AIBU to be baffled a mum had no idea the school fayre was happening?

[xAwaywiththefairiesx]

Today my daughter's primary school had a spring fayre after school on the school field. Ice cream van, face-painting, various stalls with games, the usual. All arranged by the PTA to raise money for the school.
There was a mufti day today, and the children were asked to bring a donation to the school as an exchange for the mufti, something like cakes to sell or a teddy for the tombola or a bottle of wine as a prize or something.
One mum wanders onto the field after school, with both of her kids in mufti, looking around bewildered saying "What's this? Is this a new thing they're doing? Will it be every week?"

And this is so weird to me because the spring fayre has been organised for months. We have lots of emails asking for donations, several more asking for volunteers, we've had at least three leaflets home about it, and she obviously got the memo about mufti, the whole point in which was for the school fayre!

My phone own child has been banging on about it for three weeks.

How can she get so unaware? I'm not judging, honestly, I'm just baffled how it got past her.

Is it just me? Could you miss something like this after all that communication?

If we had to stop using words that the pseudo-sensitive dislike we lose big chunks of the dictionary!

Depends on the kids. One of mine detested them so why would I have gone. Whereas another loved them and even helped out at the primary one when he was a teenager

My apologies. I've obviously missed some posts.

What garbage, even by MN standards!

Still can't see why educated people would use this term in modern day Britain though? If you're going to use outdated terms, then explain why, especially when the term 'non uniform day' is non offensive and a term used throughout the whole of the UK. Whereas the word 'mufti' seems like a racist colloquialism.

Yes but the person I was quoting said " who on earth"

I’n sorry: my post was abrupt and there was no call for that.

No problem. No offence taken.

Lots of words are in common parlance for over a hundred years before people start to question their usage. Mufti is far from unusual in that regard. And yes, is still common parlance.

And frankly not everyone cares about the PTA and their ridiculous events. Schools and PTAs seem to love coming up with ridiculous reasons to waste people's time, like who on earth would want to spend their time hanging around their kids school.

Did you get out of bed on the wrong side today @Bababear987 ?

Schools ure so underfunded and under-resourced that they are trying everything they can to raise funds. Lots of people, especially the children really enjoy this kind of thing.

Don't be so mean spirited.

I don’t need to thank you. I’m very happy to donate money to help the school, that doesn’t have to be in the form of fayres, non- uniforms, sponsorships, donations, craft competitions, parents afternoon, grandparents afternoon, plays, Christmas parties, consumes, Easter bonnets, end of year collections, ice cream this, sweets that - IT’S TOO MUCH!!!

I’m glad you feel proud of yourself, but I’m not thanking you. It adds a lot of stress to my life. I’d much rather donate £30 to the school at the start of the year and call it a day.

Well said.

"Coming up with ridiculous reasons to waste everyone's time"

How bloody rude and mean. We're coming up with ways to have fun and raise funds that we can actually manage to pull off, that the governors will approve, that people will actually attend, and that we have the skills and resources for. Its hard work and takes many long hours to organise for such a short event, and we do it around our own jobs and family lives purely for the love of the school and the children.

I don't care if it's not for you. I don't mind if you don't want to attend. But don't be so bloody condescending and nasty.

But again, why do people assume that parents care about stupid school events? Why does this poor mum have to contribute to the event either, surely showing up is enough? Not everyone has the time or money to do this. And I really doubt most parents can be bothered.
PTA parents live in a bubble and think because they enjoy setting up silly fayres for their own glory that anyone else cba. People go for their kids but most adults would rather be sticking pins in their eyes

And that £30 would be very welcome. But hardly anyone else will donate that way without some event or something to get the attention.

None of it is compulsory, you are free to ignore it all. But if we didn't hold 3 discos, 3 fairs, extra mufti days and a couple of sponsored competitions a year we would be about £10k down and the children would lose out.

This!!!!!
I'll give you money but for Christ's sake stop trying to waste my free time that I want to spend with my family and friends to hang around their bloody school.
Most schools are crap and underfunded so why on earth would I want to give my time (dont mind donating money) but its the hassle and constant attention seeking if the PTA parents and frankly they mostly like to peacock around the fayres cackling and whipping their hair back

I've been a teacher for 20 years and have 3 school aged kids and never heard that term in my life 🤣

I’m late 50’s but this would have been my Mum when I was a kid.
Never went to a parents evening/ sports day/ school play/ nativity.

A kid just has to say it’s non uniform day to a non engaged parent and - that’s it, it’s gospel.
I told my mum school was closed multiple times while I was wagging it round town - she believed me.
Some parents just aren’t arsed.
I don’t ever recall non uniform days at school when I was a kid but know “mufti” from the forces - no harm done 🤷🏼‍♀️

Do you think that this is some clever innovation you've only just thought of?

Our school asks at the beginning of every year if anyone is able to make any donations to the school fund. Every single year. This year two people donated a fiver each. Last year noone donated, the year before, one person donated £2.

Fayres and craft competitions and sponsorships and mufti days raise thousands. This fayre alone raised £600. The Christmas fayre raised £1400. That's all going into the school to make a huge difference to the kids. Especially those with SEN and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

So I'm sorry if it's too much for you that people are working their assess off to help everyone else's kids.

Don't come then. Nobody is making you.

And your charming description of the PTA bears zero resemblance to anyone else I know who volunteers their time and resources to organise this stuff. I'm not sure anyone at our school really knows who is even on the PTA. We just get on with stuff to try and raise money as effectively as we can.

I find the spring fayre perfectly manageable and I appreciate the PTA for setting it all up.
I do get a bit frazzled in December with so much going on, Christmas jumper day/nativity/carol concert/Christmas dinner day, order the Christmas cards, Christmas movie day where kids can come in wearing a hat and scarf to be a snowman was the thing I missed last time.
I fear the mum who didn't know about spring fayre has no hope for December.

By adding “is it happening every week” shows a huge lack of awareness just how much organisation these things take

Literally MONTHS of volunteer's time.

No. Never ever heard the word mufti before.

Here we go again.

No, PTA members don't live in a bubble, and they don't enjoy "setting up silly fayres for their own glory"

My god, you sound bitter and joyless. Just give them a financial donation and shut up.

It was never called mufti at either of DD's schools. I wonder if it is regional?
We are in Yorkshire.