Since School has started back I am debating if I want to Run for PTO President again this year. I gave my spot up last year because I was very BURNED out But I missed it and Last year to be honest It didn’t even seem like we had a PTO! I think they held One Activity the whole year!

I really felt Bad giving it up because its only the same 5 MOMS every year and these ladies have been doing it for the last 5+ years and it was my only 2nd year. I think the biggest thing for me was I couldn’t get other parents involved. I had big plans I had great Vision but it didn’t shape up like i wanted it to. Even though I will not say that my efforts and hard work didn’t make a difference because it did. I gave all my time working on activities and stuff that our school has been lacking. We had a very good year and the kids and the staff did enjoy it so that was all that matter.

I still question why parents don’t get involved. When I first started I heard that they didn’t really know the role the PTO played, felt that they was not needed or wanted, The other moms seemed stuck up, the hours of the meetings was not good for them. So I changed all of that but still only got 2 new moms on board after they all promised me they would at least come to ONE meeting. I took it hard I can admit that. I put everything i could into at least showing them that We are a team and we need to work together for our children.

Teachers and staff would share stories on how they see the same things in the class rooms and not to take it personal but How could a parent just not care? How could a parent Not know what is going on with their children in the class rooms let alone not make sure that child is doing homework!

Everyone wants to blame the school systems and teachers over failing test scores but don’t want to admit if they spent just 30 mins a day helping their child with homework test results in the US would be up. It’s time that parents need to understand we can’t put all this on the teachers! I am not saying all teachers are perfect some are there just to get a paycheck but the others love what they do and really want our kids to succeed . I have been blessed with some Great Teachers but you know I worked very closely with them and if I had any doubts or questions you best believe I was emailing or calling her and if i Didn’t get the answer I needed I went to the principal and let me add that only happened one time.

Parent involvement in schools is much more than parent conferences,PTO Meetings and a few school activities
Involvement Can Mean…….

Reading to your child

Make a point of going through papers in their bag sometimes they might have really forgotten they had homework.

Helping and Checking homework every night

Spend a few hours in the classroom.

Discussing your children’s progress with teachers

Voting in school board elections

Helping your school to set challenging academic standards

Voice any concerns that you may have to the school staff

Limiting TV,games,or computer time on school nights

Becoming an advocate for better education in your community and state.

Praise your child for good grades and behavior.

Also, it can be as simple as asking your children, “How was school today?” But ask every day. That will send your children the clear message that their schoolwork is important to you and you expect them to learn.

Studies have even indicated that children whose parents share in their formal education tend to do better in school. Families can help their children both at home and at school. When families are involved in their children’s education in positive ways, children achieve higher grades and test scores, have better attendance at school, complete more homework, demonstrate more positive attitudes and behavior, graduate at higher rates, and have greater enrollment in higher education So Why are we still lacking parent involvement?

I haven’t decided if PTO is right for me and my kids this year but what i do know is that I will be working any free time i can in the classrooms, making sure my kids class work and home work is done everyday, and keep having strong relationships with the school staff I mean we are on first name basis lol. I have learned that I can’t stress what other parents are doing even though I hate seeing a child be left behind but I can make sure my kids continue to make Straight A’s and get the Education they deserve.

“In this complex world, it takes more than a good school to educate children. And it takes more than a good home. It takes these two major educational institutions working together”. Dorothy Rich, author of MegaSkills®

So With that I would love to hear if you are facing these issues in your school system and how you are involved in your children’s eduction?

Today Has been a day from HELL! First Day Out of school for the weekend and my kids have became little wild kids! They have been up since sun up either fighting or getting in to stuff! I let a lot slide but I do have my limits and today they Have pushed them like NEVER before Plus the fact that I am pmsing IS NOT HELPING!

I know kids will be kids as everyone seems to remind me but with everything it has its limits and don’t mean they can just run free like wild Animals! So After I had warned them several times I sit down and get on the computer doing my normal blog hopping, twitter,facebook, and checking out Mom dot of course!

