Aibu to not want to fill a smarties tube with £1 coins

[Invisimamma]

This will be outing if any parents from my child's school are on here...

Both children came home from school and nursery today with a tube of smarties each as a gift from the PTA with instructions to eat them and fill the tube with £1 coins or 20p, letter specifically states not coppers or 5/10ps. Apparently the tube will hold £12 of 20pences.

There will be a prize for the class who brings back the most money.

Now I have a few issues with this:

1. my friends child has a diary allergy was really upset he can't eat his treat (she didn't know this was happening so couldn't provide an alternative)
2. we still have lots of Easter chocolate and don't need more
3. dp and I both work but childcare and other costs are crippling us at the moment and we're skint, an extra £24 is really beyond us just now
4. we've just paid £46 snack money to nursery and £12 for a school trip for one and £8 for a trip for another (amongst lots of other recent school costs)
5. does anyone even has coins lying around the house anymore? I use contactless payment for almost everything and don't draw out cash.

The children have been hyped up about it and both have said they need to raise money for the school. I guess I'm feeling guilty that we're not in a position to participate/it's a pain in the arse idea.

Graphista

I completely agree with you. Even if it's all done for the very best of altruistic intentions (and I'm not always convinced that that is the case), it's lovely to be able to show off the new slide and climbing frame in the playground that were paid for 'through generous donations' - maybe a nice little puff-piece in the local paper about the efforts of the caring, hard-working PTA - but it all seems very hollow when some of those pressured 'donations' came from parents who really struggle to put food on the table for their children or have no option but to send them to school in outgrown clothes.

Even with the best intentions, it's very easy to be generous with other people's money (or lack thereof).

If every child just brought 5p each that would be a hell of a lot of money for not much effort.

It's hardly going to reap the kind of vast riches that would make a king blush, though, is it?

Out of interest, how much sticky glitter is it possible to fit inside a tightly-sealed Smarties tube that would then have to be forcibly wrenched apart to get into it?

Asking for a friend....

it's very easy to be generous with other people's money

Isn't it just? And to get the credit for what that money provides.

This scheme requires very little effort or thought on the part of the PTA yet could gain them significant funds and recognition!

That sticks in my throat to be honest.

If you want the glory at the very least make an effort.

I've noticed even at the fayres and quiz nights etc the PTA members tend to be conspicuous by their absence - unless there's a chance of a photo call!

God, are they still doing this?! I remember being pretty pissed off at the time when our school did this. And I think beavers did it too. Double whammy.

Our PTA also only asks for money when we get something in return. For tickets to the upcoming family fun day you get a wristband and unlimited goes on all the inflatables, bungee run etc. Anyone who is on pupil premium / free school meals can get a half price ticket from the Head in confidence, ie the PTA don’t know who has those tickets. Tickets are good value anyway and they never have anyone miss out.

That's really bad!! I bet whoever came up with the idea only has one child in school!! I have 4 and there's no way I would participate! It's so grabby to say no coppers or 5/10s!! If they'd said fill up with whatever coins you can then (if it's a big enough school) they'd have probably got more because more people would participate!

That is a shocking and cruel scheme set up by the school to use pressure and manipulation of children to gain money :(

Ummmm no, I wouldn’t be doing that!

If every child just brought 5p each that would be a hell of a lot of money for not much effort.

A 500-child school would raise £25. I wouldn't say "a hell of a lot of money".

i would ignore this kind of thing. who think's these things up in schools nowadays,?

Just don't do it. I ignore all requests for fundraising. Its not compulsory. If anyone queries it just say 'sorry im not doing it'

Jeepers ye should be glad ye're not in Ireland! Primary school was forever having cake sales, quiz nights etc. Secondary school worse again! €300 voluntary contibution or €500 if you have two daughters in the school! Then sponsored walks, cakes sales, Christmas fair. Never ends! Then books and uniform in first year nearly €1,000. And no these are not private schools! Oh and then essential costs like locker rental, photocopying etc. €130 per year.

This is emotional blackmail OP, you should be able to choose how much you donate, even if it’s zero. It should be anonymous not making it a competition for children

This is absolute cheeky fuckery. I would not be participating.

At best I might put a few 1p coppers in the tube, along with an angry note explaining why I thought it such a shit idea.

We didnt bother when our smartie tube came. No harm done.

Don’t do it OP of it will put a strain on your family. I am sure no one on the PTA would want that.

It might be an idea to raise this as a concern to the school. At the very least, I think prior advertisement about things like this is good practice. That way as parents we can manage our kids expectations of participation.

Although I completely understand if you’d rather not flag it.

Gah, what a pain! The money will be a stretch for many, plus as you say, who even has a load of coins hanging around these days? It sounds like an idea from the 1980s, though at least then it would have been pennies.

The good news though is, as it's PTA, it's not obligatory to join in.

Yep hollyhobbi was coming on to say the same. I’m sick to death of my dcs school asking for money. Every week it’s €2 for this €5 for something else. No one is asked if they’d like their child to take part in the activity, so you can’t exclude your child. We had school photos done recently and they are shit and cost a fortune. The school clearly make money from using the same photographer year after year

If you can't afford to do it then that's the end of it. I'm sure most people will just put a few pounds in or whatever they can afford, not the full £12.

Personally I would be more in favour if it was for a charity.

We had school photos done recently and they are shit and cost a fortune.

They are shit but to be fair you don't have to buy them. I rarely bother now, I can take better photos myself.

I’d make a formal complaint to the head teacher & to the LA immediately and get it stopped.

That’s appalling, asking children to compete about how much money they can bring !

I may be missing the point here (and showing my age), but surely the whole joy of collecting coins in a used Smarties tube was always the fact that it was a rigid, perfectly round cylinder which was a perfect fit for certain denominations of coin and had a removable/replaceable seal. The thin, floppy, hexagonal ones that they have now are not an ideal shape for coins, are flimsy and tear easily. They are not sturdy, would have to be left as upright as possible in one place until they are full and then need to be taped shut, during which time they are liable to overbalance and topple over and vomit their contents all over the floor at any time.

Well I haven't had Smarties for a long time and I am very sad to hear they have changed the tube, sacrilege! Almost as bad as taking the walnut off the walnut whip.

Terrible idea for the PTA to fork out money for the smarties on the assumption that people will want their kids to have yet more chocolate.
Plus I wouldn't be happy about anything Nestle coming into my house. Maybe educate them about the Nestle boycott.

Really strange idea...

I hate the amount of sweets my DC seem to leave school with. They get them for children’s birthdays, fine but they also get them for good behaviour which I find bizarre.

I wouldn’t partake tbh, you already give the school more than enough. You’re right about coins as well, we also use contactless for everything.