So yesterday was a typical Monday for me, or what seems like one. My to-do list was on average twelve things. Five small four to ten minute projects, Four medium projects that would take 20 to 30 minutes and then 3 big projects which would take a couple hours. No problem. As I started tackling my list other things started piling on turning my to-do list into like a Marathon. But I'm not complaining. I like being busy. Today is another busy day filled with a lot of finishing up yesterday's list and some things I recently added.
Writing, working, and being a parent, your schedule gets filled up pretty quick. For me I wish my daughter's swim team would understand this. See, during that to-do list I was tackling, I received FIVE yes FIVE emails about how I needed to donate not only my time but cases of water, snacks, and what not for their upcoming swim meet so they can sell this crap at the concession stand. Normally this wouldn't bother me. In fact if you knew me beyond the blogging end like some of my CP and friends do, you'd know I'm always happy to help any way I can. So why am I so miffed now, well, I already gave them money for their concession stand, cause it was in the fee's for the entire year. Yet every week, I get these emails about all this extra crap they want or need me to buy. Seriously!
It's things like this that makes me so upset, that I can't hold back my feelings much longer. I emailed this woman and told her I couldn't volunteer during the meet because I was completely swamped with other things and I don't have a sitter for my son. This lady emails me back and says I need to hire someone to take my place, UMMMM EXCUSE ME!!! Lady You can SUCK IT!!!
Further more, she asks that I donate all this crap. Do you think we're all made of money and it grows on trees? Even if I were, this is BS to the Max and if I didn't pay for the whole year already and my daughter didn't enjoy this crap I'd pull her out so fast it wouldn't be funny. I'd also demand a refund for the rest of the quarter. So I email her and remind her I can't do this stuff and she should have given the parents more notice than four days before a meet.
So lady comes back with, I just don't understand why you can't fill your part as the supporting parent. Supporting parent??? I swim with my kid whenever I can. I tell her what areas she did really really good in. What areas she's better at than I ever was. This makes my kid happy. And I do this in not only the sports she plays but in Life in general. Don't tell me how I'm not supportive you ignorant woman. You don't know me. Or what I do. GRRR. Needless to say my email wasn't polite, although I tried. (Not winning a parent of the year award from them after that email)
What do you do when you can't contain your resentment toward something anymore?
First I pray for the words, because left to my own devices, I'd sound like a raging lunatic! Hopefully there is something else your daughter likes to do. Good luck with this.
ReplyDeleteOMG, I could feel your rage and it was so contagious. I know exactly what this is like. Well, not quite. I have been trampled on and nickled and dimed (that's an old saying and it is so not accurate-because, I have been big dollared and dollared to my breaking point), but I have never experienced anything as rude and pushy as what you described. I cannot believe she would suggest that you actually hire someone to fill a volunteer spot, that you didn't even volunteer for. Perhaps, her attitude is the reason she seems to be falling short on the number of needed volunteers. I would tell her that, if I were you, but hopefully you won't do what I would have done. I always regret my temporary moments of crazy, when I respond to people like this, without a cooling off period. I would tell her she needs to reimburse me the fee I had to pay an assistant to attend to her numerous emails that are interrupting the ability to have a productive day.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like a very supportive parent. This woman is nut case. I can't believe she had the audacity to suggest that you were anything less than a supportive parent. Where are her boundaries? As you can tell, I am getting worked up. I loath dealing with people like this. I bet the reason she lashed out at you and wrote such inappropriate things in the emails is because she is the one who is not taking enough of an interest in managing the parent volunteer and donation upkeep. She waits until the last minute and then make ludicrous and disparaging remarks to the parents. Is she the parent/team liaison? Or does she just take it upon herself to make ridiculous demands? I would tell her that her lack or organization is becoming a real hinderance to team morality and that she is obviously not qualified to work in any capacity that involves speaking to or corresponding with the parents.
I hope your daughter has an excellent swim season, despite this idiotic woman. Sorry, I sound so crazy, going on and on. I just dealt with a similar, equally vexatious situation with my kids and school sports.
Thanks Jo.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, this woman has a lack in people's skills. and the sheet says MANDATORY VOLUNTEER, considering this is a clash on words and wouldn't hold a candlestick in court, I'm just ignoring her emails. In fact I reverted them all to spam. As for you kids, that equally sucks. It's people like this that make me upset because if the kids are having fun obnoxious parents ruin it for them. I honestly think she some how mismanaged the money, and is trying to make up with it by trying to get more money out of the parents. Friend and I who have our kids in this program are looking at another.