I was just too worn out to post last night after the PTO meeting. I swear, these people need to get a life. There aren't very many parents who actually show up, but it's always a circus.
It's interesting to see what the "hot button" topics will be. Last night, it was whether to do the Secret Pal project during Catholic Schools Week. Basically, each kid is assigned another kid to be a Secret Pal for the week. The kids are supposed to exchange small gifts ($1 to $2) each day Monday thru Thursday, then the Friday gift can be up to $5.
The problem with this is that some parents spend way more than the limit, other parents send nothing. So, you have one kid open a gift that's a CD and the kid next to them opens a banana (no shit, Buddy got a banana one year).
I understand that there are some families who earn less than others. I also understand that this whole thing makes some children very unhappy. There really is no way to "police" the gift exchange - furthermore, Catholic Schools Week should focus on the faith, not on gifts. So, we'll see how this pans out this year.
Buddy has been there since preschool and is now in 4th grade and it's been an issue every single year. I thought a few moms were going to have heart attacks over the matter, though.
Well, no matter, I will gleefully attend the next PTO meeting.
Really?
ReplyDeleteIf that's the case, can I call YOU to attend the next PTO meeting with me here? I'm betting we could have some fun.
I refuse to go right now, as most of the women at Nooze's school could be cast in The Stepford Wives. Helmet hair and all.
I'm a Yankee, and therefore Do Not Fit.
Gift every day at school? That never happened at my school... or did it? I could have just been cheated!!
ReplyDeleteHeehee! A banana!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty lucky. The PTO at my kids school are pretty chill people. They don't bicker about stupid stuff, and most of us work full-time, so we don't have time for drama.
The football Moms, on the other hand, are probably the same Moms that Renratt knows. Holy hell, where do these people come from!?!? I mentioned once that I thought the practice schedule was too hardcore for little kids when the weather was in the 90s+ and you would have thought I said there was no Jesus or something. I kept waiting for them to come and burn a goalpost on my front lawn. THey're evil, I tell you. EVIL!!!
Secret WHAT day?
ReplyDeleteI'd say ban the whole frigging thing. That simply cannot end well.
I hate when people cannot comprehend rules for stuff. How hard is "buy something that costs more than $1 but less than $2 be?
ReplyDeleteAnd... if you ain't got no money, don't sign up!
Of course, this depends on it not being mandatory.
I NEVER sign up for gift exchanges. Why? Because as a kid I got a half-used bottle of body spray, most likely swiped from someone's Mom's dresser.
NEVER AGAIN!
I can't even remember what I was going to write. "I got a half-used bottle of body spray" knocked whatever it was right out of my mind.
ReplyDeleteOn the gifts, you could always take a Fundamentalist approach: Each kid picks out and writes a Bible verse for his or her secret pal. Sure, nobody will like it (and some folks will swear their kid got a pointed Bible verse), but it'll be equal.
You should just stand up at the next meeting and say, "Why be equal? Life is not equal and school should prepare your kid for life." Sure, that won't be popular either but you'll get to watch some lively conversation if you ignore that it's pointed toward you.
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ReplyDeleteit's not just the Secret Pal projects, my mum is a member of a diplomatic community and is plagued by the same problems... csssht... adults these days...
ReplyDeleteI'm with Tiff - that should be banned. If some people won't play by the rules, it is better to do away with it than to disappoint the kids - or have them expecting too much.
ReplyDelete