Involvement in your child's school is important to you and your child, as well as the community that benefits from your work. It should be fun and rewarding too. If it isn't fun or rewarding and you don't feel like you're making a difference, it is downright frustrating.

Remember that it's ok for you to set limits on your time and involvement. If you have 10 hours a week to give then say, "That's it, I have 10 hours a week." That's about 10 times more time than most people give! Don't feel guilty for setting limits.

Remember that it's also ok to say "No". It takes some practice and it'll be really hard at first. The biggest hurdle is qualifying it. We feel like if we say no to something that we have to have really valid reasons. You don't. Just say "No." That's all. Nothing else. You can pretty it up buy saying, "I'm sorry, I can't this time." if that feels better, but then just leave it at that.

I know from years of experience that when you need to get something done you go to your "Yes" people first, every time, all the time. You don't want to waste time on people you have to talk into doing something if you know you have a volunteer who just always says yes.

Take some time over the holidays to just relax, spend time with your family and focus on your home. After the winter break, you can go back into the school with a new resolve to limit your time and activities to those that are most important to you. Trust me. If the other activities are that important to the school, they'll find people to do the work!

Sorry I guess I did rant a bit. I'm just so flusterated. My few hours a month position has turned into a full time job. Just because I'm a stay at home mom doesn't mean I don't have other things to do.

My husband wants me to quit. I feel if I do I'm letting everyone down.

Guess I want to know what would you do in my position?

It's good to rant a bit and get things off your chest but I have to agree with Jewel3. Is there a specific issue we can help with or did you just need to blow off some steam?

What is your question?

We have over 600 students. Our meetings only see 10 members at the most. We have found things that work to raise money and things that don't. Seems you can always get people together to discuss money.

Fundraising isn't a problem if we stick to the one very successful one. Seems the old members can't let go of the fact that everything we do doesn't have to be about fundraising or making money. With over $10,000 in the bank we can give a little back to our families.

The current board which I'm a member of is trying to change things.

Guess it's always darkest before the dawn. We are still trying to fill board positions after 2 months. Current board divided all events and activities among selves to cut down on the need for committees. We are also splitting duties of open postitions. Seems the board was always on the committees anyway - now we chair the committees and report to the regular meetings and discuss things at our board meetings. Our regular monthly meetings still last 2 hrs.

I'm not sure if we've really solved any problems by doing this. Just know it's easier til things change.

Our events in Fall, Winter, and Spring are going to be Family Events. Complete with meal, activities, family drawings for attending, and some kind of craft. I haven't been able to talk our board into Free meals but the other things are free.

The family events is the only change that I have been able to make that seems in the right direction. In May, I put together the 2 hr pledge idea to the old board. All that was needed was to copy and send out. The forms are in the New president's hands still.

Our group decided at the beginning of the year to instead send home information on every thing we did - all Trash for Cash stuff and a new fundraiser idea. I did not agree but was out voted.

I'm trying to be patient but this has become a full time job and worst of all I can't even enjoy what we do because I have to volunteer for the next event. Hope my family enjoys it.