To be annoyed at sponsored read

[SponsoredStress]

My children brought home a letter today to say that they’re having a ‘sponsored read’ at school lasting a few weeks. This is to encourage a love of reading and also to raise funds. There will apparently be a prize for the child that raises the most money.

This has pissed me off so much. I hate ‘sponsored’ things like this. From being a kid myself I’ve hated them, I’ve always had a small family and was the kid with hardly any names even though my mum would ‘make up’ people and pay extra money herself.
I guess I’m extra sensitive because we’ve lost three family members in the past few years so I can now count on one hand the number of relatives we could ask. Though, even if we had the largest and richest circle of family and friends I find the whole thing of asking people to sponsor us to be embarrassing and cringey.

But what bothers me most is that they are only rewarding the child that raises the most money, NOT the child that reads the most.

It’s just another thing, (in addition to the new reading record book that requires the kids to write a paragraph per day) that makes reading feel like a chore and a burden rather than allowing the kids to read for fun without having to remember everything we’ve read, comment on it, and now add a note of how much per minute our non-existent relatives will be paying for the pleasure.

I’d happily donate money to the school, and do when they request it or hold fund-raising events, but this kind of things really annoys me, and I guess, leaves me feeling guilty that we’ll have a tiny list of people. And I kinda feel that not handing it in at all would be better than handing in a sheet with 5 names... (The sponsor sheet they’ve given us is 2 A4s)

And it doesn’t matter how much my kids read, they’re gonna be left disappointed that they won’t win, and could create the attitude of reading having a purpose other than fucking reading for fun and that it’s pointless in the end?!

I really want to send an e-mail to the school, but I’m not sure if IBU or not.. I’m also considering just not participating, I read to my kids daily and they read to me and we’ll carry on, and maybe have a treat for us at the end no matter how much we raise or don’t.

As the kid who generally brought in about 10p, I agree with you.

But if it were rewarding the kid who read the most, suddenly little Sophia, whose previous involvement with books was using them to twat little Callum across the face with, would have read the entire Bodleian Library by Tuesday afternoon. At least where money's involved, it at least extracts a bit of cash out of the 'MUST BE FIRST' families.

Meh

This was me. I remember we did something where we got different coloured badges depending on how much money we raised. My mum would give me 10p and tell me to fuck off and I was so earnest and keen to do well and raise money and get a good badge. Two twins next to me did the same amount of reading but got huge gold badges because they had a huge generous and engaged family. I got a sticker. I was gutted

Our school usually does whole class rewards so the class who reads the most or raises the most gets a prize. That way no individual is singled out and it doesn't penalise those who can't afford to bring in as much or can't read as much

And I kinda feel that not handing it in at all would be better than handing in a sheet with 5 names...
I usually just put me and DH on the sponsorship forms and stick what ever we can afford in an envelope. The school don't really care how many names you get as long as you give something. Don't feel pressurised by it, it doesn't matter.

We just got one of this and I'm really surprised this is a thing?!
Reading for raising money is supposed to teach kids to love reading? Getting a prise for bringing in the most money?!

*One of these letters
*Prize

Ugh I used to hate this in school
I lived in an area where you couldn’t go door to door asking for sponsorship (which was what was expected) and I didn’t have a big family or my parents a large circle of friends
thankfully my school still gave me the medal for reading so many books but I honestly didn’t think I was getting one and remember being very confused and apologizing when my name was called

Yanbu.

The last sponsored event my children took part in, the only child whose Dad took the form to work raised several hundred. The family with seven kids raised £3 each...

There are other fun ways to encourage reading, like book bingo, or alphabet challenges.

There should NEVER EVER be a prize for the child who brings in the most money. SO wrong.

Rewarding the child who raises the most money is awful. Also making them write a paragraph constantly on what they are reading goes against what is needed to foster a love of reading.

Sponsor your kid a fiver (or a pound) and send them in with their head held high. Then celebrate their participation/number of books they've read at home.