To be frustrated with the school about the Easter egg situation?

[FrustratedMum2025]

So, the school sent home a note last week about the “Easter egg raffle” they’re doing, asking for donations of Easter eggs for the kids to win as prizes. Fair enough, I thought, seems like a nice thing to do.

But here’s the issue: they want each child to donate an Easter egg by tomorrow. Fine, except… my children have been having Easter eggs since early March because, well, they’re kids. The idea of giving yet another egg just seems so unnecessary to me. I’m already drowning in chocolate from my own absolutely brilliant planning of Easter, and I’m not sure I want to add to the pile just for the school raffle. Plus, when I mentioned it to a few other parents, it turns out they all feel the same!

It feels like they just don’t get it. I already pay for everything (I’m talking school trips, PTA fundraisers, fancy dress days, the whole shebang) and now it’s Easter eggs as well? I’m all for supporting the school, but they never ask for things in a way that’s actually affordable or considerate of family budgets. AIBU to feel like this is just another example of unnecessary school demands?

Also, they’ve made it clear that if you don’t donate, your child might not get to participate in the raffle. I get the whole “voluntary contribution” thing, but when it’s linked to something like this, it just feels a bit much. Honestly, I can’t be the only one who thinks this is all a bit tone-deaf.

Am I being unreasonable or is it just another case of the school not understanding how much we’re all juggling at the moment?

TL;DR: AIBU to be frustrated that the school expects us to donate an Easter egg on top of everything else, and if we don’t, our kids miss out on the raffle?

If you did Easter early why is there a pile for the proper Easter or is it one long Easter, maybe you could donate the egg pile as you are all egged out.

Its irrelevant to the discussion of the kids have eaten easter eggs for a few weeks, most people eat hot cross buns well before now, they're in the shops etc. Theres no different to eating chocolate in egg form or any other form and Im sure posters children have been eating chocolate recently since christmas, most people/children have

However Im confused about what you say, you dont want to donate because its a nother thing to pay for. Yet you're drowning in chocolate and dont want more chocolate coming in (which I understand)

So give an egg you already have then? You lose an egg and then gain an egg. The status quo remains?

But surely your children won’t mind ‘being on the sidelines’ if they have been scoffing chocolate all through March?

This post. School budgets are squeezed, teachers being made redundant, times are tough for all. But. The school asks for a small donation of an egg. Could cost pennies and this is a problem. Seriously get a grip. I am getting cheesed off with the school bashing for pointkess, ludicrous reasons. Your kids eat Easter eggs regularly/ this is the problem,

Never heard of kids eating their Easter eggs before Easter Sunday. Always waited as a child and I would expect mine to do the same. Anything else is weird.

do you also open your Christmas presents from the 1st of December? Or November??

Your kids shouldn’t have been ‘nibbling on eggs since March’. And it’s not because ‘they’re kids’ it’s because you’ve allowed it. Stop making excuses not to spend a pound so that the kids can have a rare bit of indulgent fun at school fgs! YABVU.

I find some of these responses bizarre. Given the amount of chocolate some children are given in egg form for easter, it make sense to have little and often, not save it all for a few days.

This reminds me of the christmas thing where people are outraged that people start eating mince pies in November. Yes and they're very tasty too for 2 months of munching

My school did this two weeks ago. Nobody kept track of which children donated eggs and which children did not. They just put them in a box as they arrived. Then they were put in gift baskets and raffled.

No, she said the school have said if they don't contribute they might not grt to participate. Which I suspect is just them saying if they don't get enough donations they might not be able to run it.

Your post is full of contradictory statements.
You think it's a nice thing to do.
You are drowning in chocolate.
Your kids are consuming lots of eggs and have been since early March.
It isn't affordable to buy Easter eggs for the raffle.
Your kids don't need it.
You are upset they will miss out.

I don’t see the issue

eggs are £1 ish

you have many as ‘drowning’ in chocolate so give one of those

but it’s not a cost thing really is it

you for some strange reason have given your kids Easter eggs for the last few weeks

so they aren’t going to appreciate the fun behind it

do you give Xmas pressies in November. As well ?

this is how schools make money to support and help buy things for the kids that go there. Ie yours

we have break the rules day - wear own clothes day - other varies days for £1/2

The little and often thing is fine, it just starts on Easter Sunday. Just because they wait until the day doesn't mean they get given them all in one day

I understand that all of the little things add up.

But it seems like this is a particularly strange one to make this point about. The upside of asking people to donate an Easter egg at this time of year is that they're cheap, easy to get at any store, and most families are already buying them right now (including yours!). They didn't ask for some specialty item or homemade good and for most families this wouldn't involve anything more than grabbing one extra off the shelf or donating one of the countless ones families are "drowning" in at the moment. All of your specific complaints sort of undermine the broader one, here.

@ConnieHeart that’s clearly not going to be true is it.

I can’t help thinking of how monstrous I am that my 9 and 5 years olds are yet to get an Easter egg…. It’s just been so chaotic (not as planned as the OP!) that it’s just not been a thing and the poor sods have gone to bed without heir first egg yet. Shame on me and DH 🤣 and now I really want some chocolate

This must be a wind up or reverse. What the hell? It’s not the job of the school or PTA to provide your child with an Easter egg. If you don’t want them to feel left out, donate an egg. It’s your problem that you aren’t disciplined enough to stop your children eating Easter eggs before the actual event.

Okay, okay, I hear you all! I think I got a bit caught up in the whole “extra stuff” and missed the point of the event. You’re right, it’s not a huge financial ask and I could definitely donate one of the many eggs we already have. I think I just got overwhelmed because it feels like there’s always something else piling up, and it adds to that “if you don’t do it, your kid will miss out” vibe, which gets a bit old.

And yes, I know, we’ve been eating eggs for weeks, so that’s on me, lesson learned there. I’ll probably just donate one of the ones we’ve got, stop stressing over it, and focus on the fact that my kids are still excited for the whole Easter thing, even if it’s not as “special” as it used to be. You’re also right that there are kids who might not get an egg otherwise, so that’s what I’ll focus on. Thanks for the reality check!

There's been a few posts like that here lately! How these people manage to bring children up is beyond me!

I also don’t understand - if you’re drowning in chocolate eggs - just send one to the school? Right?

It doesnt 'have' to start on easter sunday at all. Thats one way of doing things, OP does it differently thats all

Im not sure why its being portrayed as if its the strangest thing anyone has ever heard

I had a easter egg today at work. They were being handed out. It wouldnt occur to me its for a set day. Nor did anyone else.

I also notice that usually on threads about food, there is a lot of finger wagging (rightly) for terminlogy like stuffing your face, scoffing etc etc

Yet people using it freely here about children enjoying some sweets. Most children and adults have eaten chocolate in the past few weeks, what is different about chocolate in egg form?

OP your spoilt kids have a pile of Easter Eggs at home yet you don't want to buy/donate one to the school?

Easter is a Christian festival. How very unchristian of you.

I'm not sure why its being portrayed as if it's the strangest thing anyone has ever heard
Well it is very strange to a lot of people. Easter eggs being for actual Easter is far more common than Easter eggs for a few weeks around March and April at a time vaguely related to Easter.

How many easter eggs have your children been eatinig all the way through march that one more egg would tip it to unacceptable levels of easter eggs??😂

I’m also surprised that they have been eating Easter eggs just because they are in the shop.

What is strange is that OP has loads of eggs but is making a big fuss about donating one for a school event.