to let dd take a tin of macaroni cheese tand another of fruit cocktail o harvest festival....

[dilemma456]

because she thinks that's what a little girl who has left all her toys and her home and school would like best to eat to make them less sad. She's obviously had something about what can happen in domestic violence cases explained at school. (they're collecting for a Refuge)

The list however suggests dried or tinned goods but especially tea, coffee, tinned meats and fish as that is what they're short on. DD is horrified by the idea of presenting "that little girl with two tins of tuna, because she'll want macaroni cheese to cheer her up mummy"

Sounds good to me,nice tea meals.I visit a refuge as their HV and Im sure they would be happy with that.

Sounds ok to me. I think it's nice she's put some thought into what she's taking.

Well if your little girl likes macaroni cheese and fruit cocktail, there's a good chance another child will. So I think its fine, and nice she has thought about the recipients and chosen for herself

Yanbu - but can't you stick in something they 'want' too?

DD sounds very sweet anf thoughtful

If I thought along the same lines as DD I'd probably send a bottle of wine and a large bar of chocolate

I don't think it's unreasonable at all- she's clearly thought about it and whatever you give will be appreciated. Why not add a packet of tea bags too and explain it's for the mummies?

After the Haiti earthquake my DD was very concerned about people having no homes etc and we spent a few weeks making lists of what the people who were affected would need. She eventually took the money in her piggy bank into the bank and told the cashier to send the money to Haiti for a tent and some food.

I think it's great that kids who are more fortunate than others can empathise with those who have less, and actually put some thought into it, rather than just give any old thing.

Sounds lovely and exactly what a Harvest Festival should be about. She's really thought about it.
What pisses me off as a teacher is when parents send stuff that's out of date.

She also said "you like making it for me when you're sad because its nice and easy so if her mummy's sad she'll like making it too".

DD is of course quite right though I tend to be more tired than sad when she gets that meal

Oh, she sound so lovely, Dilemma!

She is when she tries