How to handle this - long, sorry.

angelakh

DD is in k3.  At new parent orientation DD's teacher had sign up sheets out for room parent, door decorators, party organizers, etc.  No one signed up for anything.  Then a couple of days later we had registration day and the same sign ups were out so I signed up for room parent.  There were still several open volunteer opportunities left.  I emailed the teacher and let her know that I am available if she needed any additional help since the sheets were so bare and she responded very graciously and said she was surprised there wasn't more involvement.

So fast forward two weeks.  I show up for the school wide home room parent meeting and another mom is there from DD's class and explains that she wants to help me, but is mostly nosy about what it's all about - her words, not my interpretation.  I am thinking, great - I would love the help.  Our first project has a very tight deadline and we have to work with the other hr parents in our grade level.  After the meeting I find the other k3 hr parent and we work out who is doing what and timing and such.  The nosy mom suggests and accepts responsibilities regarding the project unprompted by anyone.  Now she has dropped the ball at every turn.  She is impossible to get a hold of, doesn't take calls or respond to her emails.

Here is my dilema:

First of all, no one asked for her help, but the offer of it was graciously received.  So if she wasn't interested and had her curiosity filled why in the world did she agree to help?  The things she is dropping the ball on are things she suggested and volunteered for.  I also wonder why she didn't commit to any of the other opportunities if she wants to help.  We have a very long year ahead of us, so I don't want to make an enemy by telling her to take a hike, but I also don't want to deal with her popping up at random times.  So far the other hr parent and I have gone about the project and divided her responsibilities between us, neither one of us has been able to make contact with her since the first hr parent meeting.

I don't have to be large and in charge, I welcome any help and appreciate it, but I get irritated when people make things overly complicated and don't do what they say they are going to do.  I would rather do this on my own than deal with a flake, so how do I tell her thanks but no thanks in a nice way.  Oh, our DD's love each other and say they are BFF and DD keeps asking for her LO to come over and play - yikes!!!

howleyshell

angelakh:

 So far the other hr parent and I have gone about the project and divided her responsibilities between us, neither one of us has been able to make contact with her since the first hr parent meeting.

I'd stop even attempting to contact her and say nothing about it to her.

If she brings it up to you I'd simply say - "oh... I after several attempts to contact you and not hearing back I figured you had plenty else on your plate keeping you busy so we just handled it."

No need to point out to her that she's being canned and start drama. 

Janimal

howleyshell:

angelakh:

 So far the other hr parent and I have gone about the project and divided her responsibilities between us, neither one of us has been able to make contact with her since the first hr parent meeting.

I'd stop even attempting to contact her and say nothing about it to her.

If she brings it up to you I'd simply say - "oh... I after several attempts to contact you and not hearing back I figured you had plenty else on your plate keeping you busy so we just handled it."

No need to point out to her that she's being canned and start drama. 

Ditto