To think this is beyond weird!?

[FameNameGameLame]

This is driving me nuts and I've NC to post. My DS went to the zoo with his class last week. Came home with lots of stories and a new pencil and notebook. They had a really fun day.

A bit later via the class group text a message comes in from a parent saying thanks to the mum who anonymously phoned the zoo and bought them all a souvenir pencil and book.

For the next multiple hours there are messages from mum after mum after mum thanking this anonymously gifter.

No one knows who it was. Then yesterday there was a note from the teacher saying thanks to the mum who anonymously did this.

AIBU to be weirded out by this. I mean, why do that? Why!!!

It was a nice thing to do, why do you find it weird?

When dd was in primary, a class mum did similar except she didn't do it anonymously, every one said Thankyou!

Why anonymously? because it would feel awkward if someone was identified as the 'patron' - others would feel as if they owed him/her something.

Why call the zoo? Why not just send money with the teacher?
Because then the teacher would know who it was, and might pass on the message. It also might be construed as sucking up to the teacher and put her in an awkward position.

Why do it at all?
Because kids love tat from gift shops? And s/he wanted to do something nice?

Sounds to me like the idea came to her after they'd left and she just did it in the moment. She's obviously a thoughtful person. She had to be anonymous - can imagine what you'd have been saying about her if she hadn't!!

FameName send out a message telling them they are all very welcome.
Then bask in the adulation from all but one of the parents.

I think calling the zoo and acting anonymously drew so much unnecessary attention to it....and then all the online thanks is just so weird.

Stay silent, then they'll all think it was you..

I think it's really sweet. If it's thought about doing something like that, I'd do it anonymously too so as I'd hate any attention related to it. I'd assume this trip was a big deal for that mothers child and she wanted to make it a little more special.

I really don't see an issue here.

It was a simple notepad & pencil not a kidney fgs ARF!

Teacher probably wouldn't take the money as its an added complication and the parent ordering direct from the zoo can be charged the exact price for X amount of items

I think calling the zoo and acting anonymously drew so much unnecessary attention to it.... I think that was the absolute minimum fuss the parent could have made

And saying thank you is normal if you receive a gift no?

I think it's lovely. It had to be anonymous otherwise it would be showy and attention seeking. The thanks texts sound annoying but you can hardly be offended by people saying thank you!

How lovely of her, very kind.

Maybe she thought that if she didn't do it anonymously, other parents would think she was showing off that she could afford it, and resent her. And she'd very likely be right.
Personally I think it was a lovely idea to make the day a bit more special for the kids.

Anonymous is good. Presumably the teacher let slip that someone had done this. It sounds like a random act of kindness to me and that's a nice thing.

i wonder if it was in fact the teacher that did it, but it maybe isnt allowed so she did it under a disguise to throw people off the track. Or maybe a mum has memories of going in a trip herself as a child and being the one without any money for a souvenir and she was trying to ensure all had a little something. It could even be the shop owner deciding to treat the kids and pretending its an anonymous mum. In the scheme of things though, its a pencil and a notepad and an incredibly sweet gesture.

This post makes me sad. It seems that nobody can do anything nice without being accused of having some kind of agenda.

Well - i think it's a nice thing to do AND a weird thing to do

People can be weird and nice.

I think it's a lovely act of kindness and the children were probably thrilled, not weird at all!

coconutty

I think it's weird!

It's a bit OTT.

Please let this not become A Thing.

If someone did that here publicly then another parent would pay for a pencil notebook and eraser! Very competitive parenting. I think it's a lovely gesture and would say thanks and think no more about it.

was it a zebra notebook? with ZSL and Lets work for Wildlife at the top?

I'm torn. On the one hand it's a nice gesture, but on the other it's a bit ostentatious and the anonymity thing means people will be endlessly speculating about who it was. It's almost more attention seeking than if they'd made themselves known, purely due to all the fawning and speculation that's been going on.

Fucking weird bitch. She needs to be identified and taken down before she does anything else "nice". And all those weird suck-ups, thanking her for her fucking weird gift-giving niceness. Freaks.