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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Throwing away books...

165 replies

SleepingStandingUp · 12/04/2019 14:06

Collecting DC from the nursery, parents behind me discussing what they'll come out with.

One says she hopes it isn't a book, she hates it.
The friend asks if she means the weekly reading book and she clarifies no, a gift book (like they had at Christmas)
She goes on to say that she just bins them and other one comments she bags them all away (presumably to chuck or donate)

Kids got a Mr Men book at Christmas so not crap books by any stretch.

I wish i'd said something to her (like, then bloody donate it you silly woman, don't throw a decent book in the bin) but I was just so astounded. Utterly flummoxed as to why you'd resent a free book (and a nice book at that!!) and bin it rather than donate or, you know, USE it!!

AIBU to not understand her ire?

OP posts:

Tinkoschminko · 12/04/2019 14:11

This gets my goat!!!!

Donate! Anywhere. School, doctor’s waiting room, post it through a letter box. It’s such a shame.

Original poster

SleepingStandingUp · 12/04/2019 14:13

Even back to the school!! They aren't labelled so even dumping it in reception surreptitiously would be fine

OP posts:

outpinked · 12/04/2019 14:14

I have an English Literature degree and now teach English in a college. I’ve always been a passionate reader and own hundreds of books, as do my DC. I have read to them pretty much every day since they could hear in the womb.

Some parents don’t read, at all ever. They don’t understand the importance of reading or books and think it’s ‘boring’. I don’t personally understand it but there you go 🤷🏻‍♀️.

YouTheCat · 12/04/2019 14:14

She'll be one of those odd species who don't have any books in their house.

I've run out of wall space for bookcases now until dd moves out and her room becomes a library .

happysunr1se · 12/04/2019 14:15

On World Book Day at my child's preschool they did a book swap: a parent handed a book in and when encouraged to take one in return said "no thanks, we've got enough junk already"

Original poster

SleepingStandingUp · 12/04/2019 14:18

OMG book swap sounds awesome!! Would love to have seen the teachers face about junk...

And before someone tells me that perhaps she recites poetry by heart every night or the children are encouraged to make up their own stories which they tell through interpretative dance or they all use digital books, i really suspect that isn't the reason

OP posts:

happysunr1se · 12/04/2019 14:43

I admit I did chuck out (recycled) a book once. It was dire... a bear called pickle and a girl called Bree. It was all about manners and respecting each others feelings. I hated it everytime I read it to my dd.

We've got a lot of kids books and borrow from the library a lot too. There are some awful terrible books out there that should never have been published!

ScreamScreamIceCream · 12/04/2019 14:45

"no thanks, we've got enough junk already"

Then they wonder why their kid does badly at school...

Hahaha88 · 12/04/2019 14:46

Nooooooo you don't throw books away (unless they are in a misfortune bath dropping incident)!!! That's just wrong

Original poster

SleepingStandingUp · 12/04/2019 14:50

re terrible books - christmas was mr men!!

OP posts:

bomanaise · 12/04/2019 15:08

Mr Men books deserve to be set on fire. That aside, that's really sad. We donate kids books to charity shops and then buy more while we're there.. I've thrown the odd kids book out because as a PP said some of them dont deserve to be published they're so shite.

GummyGoddess · 12/04/2019 15:14

The only book I've ever thrown out was one on why immunisation was bad. I didn't want to risk anyone reading that and putting a child at risk so I tore it up and binned it. It was full of phony research and full of very shaky assumptions, family member was very cross with me.

Even books I hate I normally send to the charity shop.

I think dc1 would prefer a book to an Easter Egg, he gets very obsessed.

Ribbonsonabox · 12/04/2019 15:14

That is absolute sacrilege!! Never thrown a book away in my life. You arent supposed to throw away books! Give them to charity! I go through tonnes of books, buying them from charity shops then giving them back (or keeping them if I particularly loved it)
A lot of my childrens books come from charity shops too because we get through loads and brand new books are very very expensive.

Loopytiles · 12/04/2019 15:16

I’m an avid reader and encourage DC to read, but Mr Men books are truly shit IMO! Pictures good, but crappy, long winded writing.

Most free books given away are shit too. Charity shops often don’t want them as they don’t sell. Libraries don’t accept donations.

ChessieFL · 12/04/2019 15:16

I suppose if a parent doesn’t like or see the value of reading they won’t appreciate a book as a gift. It’s a real shame though as those children will be missing out.

However to just throw it away is so wasteful, she could at least donate it somewhere if she doesn’t want it.

Threefaries · 12/04/2019 15:17

I have read to them pretty much every day since they could hear in the womb.
That made me well up.

Our house is full of books.

Loopytiles · 12/04/2019 15:19

Chucking away shitty books given away by McDonalds, school, WH Smith turgid world book day fairy shite doesn’t mean a parent is anti reading.

Some books are just shit. Recyling best place for those.

Roald Dahl would agree

Original poster

SleepingStandingUp · 12/04/2019 15:22

Tbf DS would happily take a book. Friday is new library book day. I now wonder if she judges us because DS comes ut of nursery desperate to show me his new book and wants to read it on the way home!! Lots of hospital time so we've done Wind In The Willows and Beatrix Potter stuff, can't wait to Re do them.

I'll concede Mr Men is long widened but if you only have one it isn't so bad! I think thry got a genetric Christmas one too.

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Imadehimlikethat · 12/04/2019 15:23

Some books are just shit I get lots don't like Mr Men but you'd honestly bin it rather than pass it on? Even if a charity shop sells it for 10p, imagine how upset a book would be sat in the bin, all the characters shouting for help as your bean can juice leaks on them

Loopytiles · 12/04/2019 15:28

Charity shops near me don’t accept books.

Yes, recycling is best place for a Mr Man book (even more so Little Miss!) unless DC take a shine to it.

Wouldn’t pass shit tat onto a friend, including books.

Loopytiles · 12/04/2019 15:28

Generic Christmas books are usuallyshit too!

Losingthechubrub · 12/04/2019 15:31

I've only ever thrown one book away in my life (American Psycho - it deserved it).
The best thing my parents ever did for me was instil in me a love of reading from an early age. They're not big readers themselves, but it has always been important to me

Alsohuman · 12/04/2019 15:33

We have an Oxfam bookshop. They were delighted with my dad's books - or at least those that were left after we'd skimmed off the cream.

kiwiblue · 12/04/2019 15:36

My library accepts books and will recycle them if they don't display them- might be an option for those whose charity shops don't accept them?

Original poster

SleepingStandingUp · 12/04/2019 15:37

Binning books makes them sad. The characters in the shit American Psycho deserve to be dripped on by bean juice.

OP posts:

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