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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

279 replies

FrustratedMum2025 · 03/04/2025 19:35

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?

OP posts:
soupyspoon · 03/04/2025 21:10

Everysand · 03/04/2025 21:08

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

Yes that is strange

Eating easter eggs because you want to eat one, not strange

Just like christmas cake or mince pies prior to christmas

Anyway, all this thread has done is make me remember I had another egg in my bag so Ive managed to get some of that down me now.

Crazybaby123 · 03/04/2025 21:10

Sorry OP but I have this vision of your house stuffed with eggs and you refusing to share them or donate them like a giant angry chicken😂

Bunnycat101 · 03/04/2025 21:11

I think sometimes it is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. In isolation the egg request seems small but once it comes with loads of others it can get overwhelming. I got irrationally pissed off with an extra cake sale a few weeks ago. On the face of it, it’s a nice thing but I find it annoying to spend £3-4 on cakes that might only sell for £3 and then spend an extra £2 on the cake for my kids when I could have just donated £5 and not fed my kids a load of sugar. I find this extra annoying when the school sends home a load of sanctimonious stuff about healthy eating when the children eat more shit at school than at home…

ChicaWowWow · 03/04/2025 21:11

uhOhOP · 03/04/2025 19:41

Your children have been having Easter eggs since six weeks before Easter "because they're kids"? What does that mean?

I was just about to say this. Why are you starting Easter eggs 1 month and 3 weeks before it's Easter? It's like complaining about having to do the Christmas jumper thing, because your kids have been wearing a Christmas jumper since early November 🙄

Sofiewoo · 03/04/2025 21:12

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.

Its only not special because you’ve been giving them Easter eggs to eat for weeks already!

Original poster
FrustratedMum2025 · 03/04/2025 21:12

Okay, okay, I get it now! I’ve probably made this sound way more dramatic than it needs to be. It’s not actually about the cost, it’s just that the whole early Easter egg thing threw me off and got me feeling overwhelmed.

I see where you’re coming from – it’s really not that much to ask, and I can definitely donate one of the eggs we’ve already got. I think I was more annoyed by the constant requests from school, but I get that this one is a small thing that helps out. My kids have had eggs for weeks, so they’re not exactly missing out on anything “special” anyway.

Thanks for calling me out on the contradictions in my own thinking – definitely helps to see it from another angle. I’ll send in an egg and get over it. It’s all about perspective, I suppose!

OP posts:
Sofiewoo · 03/04/2025 21:13

Crazybaby123 · 03/04/2025 21:10

Sorry OP but I have this vision of your house stuffed with eggs and you refusing to share them or donate them like a giant angry chicken😂

While complaining about how she might not have loads of eggs, or money to buy eggs, while sitting on a mountain of eggs!

Oioisavaloy27 · 03/04/2025 21:13

FrustratedMum2025 · 03/04/2025 21:12

Okay, okay, I get it now! I’ve probably made this sound way more dramatic than it needs to be. It’s not actually about the cost, it’s just that the whole early Easter egg thing threw me off and got me feeling overwhelmed.

I see where you’re coming from – it’s really not that much to ask, and I can definitely donate one of the eggs we’ve already got. I think I was more annoyed by the constant requests from school, but I get that this one is a small thing that helps out. My kids have had eggs for weeks, so they’re not exactly missing out on anything “special” anyway.

Thanks for calling me out on the contradictions in my own thinking – definitely helps to see it from another angle. I’ll send in an egg and get over it. It’s all about perspective, I suppose!

Again contradiction your saying about the hole early Easter thing yet your kids have been eating Easter eggs since March, stop digging.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 03/04/2025 21:14

You sound like one of those parents that moans about everything but doesn’t actually want to get involved to help the school just to criticise what they do try to do and what you’ve said gives the impression your children are spoiled. Sorry!

IrisApril · 03/04/2025 21:15

”It’s nice of school to do something!!”

There are always comments like this.

It’s not “nice” at all, if you have two working parents and a busy life. It’s a PITA. Red nose day, Easter bonnet day, mother’s day breakfast, bring your own this, make your own that, £5 donation for this, parents come in at 10.30am for that.

I have to imagine posters who think these types of event are “nice” have no life outside their child’s school.

Some people do have a life, and it’s too damn much.

