SassaFrassa MumbleScrumble...grrrr

kit_kats_mom wrote: My Daisy scouts moms are really Teeing me off! Seriously, I think the girls are more mature and responsible than the parents. UGH

In our handout last week, I put in a blurb about needing an assistant leader. No reponse

I emailed them with some things that need to be done before thinking day 2/23 and included another request for someone to step forward to be my assistant leader.

One mom responded so far to that saying that she's busy and won't be much help.
Yeah, I have free time coming out of my ears lady...NOT!!!!

I finally sent this email tonight:
Hi moms. I wanted to let you know that I need that assistant leader now more than ever. Sorry to be harassing you guys but it’s really important. There is a service unit meeting on Thursday 2-7 at 7pm which I, or the assistant leader need to attend. If there is no one willing to take the spot, I will need to cancel the meeting. I really don’t want to do that since there are only 2 meetings left until Thinking Day.

I realize we are all very busy. I am a Stay at home mom to a 3 year old and a 5 year old pre-k kid/housekeeper extraordinaire/transportation specialist/errand runner/cook and mom to four fish, two rats and a cat(LOL) during the day, I work from 6-midnight 7 days a week for my “paying” job, and I’m the troop leader. Plus, my hubby and I are starting an office cleaning business, my mom is sick in Tallahassee so I visit her often…blah blah blah…you get the drift. I’m busy just like you! I literally spend about 2-3 hours per week on Daisy stuff. It’s not that much.

Please help! The troop is good right now but imagine what it can be with some more attention and input.

Cary

I hope it wasnt' too harsh but geez, it's not like I'm asking for a kidney or something. Just a little bit of involvement in their daughters extracurricular activity. SHEESH If I didn't like the girls in my troop so much I'd throw in the towel.

mckayleesmom replied: What happened to the days where every week it was a different moms turn?

Calimama replied: I hope someone steps up for you!!

kit_kats_mom replied:
Well, you have to go through the training to be a leader or assistant leader but it's all online and it's not like it's rocket science. you also have to have a background check. We are not allowed to have meetings at anyones home for safety & insurance reasons which is fine, we use one of the community clubhouses nearby. The rules say that there should be a leader and assistant leader at each meeting and the other moms/dads/siblings should not be in the room. Now, the moms have stepped up and taken turns for snacks and drinks but I was at the meeting place last week with K and L cleaning up the room we used for an hour after the meeting was over. We didnt' get home till 9.

amynicole21 replied: I think you laid on the guilt trip just right I bet someone will offer. Hang in there!!

mckayleesmom replied:
Well thats shady.....Sounds like some moms and dads are taking advantage of the situation.

redchief replied: Hmmm... a free babysitter for a couple hours, what could be better? I always had the same problem when I was coaching youth sports. But if they think you're slighting their kid in the least, they'll find all the time in the world to berate you! Good luck Cary. For what it's worth, if I were close enough, you would have convinced me.

grandma replied: lol - your email takes me back to my 'team mom' days. Your wording was perfect, making you look like the rockstar you are They are are gonna be thinking "How she does that?"

Hope someone steps up!

A&A'smommy replied: I'm sorry Cary I hope someone steps up and helps you!!

kit_kats_mom replied:
That's part of the problem Ed. I LOVE my girls. Honestly, they are some really great kids. I really enjoy them and I think they enjoy me too judging from the hugs and smiles I get from them. I wish I could do more than I'm doing but I just can't make it fit in the schedule. The weird thing is, most of the moms stay during the meetings so I'm not asking for anything different...just someone to step up and do a little more.

So far I've had no more responses to the email. I KNOW these women check their emails.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: O Cari! How I feel your pain! We really should talk (just to vent mind you I have NO idea how to get anyone to help ) This is my 2nd year as a leader and I am also Cookie Mom and Our First aider and doing EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING for Thinking Day! I love my girls too but sometimes honestly wish they did not have parents!

punkeemunkee'smom replied:
You hit the babysitting nail on the head! We have an event coming up that my girls voted on and I am buying the tickets for the girls I have had 2 moms call and ask if I can just take them myself because they 'don't really like doing stuff like this and think it is boring' WTH? It's Disney on Ice-deal with it!

kit_kats_mom replied:
That's the kind of stuff I'd love to be able to do with the girls. We have a few really cool events coming up soon, the Asian kite festival, a Daisy detectives and a few other things that I know the girls would enjoy but I dont' have the time to plan the trips on top of everything else. I only took this on because I knew Daisies don't sell cookies. I can't imagine being cookie mom on top of everything else.

kit_kats_mom replied:
oh don't even get me started on Thinking day! Only one mom volunteered anything for Thinking day...she's bringing black beans...from a can. That leaves me with the plantains and milk legs. And no one has volunteered to host the SWAPS making party, nobody wants to give up their embodery floss for the SWAPS and no one is coming to Thinking day early to help me set up. It will just be K and I.

