To object to Christmas jumper day?

[Drummingisfun]

DS school have already put on the calendar that they are doing Christmas jumper day, for a £1 donation to save the children.

AIBU to feel uncomfortable about it?
I am not just being a scrooge, I don't object to most festive activities but:
1)parents on a very low income are out under pressure to buy and jumper and also contribute £1. Note that there are THREE OTHER non uniform days scheduled before this also with a £1 donation.

2. It means people buying jumpers which will barely be worn, which is terrible for the environment. Bad if they are made of nylon/acrylic/polyester as all plastics, bad if made from cheap unsustainable cotton due to massive water consumption and pollution by factories. Anyone who watched the recent Stacey Dooley documentary will know what I'm talking about.

3. the irony of donating the money to save the children when most people will have bought their child the cheapest jumper they can find for a couple of quid, meaning that children are likely to have been harmed at some stage in the production either by sweatshop labour, massive unsustainable farming, factories polluting their living environment and water source...

AIBU? I love Christmas but I just feel that school shouldn't be promoting pointless consumerism like this.

@Drummingisfun OP Christmas jumper is indicative of everything wrong with our society. We are shredding up the planet so we can have jumpers just to be worn for ONE day. It's disgusting and you should make a stand on principle no matter how much money you have. You can decorate a jumper but NEVER buy a jumper for a day. It sends a terrible message and has far reaching consequences for the planet and the poor people who make these things.

Halloween is a similar issue.
Up until now my kids haven't dressed up.
This year they want to, so I have used stuff we had around the house to cobble together a witch costume and I'll use a old sheet for DS who would like to be a ghost.

Unfortunately my area is huge for trick or treating and all the sweets come plastic wrapped which I am trying to figure out a solution to

Leapfrog we never do buy a jumper for a day. They wear them every cold day for 2 years. They'll wear them again today because they're travelling and it's cold.

Shops are making the massive profit! I'm left with dashing to hunt for one she'll just about wear so not to be left out . I'd rather donate more money direct. The schools also put pressure on pupils with the hype to raise money for charity, but in the most shallow way.

My daughter forgot to bring tins for food bank on dress down day. The teacher blatantly asked in front of everyone where was hers. When she went to hand him £2.00 of her lunch money he sarcastically refused , saying oh so we'd have boxes of food items and then your two coins ? He could have at least said it was such a kind offer! It is getting ridiculous; dictated donations puts my back up. Just stipulate monetary donation and is probably send in a lot more than the dictated amount!

Don't you just re-use the same jumper year after year? I have a christmas jumper c2012 that I crack out every year for xmas jumper day or similar things.

Children tend to grow though Sushi.

Agree with sushi, jumpers last for years if you buy baggy.

I’ve had my Christmas jumper for 10 years. I wear it 4 or 5 times over the season.

Leapfrog we never do buy a jumper for a day. They wear them every cold day for 2 years

Great if you personally like wearing Christmas jumpers, but what if you don’t?

But the OP is about a school organising a Christmas Jumper day.

You cannot keep a jumper for 10 years for a child. What fits when they're 5 isn't going to fit when they're 15 - that's obvious. Adults are clearly a different matter.

It is wasteful for schools to expect parents to get new jumpers each year in the name of "charity".

I never really buy Xmas jumpers for my kids. I take an existing T-shirt of theirs and Xmas pimp it. Eg fox gets a red hat with a bobble. Sequin stars on a plain T-shirt etc.

Then I jut unpick it afterwards.

It probably helps that I have loads of fabric stuff and craft crap in my house!!

Having said that I picked up 2 Xmas jumpers in h and m in January for £2 each. My middle girl had a charity shop one last year that she bought herself and My youngest has a generic penguin jumper she wore.

I was hoping I was going to read that they were bad because schools and offices are too bastard hot to be wearing a jumper! I prefer Xmas T-shirt day!

I have no issue with non uniforms days as fundraising for my kids but I do appreciate that some kids don't have £1 to spare. Tbh I always tell the kids in my tutor group to only donate if they have it and I won't tell if they still want to wear mufti.

In a small school of 210 children, even if half don’t buy new jumpers that’s potentially £210 to charity and £12 x 105 = £1260 to Primark/M&S/Tesco. It seems a bit back to front.

If teachers and support staff join in and 5 of them buy new jumpers it’s 25 x 5 = £125 which is split 5:1 between the retailer and HMRC. Alternatively, you can give £25 to charity through gift aid and the charity will get the whole thing + 25% in gift aid.

Nothing wrong with buying or wearing a (hopefully ethically sourced environmentally friendly) Christmas jumper if that is your thing, but it’s a rubbish way to raise money.

Completely agree merrymouse

Actually if I was asked to pay £5.00 to boycott the Christmas jumper crap, happily pay, knowing it was going direct. Plus food bank donation 1 month before end of term .

If you told me this in the school playground I would roll my eyes. There are plenty of jumpers in charity shops and on second hand sites for you to re-use. If we moan about every little thing the school tries to organise then the kids end up with nothing (due to lack of fundraising) and get to do nothing!

I always buy my son a Christmas jumper for Christmas anyway so I think its a fun idea that all of the kids can wear them to school.

I always buy my son a Christmas jumper for Christmas anyway so I think its a fun idea that all of the kids can wear them to school.

Fun and inexpensive for you because you are buying the jumper anyway and you get your fun from wearing jumpers.

Not fun or inexpensive for everyone.

Presumably DC still need jumpers? Buy Christmas ones, because you know Christmas jumper day's going to happen anyway.

There was always fundraising before and we didn't have the hassle/ outlay expense in the first place .

Always hated Christmas jumpers, on a par with Christmas ties and Christmas tree earrings.

Just have my quid, plus a gracious another quid , to count me out!

Not fun or inexpensive for everyone.

Not much fun for the poor bloody kids in sweashops making them. Pointless tat.

Buy them a Christmas jumper because you know it's going to happen anyway?

Well actually I didn't, because it's first year of primary and I had already bought winter clothes.
And also, I certainly wouldn't wear a Christmas jumper in September, October, November, February, March so why on earth would I expect my DC to?
Also, DS doesn't like knitted jumpers and wears almost only cotton zip up hoodies. So he probably wouldn't even keep it on for one school day never mind wear it for months.

Why wouldn't you? If it's warm, which is a jumper's primary function, I don't give a shit what's on it. My DC are the same. They're mostly covered by coats when we're out anyway, and only we see them at home.

Why wouldn't you? If it's warm, which is a jumper's primary function, I don't give a shit what's on it.

The gift of free will? The right to exercise choice over what you wear in your free time? What if you'd rather buy a different jumper? or a hoody? Because there are plenty of better ways to raise money for charity?

Christmas hoodies are generally allowed.

My DC do have free will. They choose their own clothes. They always choose Christmas jumpers.

We do just give money to charity as well, and food to the food bank, and I'm going to ask the school if I can set up a Red Box there.

OMG, this is such a goldfish thread. Round and round the same circle.

My point being: if your DC don't want to wear a Christmas jumper, they don't have to, but it should be their choice. I wouldn't especially buy one, because I can't afford it, and I'd tell them they only need one jumper. Sticking a bit of tinsel on an ordinary jumper only works if the school allows it, and if they already have anything other than a school jumper. DD actually wore hers 3 times at school before Christmas last year, they needed to be in Christmas party clothes for the school concert and something Christmassy for the class party.