids are in private school, so I get a bunch of papers saying what they did, what they are going to do, and how they are going to do it....and pretty much "make your check out to:".
   
   There are parent groups, but I don't deal with them.
   
   Tell me when my kid is misbehaving or when they are excelling. I don't care about the other stuff.
   
   and no offense to SAHMs, but with the ones at my children's schools, they seem to have TOO MUCH TIME on their hands (no pun intended). They are new wave, and everything is going to hurt the kids and oh my gosh what about this and what about that.
   
   I almost got bum-rushed by one yesterday when picking the kids (Denim-4 in particular) up from school. She wants to organize a carpool where there is a playdate after school.
   
   
   I don't want my kids in a bunch of different cars, and if you want to set up a playdate, then set up one. but don't try to force people to play together so you can make new friends, lady!
   
   and fundraisers? If my child is going to hawk something, they're gonna get 100% profit. i guess that's just the business woman in me.

   posted by : ZBecks on 12/3/2008 at 5:29 PM Flag For Abuse

7. I am sitting here laughing and agreeing to every one of the above posts! We have attended two private schools and I am ready to jump ship next year because of all the problems associated with school politics, umbrella parents, close minded school staff, etc. etc. Life is way too short to put up with this and subject my children to years of problems. It was never like this while I was growing up, far too much input from parents who, like the Mom above said, have way too much time on their hands!

   posted by : Poppys Girl on 12/5/2008 at 3:17 PM Flag For Abuse

8. i love this article! can completely relate to it. and, yes, i do choose my pre-school too but there aren't many to choose from so i have to stick with mine. but, i am constantly in awe of parents, mostly moms, who are soo hard core about what their TWO YEAR OLD must learn, should learn, etc. etc. and, i too, have realized that it's really hard to get parents to work together for the common goal.. it's sad, actually. people are so hung up on their child being the best or having the best that all the really good stuff is lost somewhere in the middle. oh well.. juanita.. i hope your parents can grow up and realize the value in a good community and start there and not be as concerned about a soybean crayon b/c really, are they any better??

   posted by : karita on 12/22/2008 at 1:13 PM Flag For Abuse