Mumsnet Talk

To be annoyed that school gave each child a selection box at Christmas, funded by the PTA. No-one else seems bothered. Undermining healthy eating attempts and not the best use of money raised. Or am I just being a killjoy.

I agree with you that I'd be a bit cheesed off the fundraising money got spent on that. I wouldn't care about the healthy eating aspect though - children should learn everything in moderation is ok, no devil foods - I seriously doubt every child had no sugar apart from the selection box over Christmas.

not the best use of money, granted but a nice thought.

In terms of healthy eating, i think it is much more healthy to eat things in moderation and not have "bad foods"

Would you say anything to the PTA ? I just feel like a moaning minnie and do appreciate the time and energy everyone puts in and don't want to cause upset. I have put a lot of time in myself though so I should have some say. Agree re no devil foods but think it is up to parents to decide what they give their children and when.

I would not welcome a selection box. I have a nephew who is alergic to dairy and egg foods so a selection box would be a no no there. What about diabetics as well?

An apple and an orange would have looked better at Christmas and probably have cost less.

But it was Christmas!!! YABU

I wouldn't say anything at this stage no - what's done is done. Maybe attend PTA meetings/get on the committee if you're not already, then you're in a better place to make another suggestion next year.

Do your children never have party bags and eat half of it on the way home? Never get given sweets by relatives? I think a parent who wants to is more than capable of putting selection box in a cupboard and saying you can choose something from it as treat after dinner.

That's a bit weird.

At our school they give each Dc a book for Christmas (with a personalised festive message on a sticker inside the front cover) - which makes a lot more sense.

Another PTA bashing.

It just chocolate, if you don't want your DC to have it take it off them. I would have been happy with a selection box no need to find storage.

DC had books, which I regift as they already had them.

It was Christmas.
Did anybody die?
Thought not.

Our school did this, a father christmas came round and gave each child a selection box. I thought it was lovely. The teacher gave them a book each.
Sometimes OP you just have to be grateful that people bother at all.

I would have been happier with a book or something more imaginative than chocolate. But would have preferred it if the school used money raised by the PTA in a way that would more clearly benefit the children. I have done loads for the PTA over the years but now feel that it is not worth making the effort. I'll probably just keep quiet and use my energies elsewhere.

Father Christmas goes around in our school but instead of a selection box each class (of 30-ish pupils) gets a tin of Celebrations or Roses to be distributed at the discretion of the teacher. Less sweets, less cost, same sentiment.

But the gift was not for you. Was your DC happy with the gift.

The only thing that undermines healthy eating is hysteria.

It was Christmas, they got a gift of chocolates.

Is anyone dead yet?

Healthy eating aspect wouldn't be an issue for me at all.

Bit of a funny thing to spend funds on though I agree.

YABU

The PTA is never going to make everyone happy.

Not being hysterical by the way. Just a bit perturbed. No, no-one dead but not really my point.

If it bothers you query it politely with the Chair of the PTA by Email.

I know PTAs who can get all manner of things on trade cards, staff discounts and other contacts

They may not want to reveal their sources as companies get fed up of begging letters.

YABU and a killjoy yes.

YANBU. It shows a real lack of imagination and the kids get loads of selection boxes they don't need another one, we've got about 8 still in the cupboard. Probably just get through in time for the Easter eggs. I agree with the other posts, a book would have been more appropriate.

YABU!! It was christmas and the kids love selection boxes.

Talk bout sucking the joy out of everything

I don't think it was very imaginative of the PTA to do selection boxes. I like the idea of books (and you can get some very cheaply from places like the Book People), or a drawing pad and some pencils/crayons would be good.

It is also about context. This is coming from school and schools are supposed to be promoting healthy eating. Just undermines all of that. I am not saying children shouldn't ever have chocolate or selection boxes - we bought them for Christmas - just they shouldn't come from school funded by the PTA. My problem with raising this is getting just the sort of reaction I have had some of the posts above and whether it is worth the hassle.

Why does it undermine healthy eating though?

Healthy eating is everything in moderation, not demonising foods and making sensible choices IMO.

Don't raise it as a complaint, raise it as a suggestion for next year.

My real problem with this is that there will be children at that school who don't own a book of their own (1 in 3 don't apparently), they may not have their own writing or craft materials.

The PTA chose to spend the money of something which will disappear in a few days or weeks, instead making a real difference for some of the children.

"No-one else seems bothered"

because they probably have the sense to realise that it is not unhealthy to eat chocolate in moderation.... unlike you.

I agree piprabbit. Good idea to try to be constructive and to try to come up with suggestions for next year instead of complaining. Thanks.

And for the people who are missing the point here - thanks anyway.

it was a christmas present from the PTA it is a little bit of chocolate unclench as somebody said upthread everything in moderation is fine, branding food unhealthy and BAD is well unhealthy and I am sure the pta are aware the school has a healthy eating policy

Dd got a daffodil bulb. We've planted it and can't wait for it to flower in April. I think chocolates are a waste of money. They should have been given something that helps their learning journey.

Im not missing the point, I just don't agree with your point!

Do you mean one of those selection boxes with several normal sized chocolate bars in, like a Mars?

