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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

My 3 year old has won a poetry competition - AIBU to think this is just another way to rip parents off?

53 replies

YellowDinosaur · 27/05/2011 18:09

Today my 3 year old son came home from nursery with a letter and a medal which he was proudly wearing 'because I have been good'.

Inside the letter was a certificate and a letter basically saying he has written a poem that has been specially selected to be published in a collection of poems written by children in our area. The children were, apparently, given the format and 'filled it in with their imagination'.

On reading it it is a 10 line poem that couldn't possibly have been written by a 3 year old. There are possibly 11 words that could have been selected by him to personalise it, of which 6 I can identify as being things be would have said (this is out of about 70 words in the poem in total).

They are asking permission to publish it in a book that we are welcome to buy for £15.99 or can get 3 for the price of 2.

AIBU to think this is just a money making scam and if I was to ask other parents at nursery all of their children will have been selected too and they will all be 'allowed' to buy a book with their childs poem in too?

As dh said if it had been a poem that sounded as though he might have actually written, or even if it was this poem but illustrated by him we would have been well up for it and very proud. As it is we just feel irritated that this is yet another excuse to get money out of parents by a group of chancers.

I am perfectly prepared to be told I am wrong if others have had experience of this by the way!

OP posts:
activate · 27/05/2011 18:10

yes it's a scam that has been doing the rounds for years and I would complain vociferously to the school for taking part
it's absolute rubbish

NorfolkNChance · 27/05/2011 18:10

Very common round here and widely viewed as a money spinner.

risingstar · 27/05/2011 18:10

its a money making scam.

maxcliffordslovechild · 27/05/2011 18:14

got ripped off on that one a few years back, the poems are prewritten and all the DC do is add the odd word. the book is full of the same poem over and over again

KirstyJC · 27/05/2011 18:18

We had that from both nursey and school. It is a scam and I was surprised the school went for it tbh.

Original poster
YellowDinosaur · 27/05/2011 18:18

Glad its not just me!

I was actually contemplating getting one until I re-read it and thought wtf? There is NO WAY he has written this and I might as well have mug stamped on my forehead if I get one!!!

Although if they had got me at a weak or hormonal moment they would probably have had me!

OP posts:
TheOriginalFAB · 27/05/2011 18:20

You don't have to buy it..

Andrewofgg · 27/05/2011 18:21

There's one born every minute and the publishers see them coming.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 27/05/2011 18:21

I would ask the school for your DS's original draft so that you can frame it...
I wouldn't buy the book, OP... not without checking what your son's royalties will be. Grin

Are schools really this money-grubbing and convinced that parents are stupid? Hmm

Punkatheart · 27/05/2011 18:22

I am a professional writer and I am cross to see these things being targeted at parents and small children. A complaint should be made. Who pays £15.99 for a book of poems? I love poetry but that is outrageous.

I hope there will be no emotional blackmail from the school. Tell your child well done, photocopy the poem and put it in a frame. If you really don't want it, wait until your child forgets and then shuffle it away somewhere...

Threadworm8 · 27/05/2011 18:24

Ugh. That is very horrible. God, the commercialisation of our children plumbs new depths every day. It is revolting.

aristocat · 27/05/2011 18:25

yes our school did this too, the books parents ordered arrived about 6months after the poems were chosen

there are lots of threads on here about the scam

Original poster
YellowDinosaur · 27/05/2011 18:26

Punkatheart the thiing is is that ds isn't even aware he has done this. He often comes home from nursery proudly announcing that he has been good or clutching some 'art' that comprises a few scribbles on a piece of paper.

When I had read the letter I asked why he had a medal thinking that if he mentioned the poem I would big him up about it and stick it on the wall. He just said 'I've been hood and I got 2 stars too' and carried on playing oblivious

OP posts:
Original poster
YellowDinosaur · 27/05/2011 18:27

Lyingwitch I was tempted to write to them saying they are welcome to use my sons 'creative piece of distintion' but I will be expecting a cut of the profits in order to support my sons illustrious career as a 'poet of the future' Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
YellowDinosaur · 27/05/2011 18:28

good not hood

OP posts:
aristocat · 27/05/2011 18:28

is it called Young Writers?

Original poster
YellowDinosaur · 27/05/2011 18:29

It is indeed aristocat

OP posts:
meditrina · 27/05/2011 18:29

Is this anything to do with Young Writers - is so see this thread. And perhaps have a look anyhow - the company sometimes changes name.

meditrina · 27/05/2011 18:30

x-posts. Do look at the thread I linked, and stay well clear!

BobbaFettBountyHunter · 27/05/2011 18:30

Oh god, I brought this book. Is it a scam? More fool me!

aristocat · 27/05/2011 18:32

since our school did it i investigated as my DD was indeed another winner Hmm this company arrange lots of competitions for schools and as another poster earlier said the poems have a theme and are much the same.

TBH my DDs school was naive and after parents complaining the idea hasnt been done again

ProfYaffle · 27/05/2011 18:33

We had this last year too, I ignored it despite repeated reminder letters from school. Sad to see so many parents fell for it, FB was full of proud status updates.

Original poster
YellowDinosaur · 27/05/2011 18:42

I've just read the other thread - the nursery didn't give out our address as the letter was addressed to the nursery. I think I'll be sending a few texts tonight to other parents in his class!

OP posts:
TidyDancer · 27/05/2011 18:43

I think this was the company we had at DS's school. Identical situation, but can't remember for sure the name of the scammers.

Avoid anything like this, awful scam.

Punkatheart · 27/05/2011 19:14

Reading the other thread makes me sadder, then angry. If any of your children are budding poets, then enter legitimate comps like Foyle's Young Poets. But it would seem that the school have given out names and addresses to the company? I am sure this cannot be the case - as it is not entirely legal?

Complain. It is not simply the money but the broken hearts of some of the children. Scam is a four letter word they will certainly not know at their age.

YellowDinosaur - at least your son sounds pretty oblivious to the whole thing. He has been good, after all!

I will be reporting this to Writers Beware. Sadly, this happens a lot in the adult writing world and is vanity publishing. Nothing more.

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