Still, Mostly Fun and Games.

Yesterday I had to send out my first note about the first PTA newsletter deadline.

I'd put it off as long as possible because, enh, I like helping out at school but putting together the newsletter each month can be a little tedious.

At dinner one night I mentioned how I was putting off starting the first newsletter of the year, how it was one of those things making me look forward to school a little less. The other thing I'm not looking forward to: making 243 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches in 2008-09.

Maddie, who is onto me and my love of the school year, said, "See Mom? School starting isn't all fun and games!"

Comments

[Samantha McDonald]

Both kids are old enough to make their own PB&Js...and they freeze excellently (the sandwiches, not the kids) so you could actually make the kids produce a week's worth in advance. But only if you explain to Maddie that a smartass always ends up with more chores.

[Middle-Aged-Woman]

On behalf of teachers all over Michigan, Bless you for helping with the PTA! You guys really do make our jobs easier.

[Anyabeth]

I agree, a girl that smart is smart enough to handle her own lunch duty.

[HomeSlice]

i'm surprised your school still allows the evil peanut product in its confines. PB&J is one of the few things my 5 year old will eat . . .so i'm stuck trying to figure out what to feed her. perhaps you can come up with a "creative lunches for stubborn, unadventurous chilren" series.

and by the way, it's really awesome that you do the newsletter.

[melissaS]

Once when I used to write for Blogging Baby (now Parent Dish) I was called a terrible mother for freezing pb&j's. What kind of a mother doesn't have the time or love to make a PB&J every morning for their kid.

I'm a bad mother, but not because of that. Jesus.

[stephanie]

Whoa! Hold up. Do your kids take their pb and j's to school? In my son's whole life he has never been to a program or a school that would allow pb anywhere near!

The PB police are out in full force in Canada.

[melissaS]

I know I'm terrified they'll stop letting us. Maddie would actually have to come home every day for lunch if they pull PB.

Or eat in an isolation booth.

[The Stiletto Mom]

I don't know if you could hear it all the way up in Michigan but the entire state of Texas cheered this morning when the kids went back to school....PTA newsletters and all!

[Robin]

My kid started schooland I attended my first PTO meeting of the year last week. I wish there was some way to be an involved, helpful parent without the PTO obligation.

Maddie's right, it isn't all fun and games anymore.

Good bye summer.

[JRM]

What if you didn't send out a reminder and if people didn't send in their articles just publish blank space? In the blank space where the articles were supposed to be type "Your article here".

[Laura]

If your school does do away with PB - try Sunbutter - it's sunflower seeds, not nuts, so it's not verboten - and it's delish!

You might have to send a label to school or something as 'proof'.

[lisa]

I just sent out the reminder for our monthly PTO publication stuff too ~ not so much of a newsletter, more of a single sheet reminder of what's going on. As much as I wished school to start I'm kind of sad summer is over. Now it's back to spending all my free time at the school getting stuff done.

My kids wouldn't survive without PB&J either, though my son would make a strong case for cold pizza & lunchables every day instead if he had to. At the end of last year I started to make lunches the night before while watching the news and wow, what a difference that made to my morning (plus my daughter started middle school so she started leaving 40 minutes earlier and I don't do mornings).

[Nancy]

As a recovered homeroom mother, teacher's assistant, playground helper, office volunteer, and band mom--let me offer some advice. My children are now in college, but I finally realized a few years ago that I had to learn to say 'no' to the jobs that I found tedious and overly annoying. It was a huge weight off my shoulders to 'just say no'. There are tons of other ways you can help (or not) that can give you joy and will be appreciated. Just because you write for a living does not mean the school needs you to write their newsletter. Maybe something you don't already do all day every day would be more fun.

[Anne]

If C's school banned peanut butter, she would drop out I have no doubt.

[kris]

i went to my first pto meeting when my son was in kindergarten. 4 people showed up. 4. while i do not mind helping, i am not going to be 'head' of anything. i figure if people don't care that much then too bad. the 'president' said that was the biggest meeting they ever had... i always help with the holiday parties and provide stuff for all the auctions and christmas cupboard stuff and help set things up but i am not being head of anythiing so that was the last meeting i went to. bad mom but i always make my son lunch every morning. does that count??!

[Becky]

I am feeling your pain right now. I just got back from my 2nd grader's open house, where the teacher told me I was "the only person to sign up to be Room Mom." I had no idea what she was talking about, 'cause I did no such thing, or at least I'm 99% sure I didn't. . .but now I'm Room Mom. Help me, Jeebus.

[melissaS]

I know you can't make this happen but what I've seen at my PTA is a lot of people involved in doing 1-3 things. Then another group of people doing many more.

But I really think if everyone does 1 or 2 PTA jobs, it's okay.

The newsletter isn't terrible honestly, I didn't mean to give that idea. It's a once a month rush and I have to redesign it if I'm going to be excited about it this year.

Overall though, I've picked my couple of jobs and that's what I do. My other job is mastering the art of No.

[Kim N]

When my daughter started kindergarten they sent out a letter asking which days I could help out. I checked off Wedn. thinking that they would call me on days they had field trips, or parties or extra activities planned that happened to fall on a Wednesday. Nope. The next letter said, "thanks for volunteering! We have you scheduled every Wednesday this year to help in your daughter's class from the time it starts until it is time to go home." It was a fun year, but I haven't made that mistake again!

[Alison]

Nothing says welcome to parenthood in America more than having to make my Yankee daughter PB&J sandwiches every morning. Bleurgh. How can she have half my DNA??!!

[pumpkin petunia]

Yes, Kim N, I have made that mistake before as well. Now I give specific days and *times* that I am available. That's a lesson that only needs to be learned once!

[Samantha McDonald]

Nuts! (pun intended) I already knew I was a bad mother but I had no idea that it because of the frozen pb&js! Huh...I always thought it was the daily beatings... I've had my kids make their own lunches from kindergarten on (with lessening supervision as they age). My reasoning was 1. I'm lazy, 2. I hate wasting food and I figure they won't put stuff into the lunch that they won't eat, and 3. My entire job as a parent is to teach my children how to be responsible, functional, loving adults. And I figure those kind of adults make their own lunch. I hope I'm right!

[KYouell]

My son starts pre-school next week. Thanks for all the tips!

[Aimee Greeblemonkey]

ha ha. I do the school's directory (and take all the photos and manage the school, Flickr account and do all the logos for events) SO I FEEL THE PAIN.

[Aimee Greeblemonkey]

oops, there should be no comma between school and Flickr... with the comma it insinuates that I manage the school. Which I do not. That's my friend Sarah.

[JoAnn]

I love Aimee's comment. "it insinuates that I manage the school. Which I do not. That's my friend Sarah."

Isn't that the truth? At the end of the last school year, a friend and I figured out that we had worked (and usually managed) every event put on by the PTA.

We are working on "No" this year. I'm V.P. so I don't think I am really good at the No yet. It's all baby steps...

[Elisa]

count your blessings. Peanut butter and all foods containing nuts are banned from my daughter's school. Which means that every single day I need to come up with a lunch and two snacks that she will actually eat and that are entirely free of nuts and seeds, which excludes most cereal bars, trail mix, any dish made with peanut oil or sesame oil...

No, school starting is NOT all fun and games!

[elaina]

I stepped down this year from the VP of Hospitality of my daughter's PTA because I gave birth to another daughter (and I work full-time) but I did agree to do the PTA newsletter. Any suggestions/advice for me? Please?