I hear this big bang and Glass breaking and kids running I just sit here trying to stay calm before i go see what has happened!

Sooo I walk upstairs to find the 2 oldest ones looking like they have just seen a ghost and they started pointing fingers at each other. still I don’t see the damage so then i walk down the hallway….. my Home interior picture was in the floor and glass was everywhere!!!!!! I didn’t know if I wanted to scream or cry this was one of the first pieces of fine art I bought when I moved out on my own umm 12 years ago and with that being said I loved it and it had lots of meaning behind it because one I was grown, moved out and worked to buy it myself even when everyone told me it was crazy to spend that much on a picture! BUT who cares it was My Picture MY money and I wanted it lol..

So My Anger came out full force after picking up tiny pieces of glass and hearing Jada tell me over and over that Dre and Jasmine was fighting and broke it like i didn’t Know that already lol.. My blood was boiling!

So I took the computers, tv, games, and whatever else I could find that I thought they liked and put it downstairs. I couldn’t even bring the words out of my mouth what I wanted to say so to be on the safe side I just walked away with the stuff in my hands and locked my self in my room! Of Course 5 mins later the older 2 must have sent Jada in here to tell me they were sorry LOL and even brought me a few dollars they had from left over lunch money.

Now I am sitting here actually calm and not upset about the picture as much… I can get it re-framed. I just wish my kids would stop fighting with each other so much! I am actually blessed that I do have well behaved kids compared to some and our only issue is the fighting but of course I cant have everything perfect.

So For the rest of the day everyone will be in their rooms separated to have time to think about what happened , after I have my calm but powerful talk with them at dinner tonight. Changes are going to have to be made around here and I have got to stand my ground with this one because i will not allow my kids to fight or hurt each other mentally, physically or verbal.

So Mom’s tell me how you handle fighting siblings?

As most of you know I am not really big on Facebook Or MySpace But I am trying to reach more readers and we all know Social networking is the way to go. So I decided to go ahead and least give Facebook another chance.

The Few friends I did make in my short time was many of my blogging friends and let me just say THANK YOU The other small few was either family or people from my past. I am happy to say that I found some great blogs during the day that most likely wouldn’t have found.

For the most part I Just lurked and read peoples page’s and didn’t even bother to add them to my friends list which I observed and found that …

1. Some people never grow up
2. Some feel it’s ok to just settle
3. People love attention even if it’s negative!
4. High school drama even after High school years!
5. People are more FAKE ONLINE then in person!
6. People are looking to hard to find that special person.
7. Still putting all their business out for the world to see.
8. Women think it’s ok to bash men but don’t look at themselves (sorry sometimes the issues is not just the men it’s time we as women step back and look in the mirror)
9. Women complain about what they want out of a man but keep settling and letting the man do whatever he wants …AGAIN IF YOU ARE GOING TO LET YOUR MAN TREAT YOU like that and not stand up he is going to keep doing it! SO IT’s YOUR FAULT!
10. Don’t keep saying what you want or going to do. JUST DO IT THEN COME BACK AND TELL EVERYONE WHAT POSTIVE THING YOU DID! Nobody wants to hear you say 1000 times but you still have never followed thru!

But the most important thing I learned in just the little 24 hours is How blessed I Really am. Sometimes I tend to over look the small things that I take for granted. I am blessed that I don’t have drama, I have a lovely healthy beautiful family, I have my life in order, I have goals, I own my own house and small business ,I have changed over the years in Better ways, I didn’t settle when even though it might have been easier or what was expected.

So with that I still haven’t decided if facebook is for me but I am not going to write it off just yet, But I have decided that I am going to leave high school and friends in the past just that THE PAST with the exception to some that have got their heads on straight and doing them! I am sorry we are 29+ plus years old now and most with kids so If you still don’t know where you’re going in life or even have a plan then I don’t have time for it.

I don’t think I am better than anyone never have but I have to practice what I preach as a mother and surround myself with people that are going to push me to the limit and NOT bring me down!

So my question of the day is… Are you surprised seeing where and what people from your past are doing?