to wonder what the point is in the school cake sale...?

[Ladyanonymous]

Three kids at three schools.

All have numerous "cake sales" throughout the year where we - the parent - are sent a paper plate with a little note on it from the plate itself requesting that we - the parent - fill the little plate with cakes and send it back to school to be sold at the "cake sale".

We are then requested to either take time out of work or whatever one afternoon to attend the "cake sale" or send our child in with some money to buy these cakes back.

Can we bake these cakes with our darling DCs at minumum cost to ourselves? Of course not, its against "health and safety" regs apparently.

So AIBU to think I would just rather cut out the middle man and donate the amount of money its cost me - to buy the cakes and buy them back again for the umpteenth time - to the school - either by a regular monthly direct debit (and while I'm at it lump in the total of every other "voluntary donation" in that sum too). Than go through the facade of the bloody "cake sale".

I like a cake sale but not too often ( once a term is plenty ) and agree only shop bought is insane. Our PTA also sell little water ices in the playground after school on really hot days which is a great money making wheeze idea

@ mistressploppy - you've nailed it there, the great paradox of healthy eating and cake

Cake is special. It doesn't count. Cake has its own rules.

That is health and safety gone mad! I have never heard of it-it is homemade in our area. They would get homemade or nothing from me-like it or lump it!

"Can we bake these cakes with our darling DCs at minumum cost to ourselves? Of course not, its against "health and safety" regs apparently."

I agree that defeats the object. Surely the school should know exactly who has a nut allergy?

Also, given the scarcity of NHS dentists, is there not a risk that parents will spend money on getting fillings done privately that could be spent on whiteboards?

The filling the smartie box thing is just ridiculous. At least with the cake sales some kids are doing baking. The smartie box thing is just like having a sweetie vending machine in the school.

YANBU A cake sale with only shop-bought cakes is grim.

I hate it when I buy something from a cake sale that looks really yummy and on the first bite is immediately obviously shop bought. I do understand that some parents don't have time etc on a rational level, but when it happens I'm still disappointed .

I agree with AvengingGerbil. I like baking and don't generally mind buying ingredients and baking nice cakes to be sold. I can even accept that if I choose more expensive ingredients (eg real chocolate, cream, free range eggs) then the value may not be recouped. Moreover, I even then manage to get over that the DCs ask which ones I made and buy them back with more of my money . I did, however, get pretty internally annoyed when the last time I baked cakes for a sale I discovered they were on sale for a total of 80p for 16 decent sized cupcakes . The cost of the ingredients was significantly more than this. The reason they were 5p each was because they kept some back to make sure they didn't run out and then ended up marking them down to get rid of them at the end of the afternoon, where they would have sold fast when it was busy earlier. I started to think fuck it, next time I'll send in a pound coin, bake some cakes for us to eat at home and we'll all be winners. Except of course, the DCs would be disappointed. So maybe the point's not to make money?

It seems to me from reading this thread that those in charge of private schools obviously think, "right, these parents have money, let's grab all we can". Surely the schools have enough cash though, what with the fees and everything?

I work in a state secondary school in a deprived area. There is no PTA (not enough interest to start one). We have cake sales, organised by willing teachers/food tech dept, and sell ice-creams every lunchtime in the playground to enable our pupils to go to Kingswood for the weekend. It's all pretty grim really.
We once had an own-clothes day at a cost of 50p per pupil to pay for a climbing wall to come for the day.

When we had the intake evening for the new Y7s last year, a blazer was introduced as part of smartening up the uniform, at a cost of £40. I had many, many parents come up to me to discreetly ask if they could pay in installments.
It's a different world, it really is.

Oh, and I totally agree with the idea of just giving a monthly contribution and bowing out of all the school requests. The stuff bought through school (i.e. book sales) always costs way more than I would pay in a store. OP, why don't you approach your head and say something like "I can't really keep up with all these requests for my time and money at the gate. But I'd like to do my part and was thinking about setting up a standing order for a tenner a month for the school to use as you see fit. CanI have an account number and sort code where I should send it?" I'm sure any head techer would be happy to accept your money. We all do what we can where we can (okay, most of us anyway). No one can do everything. So, if this is your way of contributing I see nothing wrong with it.

but children love cake day, lots of sticky twenty pees pouring into school

(lol at own joke about children with disgusting hands)

Ooh Thekla - does your school raise money for the San!

tabouleh. I was a MASSIVE chalet school fan. Haven't thought about those twins for years! Now go and start a chalet school thread, will ya?

My friend is a teacher in a school where there is no PTA. They don't even have a summer fair . And it's only 10 mins walk from where I live. [Luckily ds1's school is only 5 mins away].

This discussion will be in the Daily Mail tomorrow!

Ooooh yes, they'll love the bit about the ex-traveller community

Can't believe you are not able to bake your cake at home.

Our school has no rules like this.

MerryMarigold Thought I had managed to slip that in and get away with it...

Oh my gosh, fanjo. I wish I had your name!

Lol, ladyanon

Our school just had a school fete between 12 and 2. With no food sold

It takes 20 minutes to mix a cake and 30 minutes to bake it - hardly a significant drain on the average time of the average working parent ? and I'm with Seeker - have any of you miserable po faces who hate PTA fund rasing so much ever stopped Hermione or Chablis using the equipement that they buy, or having the extra treats that they provide ? Last time I checked, there wasn't a spreadsheet listing who brought what to the cake sale - if you don't want to do it, don't do it. If your PTA is so shit, then volunteer your expertise to set them straight. Oh what's that - you're too BUSY ? ...

Aww shucks, thanks Merry

I'm a member of the Friends of the School thingy and helped out at my first cake sale. The proceeds paid for art week which wouldn't have happened otherwise.

We were allowed to bake our own of course. People also donated shop bought and money. A lot of the older kids buy a plate and scoff them inbetween footy,rugby practice.

Otherwise it's just a nice treat for tea and you can fill a plate with a selection.

Sad, as it always goes down well at our school.

How utterly tragic that schools are dictating 'no home-made cakes'. It's the one occasion that makes me bake with the kids - they LOVE it.

Kids love a cake sale....and out little shcool made over £400 at the last sale, so it's worth them doing it. But if you can't be bothered, then just send them some money.

If anyone has any problems with their school not leting them sell home mae cakes, I will link to the appropriate bit of guidance which says that this is nonsense.

And at least no one expects a complex Nativity Play written by an Old Girl to raise money for the free cot in the Sanatorium in the mountains.

And any cake Thekla baked would have had a file in it!