AIBU to get really ratty with these parents.

[lalalalyra]

I help run a holiday playscheme. We work damn hard despite being "only" volunteers. Thanks to the efforts of the girls who sort the fundraising forms out we've managed to keep our costs to £10 for a week of playscheme [That's 3 hours per day Mon-Thu then a full day Fri as we go for a trip]. Everything is covered all week including a snack and drink daily, entry for the trip etc.

For trips we ask the parents to send the children with a sandwich/roll/wrap/sausage roll type item. The main part of their lunch basically, and a bottle of water. We then provide everything else - a juice, some fruit, etc. We always give a specific list of what will be provided so that they know that their child is absolutely not going to go hungry. We ask them not to include chocolate, fizzy juice etc. We've explained time and time again that we do lunches this way because it makes everything equal, some of our parents are from a very deprived area and money is super tight. The whole point of the playscheme is that from the second the kids come in the door the kids are equal - being poor or rich doesn't make a difference to what you get.

Last year we resorted to saying that if people wanted to give chocolate/haribo/whatever then they needed to provide enough for all of the children. We didn't actually want donations, but it meant the kids were the same.

Today we go off, have a merry time and then we get to lunchtime. We discover that five, of forty, children have parents who have completely ignored the rules. There's fizzy juice in one, chocolate in three, a lunch that would feed about eight people in the other. There's also so much food that instead of finishing their lunch and only having their water bottle to carry this afternoon they end up still humphing their bag around (they are asked to bring a plastic bag that can just be put into a bag of bags after lunch) which means adults minding six bags at the park and a whole day of "Barnaby don't forget your bag?" and "Whose bag is this? Mary is this your bag? No, what about you Joseph is it yours?"

Why do people not listen? We speak to the kids, they help plan the lunch, they choose their fruit etc. We work everything round so that allergies are catered for. Yet they don't bloody listen.

AIBU to get really ratty and search bags before we go on the bus next week?

Love it, love Death's solution too. Do that next year,mit's brilliant.

Wow what an amazing thing you do. Id send my kids!

Just nodding in sympathy, no practical suggestions here!

I youth worked for 15 years, one summer we ran a playscheme for £1 a day, 8am-5pm, games and trips all the time and a full lunch included as the kids would do a cooking session just before

All fine til the last day and we get evaluation forms back that we'd sent out - one woman, who had sent her kid every day, ranting about how she 'expected more', I was literally speechless

All fine til the last day and we get evaluation forms back that we'd sent out - one woman, who had sent her kid every day, ranting about how she 'expected more', I was literally speechless

Ha! Don't get me started on evaluation forms. We ask opinions on the week and suggestions for outings etc. Last year we had one stating that our finish time was 'inconvenient' for parents who worked. We also always get people complaining 'other children seem to make many more things than X' when their child couldn't be dragged to the art & craft table for love nor money.

The best one we ever got suggested we could do with the 'input of some staff with professional experience in working with children'. Our committee/volunteers at that point were me (then I worked in learning support), three retired/career break teachers and a football coach. They also said that it was unsettling for the children that the staff weren't the same every day - they are, bar one or two who can't/don't want to take the whole week off work.

Thank you for doing this. For all the parents who moan, there are, I'm sure many more who are hugely grateful.

We have same for school trips.. We do allow one snack but some bring enough to feed an army. If they did nothing else except eat all day they wouldn't get through it. But it's the less well off who bring the most as it's the less well off who get the biggest toys at Christmas and the most new stuff throughout the year.
I'm sure you are exhausted this evening after the week.

charge a small amount more and provide the lunch £2 would cover lunch for children so cost is then £12 and is still only a bit more than the price of a book

Can I just say, how amazing and incredible of a service you are providing! It's amazing at you give these children a place where they can all be equal. You are amazing.

There are always ones who moan.

I think you deserve a round of applause for taking time out to provide a chance for kids to have some fun during the holidays.

Its 'suggestions' like the ones you describe on the evaluation forms that put people off volunteering for these things.

IT is brilliant what you do. And I think it hurts more when people don't respect the rules when they are almost getting something for nothing.

I grew up I a city and we had such schemes. It's important for children to feel equally able to access activities. Social economic circumstances are known to be a barrier to learning and new experiences.

Jumps on bench and waves Pom poems with everyone else.

Wow, it's great what you guys do. Kudos to you all and your colleagues.

I think you should consider raising prices for those who can afford it - as long as you can manage to do so in such a way that won't put anybody off who can't. You see in some places, fees quoted as "£n or £n/4 for those on low incomes, please enquire, you'll be treated with discretion" etc, and it's a good thing to try but I bet some of those who would benefit wouldn't want to ask about lower fees due to embarrassment.

Anyway. If you could manage to raise fees for those who can afford it, it would a) bring in more funds b) encourage people to value the service more (the amount we pay for something influences how much we think it's worth) and c) maybe make it easier for you to smile through gritted teeth at these sorts of moments?!

Seriously, I wouldn't baulk at paying ten times the price you quote, for the amount and quality of childcare you provide.

Thank-you for doing the job you do

We can't raise the price. If we did we'd lose some of the children who benefit most. If you have a separate price structure people won't ask for the lower rate - especially not when were based in the school and most of our committee is local people. People are too embarrassed about their situation to ask. People also don't want charity. I've had people pay up places and the likes rather than accept one free week.

£10 is also an amount that well off/comfortable parents who just want peace will pay. There are needy children from well off homes whose parents wouldn't splash out any more than that, but £2 a day is something they will do.

We've already lost the most needy kids as it is. In years gone by forms could be given to the children to take home for an adult to fill in. When I was 6/7 that's how I got to go - my mother would fill in a form if I took it to her but she'd never give a shit enough to go and queue for a form for me. We can't catch those kids anymore because we have to see an adult at some point, they have to be collected etc.

So I won't raise prices because we'd lose kids who need is the most. And I'm damned if I'm losing any kids because of a few ungrateful folks who won't follow the rules!

Thank tou for the nice words. I don't do it for that, but it's nice when some people do appreciate it. I doubt I'll ever be able to give it up - every year I say "right, that's it" and then a kid makes a comment about having fun and I'm hooked back in!