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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Art sale at son's school

145 replies

Bardette · 14/05/2014 22:23

Genuinely don't know if I'm being unreasonable but...
Next week is sports day at ds school. School have announced that there will be an Art display in the hall with one framed piece of work by each child. After perusing the display we can then buy our child's piece for £8. Ds knows about this and has told me I have to rush to make sure no one buys his picture before me! AIBU in being a bit cross at being forced to do this? It's not even a like they have chosen the children's best work, they all had to sit down and paint a tree over a couple of afternoons last week.

OP posts:
purplelilac · 14/05/2014 22:25
Shock So your child paints a picture at school and instead of the child taking it home you have to pay for it? Where is the money raised from the art sale going?
KingJoffreysBloodshotEye · 14/05/2014 22:27

That's mental.

Plenty of parents don't have £8 to spare...

ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets · 14/05/2014 22:28

What happened to bringing all that crap home in a plastic bag at the end of the summer term?
Do we have to buy our own children's work now?Confused

CoffeeTea103 · 14/05/2014 22:29

SmileYour DS response is so cute. On a serious note it's bloody ridiculous Shock

SanityClause · 14/05/2014 22:30

We had this once at the school my DDs went to. They did pick the best piece of work, though, for each child.

I should imagine its a bit annoying if your child is not particularly talented (I'm looking at you, DS). Luckily both DDs are good at art, so I didn't mind forking out.

WooWooOwl · 14/05/2014 22:30

YANBU.

The PTA did this at my children's primary school once. They raised money but it did not go down well, and they didn't do it again. It amazes me that schools allow this tbh.

I think parents have an obligation to financially support their schools PTA, but bringing the children into it when you can guarantee that at least a couple are going to be disappointed is just plain wrong.

forago · 14/05/2014 22:30

crazy! mind you, i had to pay a £1 for my own cupcake at the school fayre (why not just fair?) the other day.

Catmint · 14/05/2014 22:30

My DD's class did something similar last week ( class five's bargain market). But the prices were all under £1.

They still made £37 which will be used for classroom resources.

parakeet · 14/05/2014 22:32

That is emotional blackmail. Complain to the head.

Hassled · 14/05/2014 22:32

I had this a few years ago - the hall all done up like a gallery and then you paid £8 for a cheaply framed scribble by your DC - the type that you already have so many of that you slip them into recycling while no-one's looking. And of course I couldn't be the parent who didn't care enough not to buy it - it's genius, really. Brilliant tactics.

Madeyemoodysmum · 14/05/2014 22:33

Mine did this. I thought it was a bloody cheek. Of course you have to buy yr child's work so they have you over a barrel. Also what really annoyed me was each class did they same picture so something they had been instructed to copy. No original work in sight! Grrrrrr

KingJoffreysBloodshotEye · 14/05/2014 22:35

it's genius, really.

Evil genius.

MrsDermotOLeary · 14/05/2014 22:35

My DC's school did this
You were only allowed to buy your own dc's picture so no one panicked. Also they made it very clear that you did not have to buy the picture, you could collect it free of charge (without the frame) after the sale.

My DC both did surprisingly good pictures (unusual) so I bought them. Think they were £7 each but look lovely.

SpamTroll · 14/05/2014 22:37

If you want to donate £8 to the school then buy the picture but if you don't then just tell your son you don't want to buy it and explain why.

I don't like this type of thing but as I don't have any problem saying no it doesn't effect me. I never bought school photos either. I doubt anyone minds if you don't buy it and if they did I wouldn't care!

I am still happy to make voluntary contributions to my kids school and I have always been an active member of parent associations. I just don't want to buy my own kids picture.

purplelilac · 14/05/2014 22:38

With all the fuss about unauthorised absence fines perhaps we should frame any doctors notes and charge the school to view them Hmm.

chubbymummy · 14/05/2014 22:38

DS's school do this too. Last year I think they were £5.50 but this year they had gone up to £7.50. They are framed in the cheapest tat possible too! You either end up spending money you don't want to / can't afford to or you feel guilty when all the other parents buy their children's. I bloody hate it! Angry

AndHarry · 14/05/2014 22:38

This would be a brilliant idea in reverse. I would pay for the school to recycle my DCs' lovingly-crafted blobs and scribbles for me so that I didn't have to feel guilty about it every time :o

YANBU. It's like the 'poetry competitions' where all the children have to write a poem and the 'best' will be published in a book. Parents are thrilled their child has been published and dutifully buy the book, to discover that there has to be a book for each county in order to fit in every entry Hmm

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 14/05/2014 22:41

The head at our school has put this forward to the PTA as something that they (the PTA) could organise as a fundraiser.

I'm going to vote against it, and this thread has just confirmed that this is the best way to vote.

Original poster
Bardette · 14/05/2014 22:46

I am happy to donate to school funds but this is 'facilitated' by an external company and I've no idea what their cut is.

OP posts:
PrimalLass · 14/05/2014 22:49

Ours does it too. I don't mind because they have wine at the gallery evening

However, the first year it was done by an external company and there was a huge stooshie. How the school organises it.

AnotherTeacherMum · 14/05/2014 23:07

This happened at a school a friend of mine trained at. The kids painted their pictures, framed them and there was an art sale, I think the cost was about £5. This was in a really poor area and some families had 3 or 4 dc at the school, so would have had to spend £15- 20. When it was over the pictures that had not sold were BINNED! As the teachers said it wouldn't be fair on those who had paid for their picture if others got to keep theirs for free. Those whose pics were binned included 2 dc in LA care a dc who was carer for his severely disabled mum. I was just horrified Sad

Topaz25 · 14/05/2014 23:13

That's awful :(

Monty27 · 14/05/2014 23:19

ATM that's horrendous! Shock at the whole idea of this fundraiser!

parentalunit · 14/05/2014 23:29

This is happening to me too. It's so annoying. To make it worse, they have art which was done by several children collaborating. Great idea to make artwork together, but now they are going to auction it off and us parents are being pitted against each other.

I am fuming and already emailed the PTA, thus exposing myself as a scrooge who all the other mummies will avoid. Blush

SistersOfPercy · 14/05/2014 23:31

I'm guessing the key word is 'framed'. Your aren't paying for the artwork alone but for the frame and mount as well.
Tbh I kind of wish dd's school had done something similar because most folk never get around to framing a piece of their child's art and it ultimately ends up in the loft. Yes, you could do it yourself for less but how many if us actually do.
The profit will benefit the school and you get your child's framed picture. I don't see the problem personally.