A Tennessee mom says she doesn’t wish to volunteer in her kids’ classrooms or for his or her extracurricular activities — and said she’s “found her community” after posting a video on TikTok explaining that she’s a proud “Venmo mom.”
“I don’t learn about anyone else on the market, but ‘Meet the Teacher’ is super stressful because I are not looking for to be involved in any respect,” Casey Neal, 31 and a mother of 4, said in her video that has grabbed at the least 450,000 views.
“I’ll be certain my kids obviously do their homework and get to highschool on time … but I don’t wish to be on PTO, PTA, room mom, team mom — I don’t wish to do any of that.”
Neal indicated that when the start of a college yr or sports season rolls around, she gets able to duck.
“I start getting real stressed once they start asking for volunteers,” Neal said in her video.
“I’m like, ‘Oh no, I do know they’re judging me because I’m not raising my hand,’ but I don’t wish to do all that extra sh–,” she said. “I don’t wish to are available. I don’t wish to arrange.”
But she’s greater than completely satisfied to Venmo money to assist with whatever is required, she said.
“If the room mom needs money for everybody to participate, high quality. I’ll Venmo money right over,” Neal said in her video.
“I are not looking for to establish for it. I don’t wish to do it.”
This yr, to avoid the stress, she said she made that completely clear to all of the classroom and team organizers.
Neal and her husband have 4 kids — ages 11, 7, 5 and three — who’re involved in every kind of activities, similar to cheerleading, baseball, football and more.
“I even told one in all the coaches today that I’m a ‘Venmo mom,’” Neal said.
Neal, who worked as a district manager and ran five stores for Andy’s Frozen Custard until moving to Knoxville this yr, said her job made it difficult for her to attend school functions during the work day.
And that didn’t seem to sit down well with some people.
“Once I wasn’t as involved as the opposite mothers, I didn’t feel very welcome in certain situations,” Neal told Fox News Digital.
“My two youngest, they went to a non-public school before we moved, and so they had a motorbike day, where you brought their bike or their scooter, and [some people] were like, ‘Oh, you’re not staying?’ Or, ‘Oh, you’re not staying for the party?’ I’m pondering, ‘Does no one work anymore?’”
Neal said she also had a foul experience with some cheer mothers a few years ago.
“Their practices are two to a few hours long,” Neal said.
“So I just come back and pick up [her daughter] when practice is over. There was a mom who was talking very poorly of me, and that is one in all the practices I happened to go to. When she realized I used to be there, her face dropped. There was even a dad there who was, like, ‘Not cool.’”
Said Neal, “I don’t need that drama in my life or in my kids’ life.”
“We’re here to set examples, and in the event that they’re talking poorly in front of all of the parents, I’m sure some kids heard some stuff. I just don’t think that’s obligatory.”
That’s when Neal realized she could avoid all the difficulty and still help out by donating her money slightly than her time.
Hundreds of individuals agreed along with her — all for their very own reasons.
“I’ll literally pay for your complete event, just don’t make me actually go,” one viewer of Neal’s video said.
“That is so me. Just let me understand how much money and I’ll send it,” one other viewer said.
“As an introvert, please don’t ask me. I’ll send all the cash and cheer within the audience, though,” one other person commented.
“This. Can we normalize this?” one other person commented.
“You wish door prizes, meals donated, crafts? I’ll drop it on the office. I’m not staying,” one other viewer stated.
What’s much more validating, Neal told Fox News Digital, are the comments of appreciation for “Venmo mothers” by those organizing the events.
“There may be a spot for everybody,” one viewer commented.
“As a room mom and team mom, I can’t thank you adequate for being a Venmo mom,” another person added.
“As a room mom, I like Venmo mothers,” one other viewer said.
Neal said she now has a community of mothers who’re supportive of this behind-the-scenes role.
“To not sound cheesy, but I just thought it was really beautiful,” Neal said.
“Never did I believe my rant would go off. However the comments and women supporting one another within the comments and supporting me meant loads. It takes every kind of individuals doing every kind of things,” she added.
“We’re all there for a similar reason. We just contribute in alternative ways. I just thought it was really beautiful and positive.”
There have been just a few who disagreed with the notion of not giving time to a very important cause, similar to a child’s education experience or extracurricular activities — and so they didn’t mind saying so.
“I do wish to be involved [because] I wish my mom was once I was a child,” one viewer commented.
“Your kids would like to see you helping,” another person said.
“I used to be a Venmo mom until I lost my son last yr. This yr I’m doing every thing to be involved in my daughter’s life. Every moment counts,” one other user wrote.
Others said that they didn’t really need to volunteer their time — but they’re willing to take one for the team.
“As a recent PTA president, I don’t wish to do it either, yet here we’re,” one other said.
“I don’t wish to either. I do it to be certain my kids have one of the best experience [they] can. It’s probably not about me in any respect,” another person commented.
“My thoughts are if everyone felt like that, then the children would have a sh—- experience in class,” one other person said.
“So I suck it up and volunteer so the children can rejoice or whatever else it’s for.”
Neal said her kids love seeing her within the stands and so they know she’s there to support them in all their activities.
“I like being on the sidelines. That, for me, is the most important thing,” said Neal.
“But so far as being in charge, being a team mom, a room mom, I’m just not good at planning, and there are individuals who want to try this. I’ll get a teacher whatever they should make them successful, to assist make the category successful, but I just don’t wish to be in charge.”
Neal added, “And the teenager mothers, they appear to have it under control. They don’t need me.”
