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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

WWYD - teen running their own tuck shop in school

504 replies

PinkPansies · 08/02/2022 16:06

We've realised recently that ds1 aged 14 has become quite flush with cash (more so than his pocket money would allow anyway!).

On questioning we've discovered that he's quite the entrepreneur and has set up his own tuck shop in school on breaks and lunches. In short, he's been stopping at the local Coop on the way to school and buying sweets and chocolates then selling them to the kids in his year for double the price. Who are more than willing to pay.

From making the odd quid here and there his 'business' has expanded rapidly in the last 3 weeks and he's got quite a following in school - and he's currently making about ten quid A DAY in profit. I can't quite believe the amounts.

He's taking specific requests from kids that get the bus to school so don't have the opportunity to visit a shop and has a price/order list to show his customers and a book with a record of his sales and profits each day 🙈

He's taking it very seriously and is incredibly organised. He's explained to his parents that his profit is limited only by how much stuff he can physically fit in his bag - so he's currently looking at smaller, higher value sweets and sounding our his customers for interest levels.

Parent A and Parent B have different opinions.

Parent A is thrilled, has congratulated their son for his driven, entrepreneurial spirit and told him to crack on...but that he needs to be aware the school will probably give him a detention if he's caught. It's a risk ds is happy to take.

Parent B is amused and a bit impressed but thinks he should stop as obviously the school would frown on this. Haven't seen any specific school rules about this but obviously the school would probably want it stopped!

WWYD?

OP posts:
MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 08/02/2022 19:12

@ColouringPencils

Oh god, feel like a loser now that I am a total Parent B Grin
I, too, am Parent B
Onthetrain75 · 08/02/2022 19:12

Did this more than 29 years ago. It was very successful but we were shut down by the school.

2catsandhappy · 08/02/2022 19:14

Look up Nathan John-Baptiste.
A school teen sweet seller.

Treecreature · 08/02/2022 19:16

I'd buy him a bigger bag for a 5% stake in the business Grin

FlimFlamJimJams · 08/02/2022 19:17

I did this at school.
I run 6 businesses now and don't do badly.
I'd celebrate their success tbh

FlimFlamJimJams · 08/02/2022 19:19

I used to buy large cakes as Costco and then sell them per slice under the table (sometimes quite literally) at sixth form.
I'm in my 30s now and some of my school friends still laugh about it.
I got caught, told I wasn't allowed to sell food without an appropriate license so I started selling napkins instead - with a free slice of cake.
It's a victimless crime.

Xoxoxoxoxoxox · 08/02/2022 19:19

My son did this in year 12.
It lasted about 2 months then he got too popular and a teacher cottoned on and put a stop to it.
He got a warning, no detention and made around £100.
Didn't do any harm really but is short lived!

Garysmum · 08/02/2022 19:20

[quote ThanksItHasPockets]@Gonnagetgoing I’m sorry but I genuinely don’t know where to even start with that.

I’m happy that your brother has had no long-term consequences from his dealing. I hope the same is true for everyone who bought one of his tabs.

County lines dealers are bad people. They think nothing of threatening the safety of a young person’s family. I realise I probably made it sound like our boy said ‘no thank you’ and that was that but that’s not quite how it works.[/quote]
My concern would be county lines. Often starts with giving a few sweets/ chocolate bars away. They will look for the entrepreneur as well as the kid with nothing to lose.

Once the kid has had a few freebies, they will and they do threaten the family. It's not low level stuff either.

I hope OP's DS really understands this stuff. It's not always easy to spot at first, especially if it comes from a friend who has already had contact.

SingingSands · 08/02/2022 19:23

My younger brother used to do this back in the day. He also expanded into comics! He used to draw his own comic strips and sell those for 50p - little 5 frame strips with a main character called "Bob". People used to commission them for birthdays, or just for fun. I was impressed when I found that out, they were really funny!

I'd be impressed if it was my kid, but warn him to keep his cash safe and his wits about him!

