Monday, April 10, 2006

Stop This Ride, I Want To Get Off

I'm in WAY over my head. I'm totally over committed. I have the disease to please. I don't know how to say no. Lately it's actually let to a bit of snarkiness amongst the school moms, but more on that another time. As it is I'm on my way from one commitment to another leaving a wake of dust in my path.

I want to visually recognize all my activities so that I can decide which and how to give the boot.

PTA Executive Board
Room Parent
Scout co-leader (with Papa)
Serve on two committees at the school
Swimming lessons
Track & Field classroom coordinator
Carnival classroom coordinator
Coordinate the end of the school year luncheon
Scout recruiting volunteer

Those things are separate and apart from the "part time" job I do as a MDO instructor and coordinator. For that I do teaching, planning, registering, billing, and general trouble shooting. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to have a full time job? Unless I absolutely want a new car this year or maybe next I don't have to go back to work full time right now. That's the blessing of Papa's new job...woo hoo! Really I don't need a new ride right now, right now, so I'd rather continue to stay home. But I've got to get a handle on this over commitment.

I actually considered putting my kiddos in some type of camp this summer until my Comadre had a little Back To Jesus talk with me. Bless her! I'm not going to over commitment my sons as I've done to myself. I'm going to give them a summer like I used to have and if their little brains atrophy on movies and swimming, then so be it!

-E

6 comments:

Candy said...

I'd drop the school committes, the track & field coordinator, recruiting and I'd get a co-coordinator for the year end luncheon... at LEAST that much.

Sheri & SuZan said...

OMG...you have fallen into the trap. I'll tell you that I have been there and done that. It does get better, you get to a point where you learn to say NO.

Take care of yourself!
Do something for you!
Breath

Amy said...

I vote for losing the committees because that sounds boring, and losing the track and field because I never understood running for fun - what are those people running from??

Denise said...

If your PTA board is anything like mine I say drop that. Those people are sucking the lifeblood outta me....

Unknown said...

I'm not in anything so I don't have advice. I want to help out but working and volunteering don't really mix.

You can do a week here and there for camp. We are doing diff. places this summer.

Sheri & SuZan said...

SuZan commented for us before. Saying no does get easier.

As a former PTO President, I realized that I actually enjoyed the projects that got me in the classroom, with the teachers, or with the students over being on the Board. I eventually started calling them "Bored" meetings.

Good luck! Making that decision as to what to drop is hard!