I’m torn.

As a parent I have certain expectations of…well…everything. Including the PTA.

As a member of the PTA I have (potentially too many) expectations of parents, teachers, principals, and the community.

There is a tension. A tension that tugs at me daily. It’s the tension between the part of my brain that reacts as a parent and the other part of my brain that reacts as the president of the PTA. I’m not claiming there is any sort of scientific evidence that there are different parts of my brain working here. It’s just that I often have two very different but parallel thoughts.

How can I possibly get what I want from the PTA as a parent and get from parents what I want as a member of the PTA? Seems impossible.

As a parent I want to just.be.left.alone (sometimes).

As a member of the PTA I want everyone to get involved now!!!

As a parent I want people – specifically the plethora of organizations in this small town – to stop asking me for money.

As a member of the PTA I want to fundraise every minute so I can be part of an organization that is giving, giving, giving to our schools.

As a parent I want all information delivered in a neat digital package that lists accurate information including who, what, where, when, why – including why should I care? About whatever said communication is about.

As a member of the PTA I just want to get “it” (lots of “its”) done. And out there. Seriously? I don’t always have the time to package everything up.

As a parent I wonder why it’s so hard to know what’s going on and when.

As a member of the PTA I can’t believe when people don’t know about things. Between the blink newsletter, facebook, teacher / principal newsletters, etc it seems impossible to miss information.

As a parent I don’t want to commit to, or pre-pay for anything.

As a member of the PTA I want everyone to commit, pay for, sign up, and volunteer the minute they learn about an event.

As a parent I want fewer newsletters.

As a member of the PTA – I want the same thing.

As a parent I can’t believe how much time people have to complain about things that don’t matter.

As a member of the PTA I can’t believe how much time people spend complaining about things that don’t matter.

Huh. Sometimes my parent-brain and PTA-brain agree. But there is still a struggle.

I’ve been a mom for almost 7 years (Marlee insists I declare her age as “almost 7…not 6, MOMMY”)

I’ve been a member of the PTA for 1 year.

When conflicted what do you think I ultimately choose? The preferences of the parents? Or the PTA?