FantaFan · 08/02/2022 19:23

Oh god, feel like a loser now that I am a total Parent B

I’d feel more like a loser if my child got detention/isolation or worse.

A child got moved from a school local to me for doing this. Some of the parents complained that the child was putting pressure on their younger children to buy from him and it also led to him trying to sell them vapes. The new school didn’t work out either and he seems to spend his time riding the streets on a bike. Not such an impressive entrepreneur after all.

TheresSomebodyAtTheDoorNeil · 08/02/2022 19:24

Id be parent C and telling him to stock up somewhere cheaper than the CO-OP🤣🤣🤣

affairsofdragons · 08/02/2022 19:25

I have one of those; he does quite well for himself supplying sweets to others at school

mjf981 · 08/02/2022 19:26

He’s awesome. I’d encourage it. Good on him, he’ll go far.

NoLongerTroels · 08/02/2022 19:27

@toomuchlaundry

I assume Natasha's law would be relevant now *@NoLongerTroels*
True. Although they knew exactly what was used so kids could ask what brand of sauce, what brand of bread etc. I was more comfortable with the skittles than the sandwiches. The girlfriends Da was pretty well known for his BBQ cooking and ran a local restaurant for a few years, they had some teachers who were their customers too.
Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 08/02/2022 19:28

I’d be impressed. I’d let them carry on if they wanted, but warn them that if the school found out then he’d probably be stopped and the school might confiscate his stock/profits. Thought it would be wrong to leave him out of pocket and it should all be returned to you if you ask.

Pieceofpurplesky · 08/02/2022 19:32

This has been going on for years and I have not know any of the kids go on to be millionaire entrepreneurs (teaching 20 years). A high percentage do this to 'fit in' and be seen by other kids. It's jammy dodgers at my place at the moment.
As others have said, it's a thin line between sweets and providing what kids ask for - vapes, booze etc.
It's a fixed term exclusion at my place too.

Lactarius · 08/02/2022 19:33

I did this at school except it wasn't a tuck shop - I was casting and selling lead figurines to the Dungeons & Dragons players. Was shut down but managed to sell a load on commission to one of the teachers at far higher prices (about 10 times) than I could get from the pupils

Lampshading · 08/02/2022 19:34

@Lactarius

I did this at school except it wasn't a tuck shop - I was casting and selling lead figurines to the Dungeons & Dragons players. Was shut down but managed to sell a load on commission to one of the teachers at far higher prices (about 10 times) than I could get from the pupils
That's brilliant!
Coffeeshopcake · 08/02/2022 19:36

Yes sadly my brother didn't turn out to be a budding entrepreneur from doing this either.

Just a low level rule breaker jumping from one hair brained scheme to another.

Bagadverts · 08/02/2022 19:36

I’d like to be Parent A, but am actually B as most likely against rules. Range of boring reasons including that the school will be trying to have healthy eating at least on school grounds.

I don’t think going just outside the school will work as presume he will still be in uniform and pretty related to the school day.

WitchWithoutChips · 08/02/2022 19:37

There’s nothing wrong with being Parent B.

AllOfUsAreDead · 08/02/2022 19:37

Smart kid. I'd be parent A, and if the school found out I'd fight his corner against them.

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 08/02/2022 19:39

@AllOfUsAreDead

Oh no, one of those parents!

Why on earth would you fight the school?

lapasion · 08/02/2022 19:40

Good for him. But as his business grows, he should stop getting his hands dirty. It’s too risky. He needs to hire some falcons to work on the street and sicaros to bribe the teachers and discourage other kids from selling on his turf.

Yes, I’ve been watching Narcos.

arcticocean · 08/02/2022 19:45

My brother is now in his 40s and my mother still talks about her regret at stopping him buying 6 packs of Coke and selling them individually to his classmates. She is pretty sure she knocked the entrepreneurial spirit out of him!
Why is he going to school, if not to learn how to become a self sufficient adult at the end of it? He has a head start on most!