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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to wish schools would ban...

49 replies

YesTisMe · 01/11/2011 09:09

bloody swaps?
i know they have been around since the dawn of modern life, but feck me i hate it all!!
there have been
stickers, various cards, football things, pokemon shit, and not sodding moshi monsters!
kids get things swapped, nicked, lost or broken.
some cant afford it and get left out
some dont understand it and get cheated out of decent things
some get accused of nicking things when they have swapped
some parents get involved.
just ban the sodding lot of it and be done.
( grumpy old bird whose daughter was in tears this morning)

OP posts:

manicbmc · 01/11/2011 10:02

So no one wants my 16 year old?

Original poster

YesTisMe · 01/11/2011 10:03

( tumbleweed.....................)

OP posts:

sugarandspiceandallthingsnice · 01/11/2011 10:15

At every school I have worked at swapping has been banned - if they want to they do it with their parents after school. It saves all the arguments and tears. At one school children were only allowed to bring in football card books etc on a particular day, which was also less stressful. It doesn't stop the swapping of pencils etc but is a bit easier. Then you just have the issue of 'x gave me this pencil and now s/he wants it back!'

somewherewest · 01/11/2011 11:01

I wish schools would ban banning things. Having grown up in another country I can't get over how fecking interfering UK schools are or how unquestioningly a lot of parents accept it.

OrmIrian · 01/11/2011 11:03

somewherewest - I was about to post exactly that!

Merrylegs · 01/11/2011 11:09

You're the parent. You ban it.

'Mum, can I take my Moshi Monsters in to school to swap.'

'No'.

manicbmc · 01/11/2011 11:11

I think a blanket policy of no toys is best, then everyone knows where they stand. It's all very well saying the parent should ban it but some really don't give a stuff and will let their kids do anything for a quiet life

School is for learning. If they want to swap stuff they can do it after school.

Original poster

YesTisMe · 01/11/2011 11:23

Merry
i have banned it, ive never even bought the kids any. but as there are so many other children with them all the kids get involved.
my dd got given some by another child who had doubles.

OP posts:

worraliberty · 01/11/2011 11:27

Then tell your child as you've banned her from them, she's not allowed to accept them from children.

Surely she knows she's not allowed or what's the point in you banning her?

Original poster

YesTisMe · 01/11/2011 11:32

i have refused to buy her any, she knows that, ive told her it is a waste of money.
i cant tell her she isnt allowed to play with her friends tho. and if they are all playing and include her then i cant tell her not to.
BUT i dont think the school should be asking parents to get involved or gettting involved themselves.
we have had a letter home that we have had to sign and send back asking us to check our childrens bags and rooms to insure that they dont have someone elses collection.
to my mind that is mad.

OP posts:

bunnyspoiler · 01/11/2011 11:32

Ooo this takes me back. Anyone remember Garbage Pail Kids? And the elusive skunk fragrance card?

ChippingInAutumnLover · 01/11/2011 11:39

It's not the kids or the swapping that's the problem here - it's the bloody school. It sounds terrible. They need to sort their shit out. What are they like with regard to everything else - I imagine pretty poor.

This is the kind of policy all schools should have (from slavetofilofax's post)

They put the responsibility back onto the children and say that they need to work out fair ways of swapping between themselves otherwise they will have to enforce a ban. It gets talked about in assembly. It seems to work, because they haven't had to ban anything for ages

ChippingInAutumnLover · 01/11/2011 11:41

I actually think things like this are good for kids, they can learn a lot from it.

Personally I think you should encourge the kids to join in - make them 'earn' the money or let them spend pocket money or whatever if you don't want to just buy them some of whatever is currently being swapped.

It's about so much more than the 'things'.

worraliberty · 01/11/2011 11:42

i cant tell her she isnt allowed to play with her friends tho. and if they are all playing and include her then i cant tell her not to.

No but you can tell her she's not allowed to accept and keep anyone's cards

marykat2004 · 01/11/2011 11:49

I agree with you, apologies to those who don't agree.. after my DD came home in tears after losing her 'best' card when an older boy 'grabbed' it from her, I banned her from taking cards to school. Rather than get involved I found her a replacement on ebay, but made it clear that I would not do that for her again.

4madboys · 01/11/2011 12:05

yep they are band at my kids primary school too, thankgoodness, to many fall outs over match attacks etc, much easier all round if they dont take them to school where they just get lost, fought over etc. there are plenty of other games they can play that dont involve 'swappsies' and the fights and tears that ensue!

DejaWho · 01/11/2011 12:17

I've always banned the swapping until they're outside school gates with my classes (you want to swap 10 shinies for 1 grotty card - do it in front of yer mums so when you realise you got a bum deal they get to sort it all out), and I always take the line that if I see whatever the latest fad is out in school lesson time - it gets to spend the rest of the day on my desk (it's still Match Attacks round here I think).

I was in a staffroom last year where the head was so utterly horrified some of his staff didn't know how to play Top Trumps that he spent the lunchbreak teaching them! (I was killing myself laughing at that one)

manicbmc · 01/11/2011 12:21

It's something for parents to teach their kids. Staff in schools have not got time to deal with this sort of nonsense.

Lmao at the head teaching the staff how to play top trumps. I use top trumps as an end of term treat with my dyslexic kids.

bibbitybobbitybloodyaxe · 01/11/2011 12:22

I wish Mumsnet would ban thread titles with those fekking annoying three little dots ...

valiumredhead · 01/11/2011 12:30

Well after the thread about them the other week at least people know only to use three of them!

mumsamilitant · 01/11/2011 12:34

I swapped all my dads war medals (well, he never actually won them, the factory was bombed and he kind of collected them) for beautiful plastic jewellery!

redfairy · 01/11/2011 12:39

At my daughter's local primary school pupils are encouraged to do their swaps at a special time one day a week where a teacher volunteer is on hand to supervise. Swaps outside this time are not allowed. The kids look forward to swap day.

prettyfly1 · 01/11/2011 12:42

red thats an ace idea - as the mother of a six year old obsessed with those flamin moshy monster cards having exactly the same probs as a lot on here I might suggest that to the school - vv clever way of dealing with it provided they have the time to resource it.

stealthsquiggle · 01/11/2011 13:11

DS opted for Top Trumps over Match Attax - far better IMO as there is no "permanent" swapping involved - and his teacher preferred it as there is at least a smidgen of strategy involved.

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