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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

To think Myleene Klass will win no friends with this...

500 replies

CarlaVeloso · 05/02/2015 11:46

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11391753/Myleene-Klass-Ill-be-collecting-unicorn-money-for-my-daughters-birthday.html

She has tweeted two emails from mothers at her daughter's school asking for cash donations for their children's birthday parties. She's changed their names but clearly they are still recognisable to anyone with children in that class and presumably the whole school will know about it nowthat it's been published in the papers and online.

I agree the emails are completely crass and I would privately think the same but they haven't committed any crime or sent her an expletive-filled rant about something. I opened it expecting to see a request for an actual kindle when they are just suggesting £10. Crass, vulgar, materialistic etc etc, yes, but I think her response (shaming them publicly) is really nasty and may not win her or her DD any friends at the school gate.

OP posts:
squoosh · 05/02/2015 12:51

Posting anonymously on MN is slightly different to tweeting it to her thousands of followers knowing it will be picked up on by the media.

squoosh · 05/02/2015 12:52

What does she do for a living these days, is she still on TV?

SunnyBaudelaire · 05/02/2015 12:52

just a thought - what if she is a MNetter? or would she be a Netmum?

cannotchange · 05/02/2015 12:59

The whole thing is ridiculous, as with many things these days kids are totally indulged. It irks me a bit when the odd parent may ask me what my child would like, I feel they should just be grateful for whatever they are given and I will not let my indulge my child by allowing them to voice their dislike of a certain present. Yes you may come home from a party with a load of stuff you don't want, it can be passed onto someone else or donated to charity.

MK as abused her position, so she must either not give a shite about the other parents or she is queen bee and impervious to any criticism.

MajesticWhine · 05/02/2015 13:02

I know which school it is, and I think the suggestion of £10 is quite modest really. I thought her reply was quite funny, but yes, she's going to make some enemies of the class rep brigade.

GokTwo · 05/02/2015 13:03

Very foolish. What a way to make enemies. Reminds me of journalists who write really obviously about their friends and neighbours and are then "shocked" when the neighbours are upset!!

curlyweasel · 05/02/2015 13:03

Is it the normal thing for every kid in a class to attend birthday parties and buy presents? Definitely wasn't when I was in school!

This.

DD asked if she could have a whole class party once. I told her gently to fuck off no, but that she could take a cake in (tray of flapjack).

It's grabbiness gone mad. If you can't afford to buy your DC a kindle or whatever yourself, why should you expect semi-strangers to contribute to one for them?

QueenTilly · 05/02/2015 13:04

forago

You too? Grin That book was incredibly. The pregnancy section's equivalent of Twilight, I reckon.

Shonajay · 05/02/2015 13:04

How embarrassing. Her poor kids. I wouldn't have sent an email but have suggested IF people have asked that no gifts are needed, or expected, and if they've asked for suggestions I've helped - as in does he have face paint? No that's a great idea etc. but she's made herself look worse, considering all the gifts she gives are probably freebies anyway!

Shonajay · 05/02/2015 13:06

I don't reckon it's they can't afford to buy a kindle themselves, it's probably just to avoid the ten tons of plastic you get, I actually think it's a better thing for a child to get one gift rather than sackfuls, and also if done properly it didn't name or shame anyone who didn't contribute, it was a class present and as long as they were all invited to the party it's a nice idea.

Dawndonnaagain · 05/02/2015 13:06

So what!

I met MK years ago, ds was in a choir supporting her because he went to her old school. She gave a concert and did a meet and greet thing afterwards. Not only did she make it clear to all the adults there that the children were first, when it was pointed out (not by me) that DS had ASD and wouldn't be able to cope with the melee, she grabbed a pew and asked ds to join her, chatted to him for a good few minutes and autographed his programme. She was nothing but patient, lovely and kind.

squoosh · 05/02/2015 13:08

'She gave a concert and did a meet and greet thing afterwards. Not only did she make it clear to all the adults there that the children were first'

There were adults clamouring to meet her?

Binkybix · 05/02/2015 13:10

So she was on best behaviour at a public engagement. Hardly surprising.

Discopanda · 05/02/2015 13:14

I can kind of see where the parents are coming from, they'd rather their children had one present that they'd appreciate and use rather than a pile of toys that will most likely not be played with and end up at the charity stuff however it is quite grabby to suggest an amount. It's a shame that the fun of picking out a friend's birthday present is lost though.

ImBatDog · 05/02/2015 13:15

i really dont get the MK hate, i think she's fine.

I dont have a problem with what she's done here either, good on her, people who send grabby emails like that ought to know how rude it is!

TheChandler · 05/02/2015 13:16

She's quite right to highlight it. Sometimes people's behaviour is so crass and awful you are just completely flummoxed and I suspect this is how Mylene Klass felt.

Even the way the emails are worded: "I'll be around every morning at drop off if you want to give me some money". I mean for goodness sake, if you are brazen enough to ask people to give you money, can't you be a bit more polite about it and say something like "if you would like to contribute, you can see me every morning at drop off"?

Mind you, I sometimes read a few responses on here and I assume the writer is either some kind of quiet-living sociopath or has never been outside the home much and so has never learned to socialise with society as a whole.

LongDistanceLove · 05/02/2015 13:18

I agree with MK. I think it's both rude and grabby to do this in the way its been done, if another parent asks the birthday dc's parent what they could get them, that's different.

I also wonder what the responses would be if it wasn't MK.

Behindthepaintedgarden · 05/02/2015 13:19

There's wrong on both sides in my opinion. The mothers should not have sent such a crass email, and MK should not have replied the way she did. They're all setting their children a bad example.

squoosh · 05/02/2015 13:20

I'd have the same opinion on any celeb making such a public hoopla about something she could have dealt with privately.

morethanpotatoprints · 05/02/2015 13:21

I would imagine that most of the population have no idea or want to know what school her dd attends, so the easy recognisable would only be to the very few who knew about the request.
I think the daft woman deserves everything she gets as well, it might teach her a lesson.

Dawndonnaagain · 05/02/2015 13:21

So she was on best behaviour at a public engagement. Hardly surprising.
I have met many who aren't.

SunnyBaudelaire · 05/02/2015 13:21

MK would appear to be a publicity junkie

Binkybix · 05/02/2015 13:23

If it was anyone famous doing this I'd think it was bad of them. It obviously annoys me more because it's her though.

Binkybix · 05/02/2015 13:24

True dawndonna. I don't think it necessarily proves anything though.

crumpet · 05/02/2015 13:25

I thought it was funny, and enjoyed her reply. She's changed the names of the children involved, so she isn't outing them.

Its a small story, but amusing. Not a big issue. Although I bet the school gates were buzzing...