I wish that in this moment that's so challenging for parents, someone would launch a 'spare the parents' campaign for non essential asks. No, you cannot ask parents during a pandemic if they will 'chat to your friend for half an hour about marketing'. You cannot suggest that they run a virtual happy hour. Do not add them to meetings unless absolutely essential. These are not things that are easy to say no to, so there needs to be like a marketing campaign to tell the rest of everyone that no, this is not ok.
Just delete the request or politely decline. I completely agree with you and I feel like there a lot more of those requests this year
The friend of a friend who you are insulted to be asked to spare 30 minutes may well have been laid of or facing it in an industry hurt by COVID. You probably thought all volunteering around the election wasn’t meant for people like you either.
I am not insulted to be asked. I am EXHAUSTED from working full time, home schooling a 3 and 5 year old and - yes - volunteering every weekend for 2 months full time on the election. Every parent has their limit. Covid sucks but we all deserve sanity.
But you don’t deserve to think you people should assume you are to busy to be helpful because you are a parent. 8 hours each day on the election both Sat and Sun for 2 months, really? Now you definitely have time for a 30 minute chat one of those days.
seriously what is your problem?
Even if OP just means "care all day for a 3 year old -- what in God's name is your problem???
Ignore the troll as a first step, then stop engaging energy vampires. I often delete the first few requests from someone as I know they’ll persist if they’re really in need of help.
I think you are well wjthin your rights to declin