I am going on three years of service on the board and am amazed at how adult women act at times! I have even seen wives of pastors yelling and screaming yet try and be "the" perfect mom.

People listen and see and will make decisions about what they think all on their own. I suppose you could go with the ol' Sticks and stones thing but still those words still sting.

I recently had to tell my members about my pregnancy and would you believe someone asked not only if I'm crazy (Baby #5)but if I was keeping the baby! I was so mad and handed her my last ultrasound picture and asked what do you think!
That reaally hurt but she said it in front of 3 school admin. and a handful of parents-- whom all wished me well and couldn't believe her comment.

Hold your head high and the truth always comes out...as will my new bundle of surprise!

Just think, they have to sleep with themselves at the end of the day and get up and see themselves in the mirror each morning, they will get what they deserve. We on the other hand have more important thing to do then worry about the gossip.

MOM4, I am going through the same problem right now. There is one mom that absolutely cannot stand me and will be very snippy and short with me when she comes to meetings (she has come to 2 in the past year and a half that I have been Pres). Now there is a group that seems to stay clear of me and I found out tonight that a major issue is blowing up infront of my eyes and it stems from them. When I decided to become President I did it for the good of the kids especially mine! I did it to have a positive influence on things that affected the students in our building! the sad thing is that when these other moms talk it hurts your feelings! I wish I could put a stop to it but. . .

Thanks for the advice.. Im hoping everything will just blow over in time. I wish we could send a reminder in the news letter but everything goes past the princible first... She would never permit anything that could slightly make her look bad!! Next year I think I will just be a parent and not an officer.
Sometimes ignorance is bliss...lol
mom4

[This message has been edited by mom4 (edited 11-04-2001).]

Hi, I am not sure I should answer this because you asked for a mom but from a dad's side, it can be handled in a couple of ways depending where and went the gossip happens and what position you have in the PTO.

Any gossip that comes from the outside, IE the walkway while everyone is waiting for the kids, this does not matter, it is outside the building and if they do not have the guts to confront me or the PTO then it is not listened to.

If it is something that comes up at a meeting, we address it there and ask for proof. These type of things usually come in the question form "I have been getting phone calls or some parents came to me in the school yard ..." The simple question, where is the list of callers usually puts an end to it.

Finally, if everything is getting out of hand, a note in the newsletter or something sent home reminding everyone what we are there for, the children, all the children, usually gets things back on track.

i hope this hit some part of what you are looking for.

How do you all handle the gossip and back stabbing of having 4or5 other moms together?
Does anyone else ever just want to quit for their own sanity? This one mom in our pto made it very clear to me that she was a upstanding member of our community... and anyone that crossed her was a nobody!!! Arent we all nobodies? To hear a statement like that come from a pto mom... wow devestating. How should I deal with a person like that? Should I just stop participating in the pto? Or let her slander people and keep my mouth shut? any suggestions from moms that have been in this place would help ease my mind. mom4