School wants my kids to peddle crap

Ugh! My kids are sent home with packets and catalogs and I am supposed to help them peddle x-mas-related crap to friends, family, and unsuspecting strangers. NOOOOOOO!

Then their friends and the neighbor kids come over or approach me on the street and hit me up to buy this crap. So, I had to teach them about 'No Soliciting' signs on people's doors, like mine, and what that means.

My kids are guilt-tripped at school and told that they need to raise money for their school if they're ever going to get to go on field trips and stuff. And the kids who sell the most stuff are rewarded.

I understand that the schools need money. I just don't like them sending kids out, basicly panhandling, to get it.

Couldn't they have events that the school puts on to raise money, maybe?

I refuse to let my kids sell this crap. Nobody wants it. We will not beg family members to buy wrapping paper and stale candy. It's demeaning.

While I'm venting about their school, you know what else? My daughter's teacher wants me to sign something every week that swears that she hasn't watched any TV all week. If she admits on Friday that she saw TV during the previous week she is penalized in class.

I am not a TV fanatic. We haven't always had TV. I understand what he's trying to do.

It bothers me, however, that he assumes that he needs to tell me what to do at home. My kids spend 6 hours a day or so at school, then more than 2 hours on homework. It's hard enough on most nights to squeaze in eating, a shower, and a bedtime story. Now he's worried that I, in my foolishness, in the absence of his constant guidance, might let my kid watch TV. Fuck him.

I live in a little apartment, too. If someone else wants to watch TV, would he have us banish her to her bedroom alone? Put her outside? Whatever.

I just don't like being told what to do on my time. He's assuming a lot if he thinks that I need to be held accountable to him for what I do at home. Dork.

There. I feel better now.

Anyone wanna buy some wrapping paper or some stale, expensive candy? No? Well, I tried.

 

That sucks I remember having to do things like this in school and I HATED it!! One way to help to change things would be to join the PTA and try to sway them to do other types of fundrasiers (too late for this year but...). My local elemtary school held a little carnival to raise money to help their media center. No rides, just dogs, chips, and a bunch of fun (read:cheap) games. "musical chairs", "bag in the bucket" etc...

About the teacher. You should tell him your thoughts on the tv thing. You bring up such, such good points, like: you don't have much time with her anyway, why would you plop her down infront of the tv. I think teachers these days really are more like second parents for some to most kids. They feel that if they don't try to instill morals/values, educate on drugs/bad habits, sex etc..that the parents won't either and our future will be fucked. Let's face it, they've got good reasons for thinking this. Chances are your daughter's teacher is not trying to offend you or overstep his boundries in anyway. I suggest you talk to him about your feelings and maybe you two, together, can come up with a better way to teach kids to moderate their tv watching

 

We always had fundraisers like that in school, and I just never did them. My parents didn't like me knocking on strangers doors unless I was in a costume with several other kids, a parent, and a pillow case shouting "trick or treat". Even then, they were very careful of who I was with and whose houses I was allowed to go to.

As for the TV thing, as long as she studies and does her homework, it is none of his business what your child does once she leaves school property. She is your child. You have the right to decide how much TV your kid gets to watch, but he doesn't. He can suggest other activities students can do at home as opposed to watching telivision, but he can't make them do anything. That's not his role. Definitely talk to him.

 

I hate the wrapping paper sales thing too. My daughter came home with it on the first day of class!! It's funny, because the kid that gets the most sales here, gets a minute in a money machine!! WTF!!


As far as the TV goes, you need to tell her teacher that she will not be signing anything about what she does or does not watch. If she gets in trouble for watching tv, you need to go over his head. It is none of his business nor his place to dictate what goes on outside of his classroom.

 

Talk to the teacher, principle, superintendent, go to all the school board meetings and make yourself known. You vote - yes? The local level is one of the few that one person can make a difference. My wife ran for a school board seat. Did not win but got enough votes that people started returning our phone calls. What you are telling us about happens a lot. It’s wrong - change it. Good luck and keep fighting

 

They send children because children are usually cute enough that most people can't resist. There has to be better ways for the schools to come up with money though.

 

UGH!! that tv thing is outrageous!! he has no right to penalize her for her home life, unless it means she didn't get her homework done. that's total bullshit!

 

I have refused to let any of my kids do this. (My dh calls this "pimping the kids out") the schools get tax money ect. I don't like kids going door to door, and people feel kind of obligated to buy shit which is a lot more expensive than if they just bought it at the store.

If if is for activities, like band, clubs ect that is one thing, but our school does this just for school money. It's sad that this has to be done (does it really, I wonder) so I have refused to let my children participate at all, since they have been in public school since 1991.

This is Big Brother oriented bullshit. Yes, there are a lot of kids who watch TOO MUCH Television, but that is a parent's area, NOT the schools. The problem is there are too many kids raising themselves, and then some parents WANT the schools to get involved in things which they should have no involvement. You can't force "family life" on people who don't want it. Levi, if you kid wants to watch a little TV now and then, it is none of the school's business. This is one of those things (like the DARE program) where I tell my kids that lying to bullshitters and hippocrites is OK.

