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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be getting really narked about otger kids taking expensive toys into school...

24 replies

festi · 13/09/2011 23:15

so all I have heard for the first two weeks is mummy when can I have zoobals, is it a craze that silly mums are being sucked into at £7 a pop for a small habitat toy that is literaly about and inch or so big.

and WIBU to complain to the teacher about it?

I have said no by the way and happy to do so, but for the children who cant have them will not get them it is very unfair. I wouldnt mind the card swapping thing so much.

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 13/09/2011 23:18

well if the school allow them to take toys in i think you are going to just have to suck it up.
kids have to learn they can't have everything they want... now's your chance

MrsRhettButler · 13/09/2011 23:19

Dd loves her zooble! I don't allow her to take things into school though in case she looses my well spent seven quid!

TastyMuffins · 13/09/2011 23:20

I never frisk my DS in the morning before school so never spot the small toys he has smuggled into his pockets. Not sure I could prevent him from taking an inch big toy into school if he had one of these and wanted to take it!

My DS says it's OK to take toys into school so long as the teacher doesn't see them . Not sure telling the teacher would have much effect.

Original poster

festi · 13/09/2011 23:22

i have no problem saying no and dd does not get what she wants just because she wants it, I just think its too distracting. I have no idea if they have any specific rules is on toys, I would have just assumed that kids arent allowed toys at school and I would never consider allowing dd to take toys into school, was never an issue last year.

OP posts:

Original poster

festi · 13/09/2011 23:23

at your ds tastymuffins.

OP posts:

worraliberty · 13/09/2011 23:24

YABU to try to stop other kids taking their toys to school just because your child asks for them.

Original poster

festi · 13/09/2011 23:32

ok fair enough I wont say anything to the teacher, ill just remain inwardly fecked off at it.

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 14/09/2011 17:44

you could always ask the teacher what the policy is on toys.

like you i presumed that children wouldn't be allowed toys in school so was really surprised when I found out that they didn't really mind.

Ragwort · 14/09/2011 17:50

You just have to say 'no' - whether or not another child takes a toy into school there will always be toys/gadgets etc that you don't want your DC to have - my DS knows that there is absolutely no point in mentioning what the other kids have - he is not getting a Wii/X box etc etc.

I was really surprised one year when at the end of term children were invited to take a game in for last afternoon - DS dutifully took in a board game whilst everyone else had gameboys etc . Its tough being a parent but you have to stick with your own values. It would have been pointless to 'complain' to the school - you just have to teach your child how to deal with these sort of situations.

JammyJenny · 14/09/2011 17:56

Just say no, the craze will pass in no time :) Not unreasonable at all

cjbartlett · 14/09/2011 18:17

It's always going to happen
Peer pressure
At secondary school it'll be Nike trainers and having their ears peirced
You just have to find the best way to say no

pippilongsmurfing · 14/09/2011 18:19

YABU, you can't ban all toys on the pretext that some parents cannot afford to buy them.

If you object to the other kids briging them to school, tell the HT.

DownbytheRiverside · 14/09/2011 18:22

The majority of schools allow children to take in toys for playtime, I'm surprised that you would think otherwise.
Our rules are safety-based; so no hard balls for example. Expensive electronics are usually not allowed, and no guns and other weapons.
But there's a huge range of other things being cuddled and played with.
Why would schools want to interfere with that?

ravenc · 14/09/2011 18:27

our school rules are no toys at all

DownbytheRiverside · 14/09/2011 18:28

That's sad, I've worked in a dozen schools and never come across that.

DownbytheRiverside · 14/09/2011 18:29

Although it is becoming more of a SMT response, if there is an issue over something and enough complaints, it just gets banned.

ChristinedePizan · 14/09/2011 18:32

My rule is that ds doesn't get to take toys. Why is it sad to ban them? I don't see what happens at proper school but at pre-school the reason they were there was largely to wave them in front of other kids' faces and shout: "Look what I've got! No, you can't play with it"

Why anyone would want to encourage that sort of things in kids is beyond me

DownbytheRiverside · 14/09/2011 18:37

In our school they share and make up games together, and with things like cards and beyblades, the boys have matches and tournaments. The variety of what's out there is lovely.
It widens their options at playtime, I think our children would be very upset if home toys were banned.
If there is sneering and taunting over who has what in other schools, the issues probably run much deeper than toys.

ravenc · 14/09/2011 18:40

They get them took off them till end of day in case it gets broke. They have balls and beanbags and bats and balls ext to play with at breaks

ChristinedePizan · 14/09/2011 18:48

Ah okay Riverside, that makes sense because those are the kind of toys that can be played with as a group. I am talking about kids who came into pre-school with one (very covetable) car, a BatMobile etc. Definitely not a group activity. DS has only just started school so I guess if all the kids are bringing in something that you can swap and play with (although I bloody hate swapping things, they are just a way of haemorrhaging cash afaics) I would let him.

DownbytheRiverside · 14/09/2011 18:52

Swapping is an after school activity, not allowed without a parent around to oversee. That was one rule we made, largely because of all the Pokemon/Yu-Gi_Oh?Football cards.
We do have skipping ropes, soft balls, climbing and balancing equipment and a football area, but it's good to see the little bags of lego being brought out in huddled corners.
Plus school children are less egocentric than most preschoolers, learning to share and co-operate are important skills they have to acquire.

DandyLioness · 14/09/2011 21:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

slavetofilofax · 14/09/2011 21:20

YABU.

I agree with Riverside that children should be allowed to take toys into school. Apart from the fact that they enjoy it and can share with their friends and play with the toys at breaktime, how else are they supposed to learn to take responsibility for their own things while they are out? My ds doesn't care enough about his school jumper to guard it with his life, but his bakugan is worth protecting!

Our school only allows toys that can fit in their tray, which I think is right.

Original poster

festi · 14/09/2011 21:29

but that is the exact point I find difficult slave as they are not sharing and playing together as a select group have these toys and those who dont are pushed out. I find that very counter productive at 5 and 6, I would rather schools foster a more inclusive ethos in infant school particulary in a new class with a new mix of children, where it doesnt matter what you have everyone is potentialy included. Everyone is able to play with the school equiptment and they do have plenty, a climbing frame, skiping ropes, frisbies balls, bean bags, hoops. wodent croquet etc.

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