Didn’t have all this shite when we were children.

Starlight7080 · 03/04/2025 21:18

It's a pound ....if you have been giving your kids easter eggs since the start of March then you can probably afford a pound .
It's nice the school do these things . They are making an effort to do something fun for the kids

eyesoncctv · 03/04/2025 21:19

Oh OP.. What on earth are you whinging about! Sounds like a bit of fun for the Children, get yourself off to Poundland and buy a few Eggs Confused

Moonnstars · 03/04/2025 21:20

I think the event sounds confusing as you are basically suggesting kids donate an egg and receive an egg...where is the money to be made in that?

I assume this is a PTA thing as you mention a raffle. They is no need to take part. I am assuming the PTA will be requesting eggs for the stall. They will then sell tickets and children will then win the donated goods.
I assume therefore not everyone will take part as not everyone will take money or want to (as you say, there are often so many things that I don't do it all and will say no to my children).

I don't see how a school would be doing an egg donation just because. Parents would be donating different size eggs so who would decide who got the biggest eggs (those the school knows who are least likely to get an egg? Those who are the top students in school? Those who try but struggle with school?, not all children can have chocolate eggs so is an alternative being arranged for them (sometimes our PTA just say not on this occasion so those kids can't join in) and I don't think schools themselves would be allowed to promote this kind of unhealthy eating. One year the PTA gave all children a book as a present at Christmas time but i have never heard of chocolate on this scale being given out.

I would check the details of the event and then not feel guilty about not taking part if you don't want to as I expect it is all optional.

ConnieHeart · 03/04/2025 21:21

SalfordQuays · 03/04/2025 20:59

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

Show quote history

You shouldn't just assume thar when OP hasn't said it's not the case

GreatGardenstuff · 03/04/2025 21:22

Yeah, that whole having to contribute to something if you want to participate in it thing is really shit. Who’d want to set that example to their kids?

And yes, Easter eggs are still eaten at Easter in our house.

cherish123 · 03/04/2025 21:24

You could buy a cheap £1 egg.
Your DC children have been eating eggs already? This is quite unusual.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 03/04/2025 21:25

Just donate the egg ffs

Theyre hardly expensive

Why are your kids eating Easter eggs so long before Easter? Surely the point of Easter eggs is you get them at Easter? Ok they might eat the one from school, the one from scouts or whatever before the day, but basically it’s a novelty because they haven’t eaten them for months/ weeks on end beforehand.

myhouseisfullofeastereggs · 03/04/2025 21:29

Our school has a similar event and as PTA Chair I’ve just been to the supermarket - obviously after my own busy day at my full time job, nursery and school runs, feeding and putting my young kids to bed - to buy enough Easter eggs to make up the (slight) shortfall in donations, so all the kids get to do an egg hunt tomorrow and to raise money for great things for the school that it couldn’t otherwise afford. I suspect your PTA will do the same OP. I absolutely understand people deciding they don’t have the capacity (mental, financial, whatever) to participate but I have to say it’s a bit tough to swallow that some people will go further than that and actively criticise PTA committee members in these scenarios.

Allswellthatendswelll · 03/04/2025 21:30

Schools have no money so PTAs have to be creative. Yes they could just ask for donations from patents but most parents aren't going to donate for nothing. The PTA probably think it's just a nice thing to do for the kids but there is always going to be someone who moans. Probably the same parents who will moan when the school has no equipment.

Honestly all the mental effort you've expanded moaning on mumsnet could have been used to quickly buy a few eggs. Yes there is a lot at the end of term but that's just part and parcel of being a parent.

myhouseisfullofeastereggs · 03/04/2025 21:36

Moonnstars · 03/04/2025 21:20

I think the event sounds confusing as you are basically suggesting kids donate an egg and receive an egg...where is the money to be made in that?

I assume this is a PTA thing as you mention a raffle. They is no need to take part. I am assuming the PTA will be requesting eggs for the stall. They will then sell tickets and children will then win the donated goods.
I assume therefore not everyone will take part as not everyone will take money or want to (as you say, there are often so many things that I don't do it all and will say no to my children).