What country are you guys doing for Thinking day? We are doing Guatemala and I just got off of the phone with a local weaver. She's coming to our next meeting (if we have one) to talk to the girls about weaving fabrics (a major export of Guatemala) and she's going to help them weave paper mats which we will use to cover our table at Thinking day.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: I was just printing info to cut out and glue to our poster! Our country is San Marino It is the smallest rebuplic in the world. Our service unit decided that the food should be a dessert I can't find a single thing listed for desserts from there so I am going to make something with fila dough since it is cheap and fast and pretend I know what I am doing. Our swaps are crafts to make at the table SO we are doing a small (jewelry type) baggie with stones (the country was founded by a stone mason) and a small cross (he was trying to establish a place to practice His beliefs) and a plastic grape inside I figure it embraces the culture nicely! I am doing the whole set up as well. I have to figure out how to MAKE a flag of the country since that is a requirement of the unit too! I don't know if it will all get done or not! I have to sleep sometime!

Mommy2BAK replied: I really hope someone steps up for you. Honestly, I don't know how they couldn't after the beautiful speech you gave.

sparkys2boys replied: Geesh dont they even see all that you do without the note.. c'mon moms.. helllooo these are your kids here I really hope they step up and if noone does I would send another note out saying that your time is the one that is getting these kids there group and if noone can help it may have to stop. GL with it

coasterqueen replied: I hope someone steps up.

Kaitlin'smom replied: Dang I would have signed up a long time ago. I thought about putting Kaitlin in Dasieys but we just dont have time

MommyToAshley replied: We're getting ready for Thinking Day too... Our troop will be representing the Czech Republic. We have an extra meeting this Friday. We have a troop leader and an assistant leader. When I got the email about the event, I emailed back and asked if they needed any help, even though they didn't ask for it. They said sure... and then I thought, uttt ooh-- what'd I get myself into. LOL, just kidding. I guess I will find out Friday what I will be doing.

I think your response was appropriate. It's a shame no one will help out, that makes it tough. The only thing that might help you solicit more help is to list the specific activities you need help with. The moms might be hesistant because they don't know exactly what will be required of them. (just as my first reaction to the yes response for more help... I have no idea what they will need) If you break it down, you might get more volunteers. Maybe make a list of things you need and have a sign up sheet at the next meeting? It might not be as good as having an assistant leader, but it's better than nothing.

jcc64 replied: I think Dee Dee hit the nail on the head. Be specific- I need 1 person to do X, another to do Y, etc..
I no not the Daisy girls or whatever it is, but dh and I are HEAVILY, and I do mean heavily, involved in youth sports. Literally, the time spent on that stuff either equals or exceeds our paying gigs.

There are some parents that are just completely shameless, and flat out refuse to do even 1 day in the baseball field snack bar. I give them attitude, and then I let it go.
There are other parents that are slightly more cooperative, but "don't know what to do". I always try to prevent that by having a mandatory "parent training" day at the beginning of each season. You don't show, your kid doesn't get on the field. It sounds harsh, but sometimes that's the only language people understand.
I wouldn't expect a flood of supportive, apologetic emails back, Cary. The best you can hope for is a little more cooperation from a handful.

My2Beauties replied: Wow we deal with this type of thing with everything Desiree has ever been a part of. Staci was the cheerleading coach Desiree's 5th grade year at the school. Practice would be over at 4:30 each day they practiced and some parents wouldn't get to the school sometimes until 5:30. They would call Staci the night BEFORE games and competitions and say I can't bring my child, can you pick her up. Um excuse me, you live across town and this thing is at 9 am...Staci was fit to be tied, it was horrendous. I helped out a couple of times during competition season to help with routines and let me tell ya I was a witness as to the lateness of parents picking up their kids and stuff. Staci would ask in every newsletter that went home to pick your kids up on time and to have them at games and competitions on time and they never ever listened. It was very frustrating. I'm so sorry, I hope someone steps up soon.