In this episode, Caroline shares why she thinks the PTA can be exhausting and why she finally quit. She explains how her immigrant parents (Cuban and Venezuelan) didn’t understand the American school system and rarely showed up to her school events, which hurt her as a kid. As a mom now, she became extremely overprotective and tried to do everything her parents didn’t do, including volunteering nonstop. She describes how she got pressured into school volunteer roles—art docent (even though she couldn’t draw), then room parent, then joining the board and leading the school’s biggest fundraiser gala. The situation escalated when she was called into a meeting because of an Instagram story where she expressed frustration about how a school issue was handled (without naming the school or teachers). She pushed back hard, questioned why staff were watching and sharing her content, and decided to leave the PTA and eventually the school. She reflects that the PTA politics, gossip, and pressure made her crankier and less happy, and that quitting made her a better mom and wife because her time with her kids became higher quality. She encourages listeners do what they love and stop dimming their light to fit in, and prioritize their own happiness while still being a good mom.

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Music Credit: Nikka Costa – “It’s Just Love”

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