Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is beyond weird!?

236 replies

FameNameGameLame · 18/10/2016 08:28

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. Hmm

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!!!

OP posts:
KoalaDownUnder · 18/10/2016 09:34

Please let this not become A Thing.

It won't, precisely because it's anonymous. No opportunities for public one-upmanship and Facebook showing off.

OdeToAutumn · 18/10/2016 09:34

I don't see the issue, she did a nice thing. Maybe she only thought of it after they went or maybe it was easier to just pay the zoo directly. What does it matter? She's hardly asking for attention if she's done it anonymously.

YouAreMyRain · 18/10/2016 09:35

How did the person who sent the first message know that a mum had rung the zoo anonymously and paid for everyone to have a pencil and notebook?

StStrattersOfMN · 18/10/2016 09:35

It's a lovely idea, and judging by some of the responses on her, I'm not surprised she chose to remain anonymous.

First we had the Professionally Offended, now we've got Professional Killjoys.

Sparklesilverglitter · 18/10/2016 09:36

What am I missing? Why is it weird?

Class goes on school trip

A parent phones and buys all the children a pencil & book

We'll find that parent and take them down won't you? What a bloody awful for them to do Shock

Ghostandpumpkin16 · 18/10/2016 09:38

I think it was a kind idea by a parent and I am sure the children liked it.

How is it weird? Confused FFS!

What's up OP, fucked off you didn't think of it first?

TrickyD · 18/10/2016 09:41

If you are so anti-anonymity, why have you name changed?

Noodoodle · 18/10/2016 09:48

I would have thought it weird that my dc came home with something in the first place if I hadn't sent them in with money, and if I had, would have enquired how much it had cost. Kids don't cone back from trips with freebies, at least not zoos...unless the school is minted and you thought they'd bought it?

pictish · 18/10/2016 09:52

I think it's kind and a bit unusual.
Do I think it's beyond weird? No. I think it's fine.

Dadstheworld · 18/10/2016 09:55

I think they did it anonymously because of reactions like the OPs.

ILoveAGoodBrusselSprout · 18/10/2016 09:55

Have I read into something that's not there?

Did the OP say that she found out the first person to send a message of thanks was actually the parent who did the kind deed? If so, that's bloody weird.

If not, then I think it's a lovely thing to do.

PerspicaciaTick · 18/10/2016 09:56

Noodoodle - which is probably why the school had to explain that it was an anonymous gift...exactly because parents were questioning how and why their children had come home with a freebie.

wigglesrock · 18/10/2016 09:57

I think it's a lovely thing to do. I'm assuming they did it with the zoo directly as opposed to sending money with the teacher because the zoo would be handing over the pencil and notebook to the children rather than having the teacher go in, pick them, hand over the money etc, it would be another thing they would have to deal with. Maybe the parent has "zoo connections" and gets a discount but doesn't want to broadcast it incase they get asked for discounts on a regular basis. I know a parent who runs a business who donates the odd thing for school days out but doesn't let on because she can't be bothered with the donation requests coming up to the schools Christmas/Summer Fayre.

If it makes you feel beyond weird when it's been made clear that it's been done anoymously because that's what the parent wants I can't imagine how knowing their name would make you feel any better? Maybe they couldn't be arsed with the snide comments made when they're about/ within hearing distance.

MerryMarigold · 18/10/2016 09:58

It's a nice gesture, but I think she'd have been better off giving it to a deserving charity. Perhaps they were not allowed to take money but she couldn't bear the thought of her kid coming home with nothing! My kids' school build a 'gift' into the trip price in Infants (I hope they get a bit of a reduction buying in bulk) as kids do love to bring home a souvenir even if it is yet ANOTHER rubber and pencil. In Juniors there is no tat but the price seems to be the same Hmm.

allwornout0 · 18/10/2016 10:02

With how the way a lot of society has become, it's nice to see somebody doing something nice for others. There's too much "Me. Me Me" nowadays.

TrickyD · 18/10/2016 10:03

No, Iloveagood, the OP didn't say that, it was a joke (I assume) by someone on the thread.

TrickyD · 18/10/2016 10:07

For God's sake, *MerryMarigold' , how do you know that the donor does not already contribute to 'a deserving charity'? Have you considered name changing to "MiserableMarigold"?

ICuntSeeYourPoint · 18/10/2016 10:08

It's not weird at all, it's really nice. I think it was the teacher.

Life must be a bit of a drag if your reaction to something so nice is to find it so weird that it 'drives you nuts'. Some people do nice things just to make children happy. It's lovely.

BathshebaDarkstone · 18/10/2016 10:13

It is a bit odd, but lovely.

FWIW DC's school doesn't allow spending money on trips. DD's teacher bought them all a pencil when they went to London Zoo in reception, but there were only 17 in the class, so it was slightly more affordable.

Noodoodle · 18/10/2016 10:16

PerspicaciaTick the school didn't explain, OP said she found out later on as a parent mentioned it in a group message. What I was trying to say was that thinking dc came home with a freebie and not wondering where it came from, was weirder.

Maybe it's my "not a minted person" thinking.

shovetheholly · 18/10/2016 10:20

I think it's a lovely thing to do! Maybe the teacher or a parent who was slightly better off wanted all the kids to have a souvenir of their special day, not just their own.

I was one of those kids who got left out of school trips because my parents wouldn't pay. I remember one time all the other kids went to Alton Towers and I got to stay behind and clean up the algified school pond. I never had money for the gift shop - it would have meant a lot to me to get a souvenir, even if it was only a pencil and a notebook. There are loads of families now that can't afford £1.50 on such things.

samecardoverandover · 18/10/2016 10:23

Nice, not weird. Someone did this when DS went to the zoo, the kids loved it, it wasn't a pencil and note book but a similar sized thing that made them all happy.

Original poster
FameNameGameLame · 18/10/2016 10:27

The trip was about £15 which I thought was quite a lot. I thought the book and pencil was a gift for him built into the price until the first message.

First message was from a lovely mum - can't imagine her being manipulative.

I've never heard anything like it. Anytime I see 'generosity', I understand it as seeking praise and recognition, but she gets nothing from this and unless like someone said she has zoo connections and discount it must have cost at least £1 each = £30. Why would anyone do that?

OP posts:
SuperFlyHigh · 18/10/2016 10:29

It's just being kind! and as GettingMuckyFingersCrossed says it is unusual but means every child gets a souvenir.

splendide · 18/10/2016 10:30

I think it's nice. It's weird in the sense that it's an unusual thing to do I suppose.