School refusing my daughter a replacement sticker

[Trek28]

My daughter is 4-years old and has just started school. She did some good work in class and was called up in assembly last Friday, and was given a special sticker by the headteacher. When I collected her from school that day she was really upset and told me about the sticker, and that it had been lost/another child had taken it during the school day. I thought, no problem, I'll just email the school and ask for another one.

I emailed the school explaining the situation, but was a bit surprised and taken aback by the response. It reads:

Hello XXXXX,

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately, the headteacher sticker is given out in the morning and has to last the day at school.

We are unable to give out a replacement. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

This response strikes me as a bit mean and was not at all the response I expected. I know it is just a silly sticker. But my daughter was really proud to receive it and is still upset that it is lost. She keeps wanting to talk to me about it and I don't even know what it looks like. Any suggestions? AIBU?

This is a lesson in 'some things don't last forever'

And it’s ridiculous what people expect schools to do and how mollycoddled children are these days. It’s a sticker!

Unrelated but how are you having parent meetings most days after school?! That’s insane and your school shouldn’t allow that. Or do you mean parents grabbing you at pick up?

It's very sad for your little one. But people are right - where do you draw the line? Can everyone ask for a second sticker if they lose it?

They maybe order enough to last a year so don't have spares. Plus the cost - even if it is less than 50p you add that all together.

Buy your own stickers as replacements maybe?

OneBadKitty

Exactly. Or the soles of their shoe. Or they let their friend 'borrow' it...

I give stickers out last thing on a Friday afternoon for something. Last thing. While they're sitting on the carpet with their coats and bags. Every week there are children who have lost their sticker before we get to the door.

What a stupid idea to keep giving out stickers to kids if they all lose them within hours and get upset. Such a waste. Worrying to think these people are educators...

I can't believe some of these 'she's only 4' responses. Yes, she's 4 and she's in reception class where they are building the foundations for the rest of their schooling. She's not a baby and she's definitely not too young to start learning some basic lessons (like taking care of things that are important to you).

My daughter is 4 and I can't imagine mollycoddling her like that.

The school will have many issues to manage, many of them will be much more serious than losing a sticker.
The school could easily have replaced it, but that sets a precedent, it also teaches your dd to look after her things.
The school’s response is impersonal and factual - that’s how they communicate with parents.
She’ll forget about the upset very quickly if you do.

My DD has a severe sticker phobia which has carried on into adulthood.. just saying!

Yes, teachers who give out stickers are clearly so stupid. It’s a wonder I ever made it through my degree and my training, honestly.

It's speaking to parents at pick up mainly.

Sometimes I need to speak to a parent about something their child has done to another, sometimes its because their child has had something done to them.

I have three children with IBPs and their parents want regular updates so they can support at home and I have four children with ADHD/ASC and often need to feed back to them.

A parent with anxiety who often wants to check something.

It's a rare day I don't have to speak with someone about something. And sometimes there's a queue.

I can't believe you actually emailed the school about this.
They have more important things to be getting on with.
Sad for your daughter that she lost her sticker but it's done and dusted now. You both need to move on.

Well if you enjoy repeatedly causing tantrums in kids, then you're fine. If not, it's very stupid to keep doing something so unnecessary when you know it always ends in kids being upset. The cleaners are probably sick of it, too.

Try a rubber stamp in one of their notebooks, if they have them. Much less wasteful and they can see it there for years.

But, as you have seen on this thread, stickers are very important to some parents...

Just let it go. It's not about the sticker. She got recognition.

Only because that's the medium teachers have chosen to use to celebrate a child's achievements.

As I said above, a more sensible one might be a rubber stamp stamped into their notebook, as well as being congratulated in front of the other kids.

It's depressing that educators can't problem solve something so simple! 🤦‍♀️

What a weird take.

'Repeatedly causing tantrums' over a lost sticker?

That's 100% on the parents - maybe the anger coming across in your replies has rubbed off on your child?

No grown adult should be getting this infuriated over a discussion about schools giving out stickers and no child should be having a tantrum about losing a sticker. Dear me.

And here’s another reason why good, experienced teachers, including me, are leaving in droves. It’s a sticker for goodness sake, time to learn some resilience!

Well other teachers on this thread have experienced otherwise, and clearly some kids wait to get home before showing how upset they are.

You think a loose sticker is less likely to get lost?!