We ask NHS students from the local high school to watch the children in the cafeteria and gym during our meetings. Our meeting attendance has increased because of this. Everyone benefits we get free childcare and the NHS students gets community service hours.
A few years ago, to help increase attendance, we started having dinner meetings for our PTO. We order pizza and supply pop and dessert (usually packaged cookies) for a small fee $2 per person. This helps working parents to increase attendance since they don't have to worry about dinner. We also provide childcare for children 3 and older (who are potty trained)...since otherwise there is a licensing and child/adult ratio issue. We have a couple of paraprofessionals come back (they are paid) and they feed the kids and watch them in the gym, while the parents meet in the media center for their dinner and meeting. It seems to be working since our numbers have gradually been increasing. We've been averaging over 30 people at each meeting so far this year.
We allow children to our meetings. Actually, the children who stay for the meeting are volunteers that help us adults at events and the children that are not interested go to the gym and take the younger children and play until meeting is over. The school is locked, so no one in, no one out. I have posted on the website and letters home to bring children. This draws more parents if they know their children are welcome.
I have also seen an up side of having the kids there. The ones who volunteer to help at events, are the ones who will volunteer (without mom) at middle school. One girl in 7th grade comes back to the elementary school two nights a week to assist the elementary school teachers with tutoring. One boy along with my son volunteer to work the concession stands on their middle school nights to help raise money to purchase technology for their teams at middle school. All of them have volunteered and sold candles for this same purpose.
I feel that we have instilled in them the value of donating their time and helping to improve their middle school, without mom!!
We hire babysitters who entertain the kids in the gym and/or band room while we meet. The babysitters are paid with PTO funds; its a free service for parents who use it. It's a great compromise, imo.
Our executive board meets from 6-7 and our general meeting starts at 7.
We also allow children at our meetings. I only bring my older daughter(13 yrs old) and my husband keeps the boys at home. Some mothers do bring their kids but the kids usually end up in the gym playing during the meetings--we have one of the older kids keep an eye on them. We get alot of info from the middle school age kids who do attend (like my daughter), its always nice to know what the kids think and would like done (at least I think so). We tease my daughter that she is the future PTO President--she loves PTO and enjoys going to the meetings and volunteering for us.
I know if we didn't allow children a few parents would not attend the meetings
We allow children at meetings. For the reasons already stated-you will lose volunteers otherwise. We bring in a snack for the children ,coloring and game activities and one of the parents volunteers to sit with the children and keep them occupied for the meeting.
