Not every parent can come in to help with their kids’ parties, even once a year. When my older kids were young, I was lucky to work at a job where I went to court almost every day and where I was able to sometimes take my lunch hour to coincide with events in the kids’ classrooms. Although my boss didn’t have kids, he was very understanding and allowed quite a bit of leeway, so long as you got your work done. Then, I got downsized (along with that boss), and had to take a job in the city. If I wanted to go to any of the kids’ activities during the day, I had to take vacation time. I would do it occasionally, for things like graduation, but could no longer attend activities. I was never one of the planners, for the most part. The moms in my district who run these things are wealthy, stay at homes, and I felt judged because I have to work.
And, here’s the thing - If someone like me, who is a professional, has to struggle with finding time to attend her kids’ activities during the school day, how is a mom who works at McDonald’s or Walmart going to be able to participate on a regular basis.