If so then Yanbu. I'm happy for my children to have chocolate, biscuits and crisps but that would be quite a bit or extra on top of all the other treats they'd get over the Christmas period.

Fair point Amber Leaf. Not fair point squeaky toy - I have not said that anywhere. Fakebook - love the Daffodil idea. Disappointing that a few people can't see beyond eating chocolate as a way for children to have fun at Christmas but there you go - hard to not be brainwashed by chocolate manufacturers when they spend so much money on it I guess. I have an idea of the range of opinion on this and will help me to write my constructive email to the PTA. Thanks.

My DC had plenty of fun, chocolate was used for our cinema night with the DC new DVD they had for Christmas. We did a lot.

Daffodil bulb is ok but what about the people who don't have a garden to put it in.

Perhaps the PTA just shouldn't bother next year. I do feel sorry that people are complaining. What about the children who may not have had any sweets and chocolate over Christmas because family budget don't stretch that far so unnesserary food items.

It was christmas.
It was chocolate.

Healthy eating is about a balanced diet and chocolate at Christmas can be part of that.

Killjoy

Why shouldn't the PTA be giving the kids chocolate OP? Why?

What point are we missing exactly?

Are you on the PTA? If not maybe you should join and make suggestions re use of funds.Presumably it was discussed and voted on and anyone who couldn't have chocolate given an alternative? If so-life's too short to object to trivialities.

You are being a killjoy.

I am a pta chair (I know!) and there is no way our head would let us give chocolate as the christmas gift because it bears no relevance to the ethos of the school.

This year we gave puzzle books and a pen or pencil. It cost about £180 iirc for 420 pupils thanks to good contacts.

If you offer an alternative and offer to organise buying the gifts your suggestions for next year will be much better received btw!

I think you are being a bit of a killjoy. It's a nice sentiment. It's christmas. A selection box at christmas wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

However, I do think I would be a bit mildly surprised. If a school was going to give anything, I would have thought it would be things like a book or pencils or something.

But anyway, I do think YABU to be 'annoyed' by it.

in the Infant school my DC went to (and I was chair of the PTA for several years [!]) FC visits and brings a present for each class not each child - a toy that can be used for wet playtime or golden time so lego or cars or whatever. Each class teacher choses something to supplement what they already have in the classroom, and also to meet the interests of the children that year.

I wouldn't be bothered by a small selection box each, but I really like the idea of a bigger class present that is used throughout the year.

It sounds fine to me. It's a token gesture.

Next year, come up with an idea for an enriching present and offer to organise it all. Expect a few parents to grumble about their child not getting a selection box though.

I'm also a pta chair and I have to say that I think that is a bizarre use of PTA funds. I'm not particularly thrilled by the idea of the PTA paying for individual Xmas gifts at all - children get plenty of Xmas chocs and other Xmas presents from family and friends at that time of year. PTA funds are for school equipment and activities.

I can kind of see it in the context of a school Xmas party or event, but even then a selection box certainly wouldn't be my first choice of gift. We had a Xmas disco and gave out glo-bracelets (cost pennies) so I'm not a complete killjoy, but they added to the event rather than just being a present. We also gave commemorative coins/medals for out our jubilee picnic.

I dunno. I just don't feel right persuading parents to give up their time and money to fundraise to buy all the children in the school some chocolate! Let parents buy their own kids a selection box if they want to.

Whether I'd do or say anything as a non-PTA committee parent? Probably not, to be honest. It's not a big enough issue. But I might ask around and if there was a general consensus I might say something as nicely and politely as I possibly could - preferably while offering to help with something PTA related at the same time. It's so horrible getting criticised about PTA stuff when you're just doing your best. If it turned out it was just me who had a problem then I'd stay quiet and lump it.

I wouldn't have been bothered by the selection box myself, but PandaG -

"in the Infant school my DC went to (and I was chair of the PTA for several years [!]) FC visits and brings a present for each class not each child - a toy that can be used for wet playtime or golden time so lego or cars or whatever. Each class teacher choses something to supplement what they already have in the classroom, and also to meet the interests of the children that year."

Now isn't that a brilliant idea? Love that FC brings it, too - must make for a real sense of occasion and excitement, not to mention long-lasting fun.

I wouldn't be bothered by my children receiving a selection box, but I think that is a terrible waste of PTA funds, and would not encourage me to support future fundraising.
I like the 'gift for the class' idea from Father Christmas.

I'm not that keen on selection boxes either, but are you still annoyed about it 3 weeks later? Really?

Sooo bloody sick of PTA bashing on here. Our PTA is run by afew hard working mums who have over the years raised thousands of pounds and bought lots of 'worthy' things for the school. I know not all PTAs are perfect and can be cliquey etc but please don't complain.
Unless you are willing to join the PTA then please don't email the chair about a selection box.

It might just be worth checking that they used PTA funds to buy them.

DC brought home Christmas gifts 'from the PTA' twice - once because they had bought too many selection boxes to sell at the Christmas Fair, and once when a load of chocolate bars were donated by a local shop (think owned by a PTA member). If you receive copies of the minutes, there will have been a discussion at some point, or have a chat with a member.

Worth checking before complaining, just to be sure.

Get a grip. It's only a few bars of chocolate.