School booze raffle

[nicegirl73]

I don’t usually post but this really got to me.

My daughter’s CoE primary sent out an email saying the children can come in normal clothes next Friday if they give a bottle of booze for the “booze barrow raffle”

They have defended this because the raffle is for adults and the school needs money,

but I still think it sets such a poor example to the kids. Talk about making alcohol fun.

AIBU? Or is this wrong on so many levels?

I see what you’re saying. But, alcohol consumption is abnormal part of life, has been for thousands of years. I think your reaction to it as parents is what is important. Your children will learn form your home example, they will forget about bringing in the contribution by 9.15am.

A normal not abnormal… I think

We also had a colour tombola thing one year. Each year group was given a colour and had to bring donations in that colour. Extremely random selection of items that time

OP, I don't think you understand how desperately broke schools are.

Ours is a bottle tombola- bottles brought in gift bags- can be anything- soft drinks, alcohol, bubble bath etc.

If you don't like the idea either send nothing, or send soft drink/mixer or send non alcoholic wine.

"Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?" is an appropriate quote here I feel.

At my DC's school you can choose to provide alcohol for the wine / water game or chocolate for the chocolate tombola. There is always a note saying it's not expected if money is tight etc.

@nicegirl73, can you join the PTA at your DC's school? Then you could make your views known and come up with an alternative idea.

"Talk about making alcohol fun" .... it is fun!

In my PTA days the bottle stall was easily the best moneyspinner. But kids could bring anything from a bottle of own brand bubble bath upwards, according to budget. Alcohol was collected direct from parents outside the playground, to prevent the scenario of little Josh going apeshit on the climbing frame with a bottle of Jacob's Creek.

I'm surprised at the insistence on 'booze'. As to the pp suggesting complaining to the governors, our GB generally donated a bottle of whisky.

Taking a bottle of wine into school for a tombola at 6 years old doesn't mean they're going to be necking shots in the park at 13.

I gave DD the dusty bottle of sangria, complete with castanets, that I panic bought DH at Barcelona airport after a girls weekend away.

It's wholly inappropriate for the children to take in a bottle themselves. It's different if it is gathered by the PSA direct from parents.

Put away those pearls.

So dramatic.

Our school does a bottle tombola for adults and a chocolate one for kids

@nicegirl73

I don’t usually post but this really got to me.

My daughter’s CoE primary sent out an email saying the children can come in normal clothes next Friday if they give a bottle of booze for the “booze barrow raffle”

They have defended this because the raffle is for adults and the school needs money,

but I still think it sets such a poor example to the kids. Talk about making alcohol fun.

AIBU? Or is this wrong on so many levels?

The kids aren’t drinking the booze so not sure how coming in non uniform is ‘making booze fun’ presumably they would be happy for kids to also bring non-alcoholic or kosher wine etc as many religions have different feelings towards alcohol. You should check if this is the case before kicking off.

Alternatively, if it bothers you so much, why don’t you organise a different event to raise clearly needed funds for the school?

I quoted by accident, sorry

Having never heard of this in a school context before, it seems very dated to me. Doesn't consider other religions, circumstances, the potential for singling kids out, the crackdown on alcohol promotions, or that young adults are less likely to drink these days.

Alcohol is boring, both to win and consume. The potential randomness of a bottle raffle sounds a lot more fun, plus kids can enjoy the prizes too.

My DC school did a bottle tombola (alcoholic and non-alcoholic, what you won was random) and also served beer/wine to parents at most events. I never worried about the impact on my DC from seeing this. But knowing several people struggling with alcohol dependency, it did make me think that this could be problematic for those people- they were doing their best to avoid alcohol and situations where alcohol would be easily available, but couldn't go to their child's school play/fair without being offered some. Not a problem for most I know, but I'm sure it's not the only school with alcoholic parents who fighting their demons but trying to keep it secret

Amazing idea OP thank you! I'm going to share it at our next Christmas fayre meeting.

Our school asks for any unopened bottle... So it could be coke, water, wine or spirits... Its a good way to get rid of wine gifts I don't like!

A bottle of something for a guaranteed win per ticket is a pretty common set up. You could win a bottle of wine, whiskey or brown sauce!

Asking for only alcohol and linking it to wearing your own clothes is a bad idea for many reasons.

Normal at all the schools my kids have attended 🤷‍♀️
Alcohol is legal ffs it's not like they have a weed or heroine stall!

@LittleLottieChaos

Why can’t it just be ‘drinks’ raffle… the use of the word ‘booze’ is actually gross.

@nicegirl73

Omg at the replies, no wonder there is such a huge alcohol problem in this country if people’s attitudes are so pro drinking as yours all are.

I think the judgey mum shaming problem is far bigger than the alcohol problem....

Do you cover their eyes every time they walk past a pub? Or when someone on the table next to you at Pizza Express has a bottle of wine?