I'm thinking "PTO Here I Come"

   So my husband and I have been talking for quite some time about joining the PTO at our children's school. Lots of times things have come up and we have wanted to put in our two cents. I think it has finally been decided that when the new year starts, we will be bringing our butts down there. I can see so many areas that can be improved but seem to be getting worse. And I go on this rant because for the second year in a row, I have paid too much for pictures that come home looking like a crumpled up homework paper. (This is no the only reason I want to be on the PTO! lol)

  I know that the kids should be responsible, but really.... the girls are probably the only one that is going to really make sure the pictures don't get wrinkled, unless its a bad picture then you may see that it hit a mud puddle too.  I've talked to the boys about it, and even though they did try... bent corners and 1 wrinkle is still depressing at $18.00 a sheet!! So why can't we send a notice home saying, Parents the school pictures have arrived, please check below if you would like your child to bring them home or you would like to pick them up yourself. I know it is a  little harder on the ones passing it out, but after paying an arm and a leg, I don't want to put up a wrinkled photo. (Wrinkles are also kind of a pet peeve of mine :)
  Also, I am very happy that we do fundraisers. I am a big partaker in the box tops programs and I like to see the kids get involved. But, why ask for money every couple of weeks and why change the way kids get prizes? It used to be that there was a small prize that the kids get for making a sale period. It doesn't need to be much. But especially in times like this, it is getting harder to sell as many. Also, $6 chocolate bunnies? I think we can do better than that! I mean, we don't need to give the kids a box of chocolate bars and tell them to go out and sell as many as possible... my parents ended up paying for lots of chocolate! But between the fundraisers, the collections, book orders, pictures and sports, it is getting to be insane and I still have one more that is going in a year or two.

   Maybe we need to go back a little and do old fashioned bake sales or crafts and the like. But then again that may not be allowed anymore, with allergies the way they are (and no I'm not picking on the kids that have them, some can be serious... just seems like lots more people have them and you can't bring a lot of things too school anymore) .I think if we as parents start getting more involved and maybe join the pto (if you haven't already) we can start getting some things changed back around. Figuring out ways to earn money but not have it be outrageous.

  How much would you pay to put your classmate in a jail cell for 5 minutes? How much would you pay to send an anonymous gesture to flirt with your crush? How much would your parents pay to let you go to a day carnival at the school where there were lots to do and something for the parents as well? Things I remember doing as a kid to earn money, but I don't see them at all anymore. Don't you think we can reform the fundraising in a good way?

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