PTA Video Store

I have to admit, when I think of the PTA, the Harper Valley song starts playing in my head. After that, I think of "the perfect moms" who run the PTA, making you feel like a loser for wanting to help out in some small way. You know who I'm talking about - the thin, exquisitely dressed, perfectly coiffed and made-up moms who have the perfect 2 children who are on the honor roll and involved in 20 extracurricular activities; the mom who doesn't forget about events and stop at the grocery store on the way there to pick up a package of cookies; the mom who makes Martha Stewart recipes for class parties. I'm sure a lot of you know what I'm talking about here. Seriously, that was about the extent of my knowledge about the PTA.

Awhile back, I had to opportunity to speak with April and Kate from the National PTA. They set me straight. Did you know, not all school are involved in PTA? Some schools have PTOs, for example. This is not the same thing as the PTA. I had no idea. I thought it was all the same thing!

The PTA is a national organization. It's the largest volunteer parent organization in the U.S. They have more than 5 million members devoted to the success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools. The PTA prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in the PTA is open to anyone.



And did you know there's a PTA video store? I had no clue! They sell only family friendly movies so you don't have to worry about adult content when you order from their site. While browsing titles this morning, I saw several for only $8.99! I know a lot of people rent movies, but when it comes to kids' videos, I like to own them. Why, you ask? Because kids like to watch the same movie over and over and over and over and over again until you can recite the entire thing in your sleep. And it's nice to have a babysitter some quality shows on hand to entertain your little ones now and then. Brooklyn threw a fit the other day because she wanted to watch Phineas and Ferb. It wasn't on TV right then and she's too young to get the concept of "YOU CAN'T WATCH IT IF IT ISN'T ON TV!!!" It's nice to have DVDs of some of their favorites shows on hand. Really nice. Trust me.

You can check out the video store here! And you can buy gift cards, which are great to have on hand when your kids are being constantly invited to birthday parties week after week. Kids can pick out their own movie and parents can know that they'll have a G or PG rating. And when you purchase a card, a percentage of the proceeds go toward the PTA.

I have a $20 gift card to the PTA movie store for one lucky reader! Just leave me a comment here and I'll select a random winner on Tuesday, Jan. 27th. Please check back in on the 27th to see if you've won because you'll have 2 days to contact me with your shipping address. If I don't hear from you, another winner will be selected. Good luck!