 

no shit. seriously, we're not tv junkies by anyone's measure, but when someone tries to tell me what kind of activities my children can participate in AT HOME? i don't think so.

one thing that REALLY bothers me about pimpin' out the kids is that they can inevitably be brought to an inappropriate person's attention. it happened when i was in the 4th grade to one of my classmates. our school ceased the 'pimpin' (far more appropriate a term than anyone had guessed) in favor of more profitable ventures. these fund raisers raise far more money for the companies the kids are selling for than the students recieve. it's usually some absurd percentage, like 5%, of the total profit. unbelieveable.

 

i always hated this and would just try and blow it off and act like it was no big deal. as kids usually pick up on our vibes and reactions. my kids were always missled by the prizes and crap they award for selling. i would usually look at this and explain that the prizes were usually things they could get at the dollar store that they were cheap crap. and tell them that i would give them 5 bucks to go or they could go out and try and get 50-100 in sales and 1 or 2 pieces of crap. i never usually ended up giving them any money as they would just blow it off after realizing it was crap and that they just got wrapped up in the hype of all the kids wanting prizes. these programs just totally suck there is suck a small % they get and what do they do with it. i am so glad my kids are homeschooled now.

 

My son has a magazine drive coming up next week. I remember as a child when I tried to get people to buy those that nobody ever wanted to. *lol* My son will not be participating in that one. I have no problems with him helping out the school with fund raising, after all, it will benefit him, but only if he really wants to, and only if the stuff they're trying to peddle isn't outrageously over priced like some of the catalogues that have graced my home from children who have fathers that work with my husband. Talk about a rip-off!

As far as the television goes, that teacher is out of line. What you do at home is not of any concern of his, unless it is harming your child. Watching a little telly here and there is not a crime, and it's ridiculous that he is threatening to penalize these kids. Absolutely not. I'd have a talk with the teacher over this one, and if you don[t get anywhere with him, address the school principal.

 

RE: I have refused to let any of my kids do this. (My dh calls this "pimping the kids out") the schools get tax money ect

Amen.

Our preschool is doing that, too.

Schools get tax money, but not enough tax money. What I'd rather see is some soldier asking people to buy wrapping paper etc. so they can have a new bomber to go kill people.

 

It happenes here in NZ as well, the primary schools not so bad but the intermediate schools and colleges are bad.
I have had to have rules in my home and stick by them , and who cares what the schools say. The children know, we give money were we can, but do not go door to door knocking and i certainly would not let the children go on their own like i have had seen some children do. And the signing the sheet for not watching TV is outrageous,
and children beginning singled out is terrible, they wonder why things are getting bad, look in their own backyard, you need to stick to what you believe and if your children understand and know, thats all that matters.

 

they talk about junk food in schools yet they send your children home to sell chocolate as a fun raiser because Cadburys give a % to school, talk about rigged
$20.00 per box per child, I have 3 children at school so thats $60.00 to find if i can't sell or won't sell, so i sold or brought one box sent the rest back.

 

Actually, today I did talk to a PTA member. The reason that I haven't joined is that their meetings are on school nights and there's no childcare. So, how can I possibly help my kids with their homework, etc., and go to their meetings? It's so dumb. I usually pay the $5 or whatever and join, though.

I wrote a note on the thing I was supposed to sign, saying that I appreciate what he's trying to do, and that my daughter is diligent about cooperating with his no TV rule (which is true), but that I won't sign it because I trust my judgement and I feel that he should, too. I said that I am not comfortable being told what to do with what little free time we have at home. I signed my name and wrote my phone number. He hasn't called.

 

Good for you Levi

That's silly about the no childcare when they're held at night. There are just something in life I'm not meant to understand I guess LOL.

Keep us posted on if the teacher call you back or returns your note

 

good for you.
my daughter's school sent home one of those things the other day. they are careful to say they don't want the kids soliticing, here. what they want you to do is bring it to work and push it on your co-workers. we're not doing that, either. my daughter fussed about the stupid doorprize for a few minutes and appears to have forgotten (for now) the whole thing. i am putting the flyer in the circular file.

 

I know this is stretching it a little, but what's next?


"Sell this and don't watch TV."
"Now read this propaganda."
"Find out who your parents are voting for."
"What did you eat this morning? Remember our rule?"

I just don't like it.

My daughter is so honest though, and wants so badly to please her teacher, that she does confess if she even accidentally watches TV. (If, for example, she is in the room and someone else turns it on.)

Maybe I need to teach her that rule that I think Maggie Sugar mentioned about lying to hyppocrites and bullshitters.

 

Well her teacher is a fuckin wanker, if he think TV is bad, there is a lot more bad stuff out there than TV, an what an insult to you as a mother than he thinks he needs to check.

 

Sorry didn't mean to be so heavy handed about it all..............