Daddio044, what you described is a world better than sitting side by side on the couch watching TV with your family. Just because the family is home together doesn't mean they are engaging each other and building a relationship.

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in being concerned with the balance of family and being prez. This is my second year in the PTO, and last year was a little rough - my kids are also in sports (which I coach), both my wife and I work - so it does take away from our family time.

Two things have helped make the past few months easier. I bring my kids to everything - even the meetings. I feel that this is for the kids and they can be there (and other parents do too and they all play together). And, my wife is starting to get involved. At the beginning of last year it was not easy because she was not involved in the school at all and had no interest in it. She also was concerned with the time I spent with the PTO (being the only male bothered her somewhat). By the end of last year she was helping at events, contributing to meetings and also helped in my son's class room. She is now on this year's board and is realizing why I got involved in the first place and enjoy's it herself.

Right now, we spend more time together than ever before, even though it's volunteering with baseball, football, the school, community, etc. And, the kids get involved too. It may not be a typcial family night, but I think it's brought us closer - we are doing stuff as a family.

I know my kids main complaint last year was that I was at the school and spent most of my time in the office doing paperwork. They get upset when I don't spend enough time in the classrooms. They are a little spoiled, I taught them both in preschool when I worked at a private school in Texas.

PTO - PIE No we are not allowed to make donations for anything, if we want to donate $400 dollars to the 6th Grade Banquet, then we have to purchase $400 worth of goods for the party, no donation. Stupid Huh?

Thought I would give you my son's (8 year old)perspective on this issue.
What he doesn't like about me being involved in PTA-
"Never let the kids have donuts in the teacher's lounge. Lots and lots and lots of phone calls, you don't get paid, sometimes people are mean to my mommy and that's all." (I had a bad experience with an election at the school a few years ago-hostile takeover. He must've picked up on it)
What he likes about me being involved in PTA-
"I get to go in the teacher's lounge. It makes you happy. I got to go to meetings and see my friends. I like it when you are at my school so much but I want my friends to meet you by my introducing you not because you're in the PTA."
I guess if you really want to know how it's affecting them, ask them. They'll know better than any of us will how they feel. For the most part when I asked him, he didn't seem to care one way or the other! [img]smile.gif[/img]

As for your question about the PIE, I wasn't ignoring your question but I guess I didn't really understand it. I don't think their is a problem with having the same board as long as the intent is to dissolve the other eventually. However, can't your PTO just donate the funds to the PIE and get a receipt for the donation?

Thank you all so much!! I feel much better hearing about some of the benefits for my children personally. Right now my husband and kids (7 & 8) have been griping alot because of the time I spend making forms on the computer, on the phone finding chairpersons, and at school cleaning the PTO file cabinets and closets. But if you all say it will be worth it latter on, I'll cross my fingers and keep on going. Thanks again, I like hearing good things about PTO instead of only more problems to expect.

Critter--- The reason for the 2 seperate groups is that we need to spend the money in the PTO account (we can not just move the money because it is in the school activity fund and we have to provide reciepts and/or purchase orders for everything spent). Then when we do our fundraisers we want to deposit that money into a checking account under PIE with a three signiture account (Principal, President, Treasurer). My plan is to start off as PTO, start the PIE group, then spend the PTO account on Open House, Trick or Trunk, Christmas Project, Teacher Appreciation, etc... while depositing the money from the fundraisers into the PIE account. If we just start a PIE and dissolve the PTO early we will loose all of our carry over money (apx 4,000). This is also what last years principal thinks is the best plan, because she is tired of the parents comming to complain to me about why we can't do something (like the volunteer appreciation)and I send them straight to her and say "the school has control of the money". The main reason I would like to have the same board for both groups is unity. I would hate to spend all the PTO funds the way we have planned in our budget and then have an unprepaired ex board on PIE not earn enough to cover their responsibilities (Our goal for PIE is 15,000+ to build a pavillion on the back of the school for shade and picnic tables and have at least 3,000 to carry over for the next year).

Any way, I would like more opinions as to wether or not we should have the same ex board on both parent grops. Thank you all so much!! [img]smile.gif[/img]

While there were times I was "too busy", I also think my kids did personally benefit by seeing my role as a PTO leader and the behind-the-scenes view of the school. They know the school teachers and staff better, and sometimes they had a lot of fun helping out. And then, of course they have their own little weird priorities. My son's "perk" was that we got to go into school early when all the other kids had to wait outside when I had to check PTO mail or perform a few other tasks before work. That, and he got to play in the school gym on weekends while I was finishing one project or another. That was far more important in his little world than anything else I did!

Now if the question had been, "What do you put first, the PTO or a good night sleep?" I bet we'd all have the same answer. Ability to work efficiently despite sleep deprivation is probably a required leadership trait!