to detest my kids' primary school's latest money making venture - selling us christmas cards made by our kids?

[jasper]

Fundraising ( for school funds - don't start me on that one) thing going on at our school just now.

Each child draws a Christmas card design.
School gets them printed up professionally , in packs of 8 cards with envelope.

Your child brings two of these packs home (with their own design) to sell at £5.50 per pack.

AIBU to think this scheme stinks?

Don't buy them. My ds's toddler group does this sort of thing all the time with teatowels and mugs and all that kind of rubbish. I never buy anything. If I want a little memento made by him, I can make it with him at home at a fraction of the cost.

It's not uncommon. If you don't want them, don't feel pressured into buying them

ds's old school did these each year whilst he was there. He was so proud I had to buy a pack, I sent them to family.

It does stink but it makes them happy.

how much?

£5.50 per pack is a bit steep. But otherwise I think it is a great idea.

I'd still buy 'em though! Although my purse still hurts from the £30 school photo-£30, for one photo, not even the pack with a big one and some little ones in

i inadvertantly suggsted it to my dc's school
well i didnt actually mean a whole packet! anyway - yes - we have that too.

A common fundraising idea.

It depends how strongly you feel that you shouldn't be paying anything over and above taxes towards your dc's education.

No one is forcing you to buy them. Just say no (zammo). The school wants to raise funds for Good Things. Let 'em get on with it.

Its fine so long as its totally optional whether you participate or not. Our school has just started similar scheme this year (£6 for pack of 12, £4 for any additional packs so maybe 8 for £5.50 stinks). But theres really no pressure whether you send back the form and some money or not.

Personally I quite like it - I know the grannies and aunties will like the cards but that DD wouldn't have got round to handmaking that many.

Funnily enough the teatowels did not bother me so much - had the whole class's drawings / handprints on them , not such pressure to buy, and anyway reasonably priced at £4.

These are made by your kid alone , a disposable product that has already been produced and will be binned if you don't want it!

Unlike teatowels/ mugs where orders were taken in advance so they knew how many to produce, so no waste.

I have not come across this personally printed cards thing before.

Oh our school do this - I really like it

If you don't like it, don't buy.

It's to buy smartboards.

They already have twelve of them in the school and are aiming for 14!

Why on earth do they need 14? the parents helpers say the 12 they have are not used that much.

i actually wish our school would do tea towels. i may suggest it. i can imagine all the old timers rolling their eyes and saying we've done that we're bored....

I have absolutely no intention of buying!

But I know lots of families who would rather not but will feel pressurised.

And what about the waste aspect? The school recently got awarded the green flag for eco friendly- ha!

the first time our school did this christmas card thingy, they gave a prize to whoever sold the most
one little boy in reception sold 15 packets
can't stand his mother -

I still have the teatowel of my nephew's P3 class.

he is now 25!

slarty there is a prize for every kid who sells all their cards!

I like them. Although ours don't cost that much.

I buy packs from each school, then that's xmas cards sorted.

ds1's (SLD/PMLD) school uses their smart boards all the time. ds2/ds3's school doesn't have them. But I can see the benefits.

Our schools cards aren't printed unless you order them (you have to tape the order form on the back of the artwork a certain way so it goes through the machine the right way up I think). So no waste. As I'vesent the form back I don't know what the company is but that does seem the better way to do it.

whats a smartboard?

Our school sent something home about this. It went straight in the bin. We make all our own anyway - last year was a great photo montage of the Arctic the kids made with all their stuffed penguins and so on, some plastic stuff, and a white baby blanket made to look like an iceberg. It was really excellent and we had great fun doing it.

a big white board like a computer board.

The cards do seem a bit dear, but you don't have to buy them. In our school, the fundraising activities have provided some great things for the children, as well as funding theme days and improving the school environment, which I think is a Good Thing.

However, as a member of our PTA we always try and select activities that are truly optional and minimise pester power.

the Grinch is alive and well.......