What do you do about school own clothes day for CIN?

[BlackLambAndGreyFalcon]

We don't watch tv so CIN usually passes me by most years, however I am aware that they fund mermaids and other similar organisations so they aren't a charity I would like to support.

DD's school (She is 6) are having an own clothes and board games day on Friday and dd is really looking forward to it (asks every morning if today is the day for own clothes day. I read the email properly today and yes, you've guessed it, we are asked to bring in donations for bloody CIN!

What do I do? I don't think telling dd that she can't take part is really feasible - she's looking forward to the day, she's 6 so she won't really understand the reasoning behind it and she will be the only one on the whole school not in own clothes. I suppose I could send her in in own clothes but not give a donation which feels somewhat cheeky somehow.

What does anyone else with similar misgivings about CIN do?

You can ask the school for your donation to go elsewhere, and explain why.

I’d phone the admin and let them know your donation is for the school not the charity.

Pull something cheeky like "dog ate the money"

This year? Being grateful I'm not working that day (I hate spots anyway). Listen, for any given charity day there will always be families who don't contribute for whatever reason. That pound might be the difference between the child having breakfast or not, especially if there are multiple siblings at the same school. Then you get the parents who forget (done it at least twice myself), kids who misplace the coin, kids who don't hand it in for their own reasons, all sorts. At my school we certainly don't keep track of who brought money in for charity, because who wants to embarrass a kid who can't afford it?

If you want to make a stand about the charity itself, drop a note to the head teacher. If you just want to quietly withdraw funding, "forget" to give your kid the money (if it bothers them, say you'll drop it in to the office before pick-up). Nobody will chase you for it. God knows, we have enough trouble getting money out of parents for trips and lost books that actually affect the kids and our budgets. No-one will hound you for a quid.

Thanks all. I'll try and see if I can give the money to the school rather than the charity.

I’m going to tell my child’s class teacher that my donation is to the school (DC’s class have a fund pot we can put into) and not for CIN.