School bake off- why do parents do this?

[tangerino]

Argh. There was a baking competition at my daughter's primary school a few days ago- a note came home asking parents only to give minimal supervision and we were even ask to sign a form confirming that this was the case. My daughter worked hard making some cupcakes and icing them- she did it all on her own and was v proud of what she'd done.

Of course when she got to school, she found that other people had brought in incredibly elaborate creations, some featuring spun sugar(!), almost all obviously done by the parents.

One mum has just put a picture of five tier rainbow cake her son took in, with a caption saying "Do I win mummy of the year?" No you do not, you fucking cheat.

Gaaargh, it drives me crazy. It's so unfair on the kids that do follow the rules. And what message does it give the children? What's the point?

[SecondaryQuandary]

Reading this with joy as my youngest now in Y6 and has the Final Bake Off event next week.

Last year, we made Kringles side by side, so I made one, she watched and did the same with her dough. It was great fun and meant we got one to eat at home. Did she win? Did she fuck. The kid with the elaborate sugar work and adult quality decorating won.

Whevs. It's the last year! [party central]

[tornandhurt]

I remember very well having to bake a cake for my DD last minute - I had missed the letter and was late home from work. She needed to go to bed, but was worried she'd be told off for not making a cake for the xmas stall. So I stayed up and did it for her, not because I wanted her to win, but because it was my fault as I had forgotten.

Upshot was she actually won the bloody thing! - because apparently it was very clear that she had made it herself!!!! - poxy thing cost me £5 to buy back as naturally she wanted to bring it back home !!!!

[glitterazi]

YADNBU, this whole thing gets right on my last nerve!
Every Easter, we have an Easter bonnet or egg decorating contest at school. Some creations have clearly had no child input whatsoever and have been elbowed out of the way by show off mum and dad trying to win.
Now we have it on another level where we have home school projects to be handed in at the end of each term.
So say the topic was space, some fucker will have done a working model of the solar system with rotating planets and everything.
Bollocks did little Johnny get the chance to go anywhere near that!
Then on FB, you'll see posts like "we'd better get started on our model, all ready to help! The things we do for our kids!"
Takes all my strength to sit on my hands and say "No! Sit the fuck down and let your CHILD do the work like they're supposed to!!!"
Completely not fair on the kids who do all their own work. I'll obviously help with a glue gun or whatever, but the creating is supposed to be a, child's homework.
Ragh! Can you tell it winds me right up?!

[milliemolliemou]

It's not just primary school, though, is it? some parents continue to hover over their children right up to and beyond uni. I was going to say at least they can't do more than encourage with music, drama and sport .... but I'm sure people will think of some way. Agree with everyone saying it doesn't help DCs in the long run ... but this type of parent often has wonderful contacts to help DC get work qualifications/internships. Life = not fair.

[ImNotDancing]

what on earth is an easter bonnet

[PossumInAPearTree]

This thread will tell you all about Easter bonnets.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/937597-Sinister-Easter-bonnet

[catkind]

Daydreamnation, I'm sure the parents were endlessly grateful for seeing the back of class bear. Should you wish to institute it again for the kids, DD's class have a mini (?a6) notebook each so they only ever bring home their own entries, ergo no competition. Perhaps you could do something like that.
I don't think Paris parent was so awful though. The idea is to get the kids talking about what they've been doing isn't it? I'd have thought it would be good to do that when they've got something exciting to talk about. DS's nursery particularly asked us to let them know if we were going somewhere and take class creature with us.
We are fortunate in that DD is a great class bear enthusiast and can be left to her own devices with it. Her teacher probably wishes we'd taken it to Paris though, so far DD mostly tells it what she had for tea. (There are 3 Bears in the class so they are frequent visitors.)

[ImNotDancing]

I've done a google as well, what is the point of easter bonnets haha
Did not do that when I was a child!

[daydreamnation]

Sadly Paris parent was fairly awful, she openly admitted that she looked through other children's book bags when they came for tea, to compare reading levels!
I appreciate a class bear can be a wonderful thing but we felt ours was losing any meaning and sadly he was retired