A while back I wrote a post taking the piss out of people who join P&C committee. Six months later... oh my god, it's me.
I'm the PR and Marketing rep for the school. Despite the fact that I have an aversion to OPC (Other People's Children) and OCP (Other Children's Parents), I signed up because (a) every time someone learns I'm in advertising they moan to me non-stop about how there's no PR/M rep for the school and that so-and-so's school up the road has a PR/M person and their kids get in the paper all the time.
Let's pause at (a), shall we?
School kids in the local newspaper. If it's not your kid are you not simply wondering why this random kid is in the newspaper? Do I care that Little Beth was awarded first prize in the Kindergarten public speaking competition after her ground-breaking one minute speech on Why I Like My Friend? No, I can't even fake it, I do not*.
(b) I'm sick of those smug little knowing glances people share when a working parent can't volunteer for something due to work commitments. Well, knowing-glance-givers, now one of those inconvenient working parents is on your stupid committee so... there.
(c) This year I'm class mum, I do reading a few times a term, I volunteer for the tuckshop, I'm supervising at the school disco, I'm baking cupcakes for the Principal's Assembly, I'm decorating gardens for the Kinder Lunch... and to be absolutely honest next year I plan to do all my PR/M duties via email.
and
(d) The P&C president begged.
So, I'm in. Or out.... depending on how many times I get the little mugs onto page 3 of the local rag, I assume!
Do you volunteer at your child's school? What kinds of things do you do? Do you secretly resent the parents who don't do a damn** thing?
* This is not true. I care, I really care. I was the only parent-of-a-non-finalist*** to show up in the audience at the finals of Kindergarten Public Speaking competition where Beth's speech about'Why I Like My Friend' left me holding back the tears and screaming 'bravo, bravo!' louder than her mum.
** Or openly resent. Either's fine.
*** Yes, you do need to ask: why was Maxabella the only parent of a non-finalist in attendance? Five / six year olds making speeches? I wouldn't have missed this gorgeous little event for love nor money. For shame, fellow non-finalist-parents. You should have been there to support the finalists and show your own child that even if they choose to talk non-stop about puffer fish when they're meant to be talking about friends during their own speech, Mum comes along to support your class anyway.
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