I don't see how a school would be doing an egg donation just because. Parents would be donating different size eggs so who would decide who got the biggest eggs (those the school knows who are least likely to get an egg? Those who are the top students in school? Those who try but struggle with school?, not all children can have chocolate eggs so is an alternative being arranged for them (sometimes our PTA just say not on this occasion so those kids can't join in) and I don't think schools themselves would be allowed to promote this kind of unhealthy eating. One year the PTA gave all children a book as a present at Christmas time but i have never heard of chocolate on this scale being given out.

I would check the details of the event and then not feel guilty about not taking part if you don't want to as I expect it is all optional.

We ask allergy parents to donate their own child’s special egg if they want to participate. And of course we’re allowed to put on an Easter egg hunt with school’s input, what rule do you think would stop us? The teachers will work together with us in the morning to make sure the egg sizes roughly correspond to the kids ages (I suspect/hope the donated ones will mostly be the small 98p type anyway). The moneymaking comes from the (optional) donation we ask for alongside the egg. Obviously not everyone will donate that but if even half the parents do it raises a bit of money for the school and the kids have got to enjoy a low cost celebration of a religious event on the last day of term.

Heronwatcher · 03/04/2025 21:36

Yep it really winds me up when parents complain so much about schools asking for stuff. If you’re at a decent school with engaged teachers/ an active PTA/ a nice programme of events you should be grateful. The school/ PTA are just trying to do nice stuff to make your kids happy or enhance their education, they’re not trying to wind parents up!

All it takes is spending 10 minutes a week to put things into the phone and/ or read the fucking newsletter. Plus 90% of the time the people bleating on about this are the ones who aren’t working and/ or spend the time clogging up the WhatsApp with petty complaints instead of volunteering to do something useful like join the PTA or become a Governor.

BlondiePortz · 03/04/2025 21:38

So your kids have been having Easter eggs since early March but now you can't afford them, so who has been buying your kids them in the first place?

Allswellthatendswelll · 03/04/2025 21:39

Heronwatcher · 03/04/2025 21:36

Yep it really winds me up when parents complain so much about schools asking for stuff. If you’re at a decent school with engaged teachers/ an active PTA/ a nice programme of events you should be grateful. The school/ PTA are just trying to do nice stuff to make your kids happy or enhance their education, they’re not trying to wind parents up!

All it takes is spending 10 minutes a week to put things into the phone and/ or read the fucking newsletter. Plus 90% of the time the people bleating on about this are the ones who aren’t working and/ or spend the time clogging up the WhatsApp with petty complaints instead of volunteering to do something useful like join the PTA or become a Governor.

100% this! The school and pta just want the kids to have a nice experience and to make a bit of money for the school.

tachetastic · 03/04/2025 21:40

Why on earth have your kids been eating Easter eggs since the beginning of March? Easter is still weeks away.

This sounds like a lovely thing for school to do, though I agree the veiled threat that if you don't contribute your child will be left out is unnecessary.

Heronwatcher · 03/04/2025 21:40

Moonnstars · 03/04/2025 21:20

I think the event sounds confusing as you are basically suggesting kids donate an egg and receive an egg...where is the money to be made in that?

I assume this is a PTA thing as you mention a raffle. They is no need to take part. I am assuming the PTA will be requesting eggs for the stall. They will then sell tickets and children will then win the donated goods.
I assume therefore not everyone will take part as not everyone will take money or want to (as you say, there are often so many things that I don't do it all and will say no to my children).

I don't see how a school would be doing an egg donation just because. Parents would be donating different size eggs so who would decide who got the biggest eggs (those the school knows who are least likely to get an egg? Those who are the top students in school? Those who try but struggle with school?, not all children can have chocolate eggs so is an alternative being arranged for them (sometimes our PTA just say not on this occasion so those kids can't join in) and I don't think schools themselves would be allowed to promote this kind of unhealthy eating. One year the PTA gave all children a book as a present at Christmas time but i have never heard of chocolate on this scale being given out.

I would check the details of the event and then not feel guilty about not taking part if you don't want to as I expect it is all optional.

I would imagine it goes

  • as many kids as possible bring egg in;
  • school also buy eggs from Costco or similar;
  • eggs are numbered with raffle ticket;
  • child pays say 50p for ticket then finds egg with number on.

So the margin on buying tickets is where the school’s profit comes from. Otherwise it would be an egg exchange which would be fun but probably not make any money!!