When it comes to PTO and PTA leaders, one thing’s for certain—we know how to get stuff done. Don’t be fooled, though—there’s a method behind all that madness. Some of us run on diet soda exclusively while others are known to compulsively count box tops in friends’ pantries. At least three out of five PTO leaders use their meat freezers to stock up on ice cream and freeze pops when they go on sale. And half of us wear “PTO pajamas” to weeknight meetings (that’s leggings, a spiritwear shirt, and, depending on the season, fluffy boots or comfy clogs).

So, as you’re practicing your back-to-school speech in front of the dog, don’t worry—that’s totally normal in PTO Town. We don’t judge.

 

1. Volunteering for a school event…on the weekend

 

2. Buying and delivering a boatload of snacks without any going missing

 

3. Thanking people repetitively (sometimes even the same person twice in one day)

 

4. Racing from the craft store to the dollar store because you’ve bought out the supply of glow sticks and glow bracelets for the school’s glow run...and it isn’t even happening for another 6 months.

 

5. Rummaging through friends’ recycling bins for good stuff like cardboard and tubes

 

6. Smuggling diet soda onto school premises in a travel coffee mug

 

7. Admitting when you have no idea what you’re doing

 

8. Spotting unclipped box tops from a mile away

 

9. Regularly high-fiving and texting the principal

 

10. Bringing armloads of stuff from your trunk into the school in one trip

 

11. Being super organized when it comes to packing supplies for annual events

 

12. Using the Box Tops app plus Target’s Cartwheel app…at the same time

 

13. Befriending the guy at the local copy store

 

14. Getting parents super excited about being part of your school

 

15. Hugging it out when your PTO president has hit her limit

 

16. Counting pretty much anything, from pennies to paper plates, with a quick scan

 

17. Convincing your other friends to volunteer at school

 

18. Saying yes to all the things no one else wants to do (like pancake breakfast cleanup)

 

19. Staying positive…even when everything seems to be going wrong

 

20. Actually reading the notes from last week’s meeting

 

21. Wrapping anything—from tables to trinkets for the holiday shop

 

22. Practicing speeches in front of the family pet

 

23. Stopping in your tracks when someone actually calls you by your first name instead of “so-and-so’s mom”

 

24. Deciding to run for PTO president—again