My Tip of the Week: Involve Kids in Middle School PTO Event Planning
Being a middle school PTO leader is challenging. The standard tactics to bring parents in -- family events and doughnuts with dad -- don't work as well when the kids' hormones are kicking in and being seen with Mom or Dad becomes a prison sentence.
Bein
ng a
ng a middle school PTO leader is challenging. The standard tactics to bring parents in -- family events and doughnuts with dad -- don't work as well when the kids' hormones are kicking in and being seen with Mom or Dad becomes a prison sentence.
That pressure from the kids not to attend events is very real, and if you want to have success with parents of older kids, you really need to address it. My best advice: Bring those older kids into the process. What kind of events would they find cool? What do they want you to do? Can they help you plan it? Can you even make it seem like it's their event?
One of our Parent Group of the Year winners from a few years back was a middle school group that created several great student events with lots of different activities, including separate overnight parties for the 6th grade girls and boys. The fact is that parents participated and volunteered, parents attended, and connections were made.
If parents are connecting and getting involved at school and meeting teachers, that's the result we're looking for. If you have to have a Survivor contest or American Idol night or an all-night Xbox party to make those things happen, then go for it. Involvement does change at the middle school level -- but if you're creative and flexible, it doesn't have to go away.
That pressure from the kids not to attend events is very real, and if you want to have success with parents of older kids, you really need to address it. My best advice: Bring those older kids into the process. What kind of events would they find cool? What do they want you to do? Can they help you plan it? Can you even make it seem like it's their event?
One of our Parent Group of the Year winners from a few years back was a middle school group that created several great student events with lots of different activities, including separate overnight parties for the 6th grade girls and boys. The fact is that parents participated and volunteered, parents attended, and connections were made.
If parents are connecting and getting involved at school and meeting teachers, that's the result we're looking for. If you have to have a Survivor contest or American Idol night or an all-night Xbox party to make those things happen, then go for it. Involvement does change at the middle school level -- but if you're creative and flexible, it doesn't have to go away.
