Arrrrrrrrgh! I hate school fundraisers! I know hate is such a strong word, but nevertheless it is truly how I feel. Wait, before you go storming off with a bee in your bonnet, about how insensitive I am to the plight of school funds, or the lack thereof, let me explain. First, several times a year we get a flyer from the school that explains to us about our duty to fundraise and what spectacular goods or services we get to peddle to our friends and family. Never mind that it is usually something we don't really need like Yankee Candles, cookbooks,frozen pizzas, magazine subscriptions, and chocolate. Ok, maybe we do need the chocolate! There is always a note attached with a warning about the dangers of selling door to door and a strong recommendation not to do this. I will follow that recommendation with a cheerful heart. However, since our family lives far away and our friends have kids in school too, usually the same school with the same goals to accomplish, this creates quite a problem. Sell only to family and friends is the assignment. Maybe, my friends and I can order from each other, and our own kids, so we can all do our duty!
Second, if you can't get the parents excited, then certainly the school can have the kids convince their parents that they really do NEED to fundraise so that our darling kids can win cheesy, cheap prizes or classroom pizza parties. I love to sell $200 worth of something so my kid can earn a $5 prize or better yet a raffle ticket to have the chance to win a prize. Who cares about all the time it takes!
Third, don't forget that you also get to deliver your order, in most cases. Make sure to call everyone first to see if they will be home because we don't want their dog, or the neighbor's dog, to eat the chocolate or leave their frozen pizza to thaw on their front porch. How many trips will this take? I hope you have extra freezer space. Don't leave the chocolate in the car, it melts!
Last, in case you missed the product pushing, and because we need more money, we will hold a picnic, festival, carnival, or some other event to raise more money. I actually don't mind these. At the very least, I can spend time with the family, meet some people in the community, and the kids love watermelon, pony rides, and bounce houses. In fact, we are attending a school picnic/fundraiser tonight.
My solution to all the fundraising nightmares of school kids; I return the blank order forms to the school on the deadline date, or earlier if I can pull it together, with a suitable donation written out on a personal check. I never said I wouldn't support the school fundraiser, after all my kids do attend the school and benefit from the money earned. I only said that I HATE the whole process of it! As far as the kids are concerned, usually a trip to the dollar store or to McDonald's to purchase a "Happy Meal" puts to rest their need to have a cheesy, cheap toy.
2 comments:
You forgot to mention the part that I love the very most; they get to start that process in Kindergarten! I couldn't believe it when for the first time my Kindergartener came home brainwashed and spouting the importance of selling the most!... Ahhh
I was doing research on a school paper and it has to do with fundraisers. I also a mother of seven beautiful children have to deal with fundraisers and refuse to participate. I also love the school functions such as the spring fling and autumn festivals at school to raise money. I am always there to support in that way. The schools are putting our children in danger by taking them away from their classes to promote selling through school assembly's.
Through research I have realized how dangerous a practice this is. Edward Werner from Jackson Township New Jersey didnt live to earn walkie talkies he worked so hard to try to win. He lost his life to another boy at 11 years old and a 10 year old girl known as L.W. from Pennsylvania was brutally and sexually attacked while only being 4 sales away from earning the geen inflatable chair she was trying so hard to get. I say way to go for the schools in exploiting our children!!!!NOT! while still being in the process of researching my paper, I have already decided to make it a point to speak up about how much I disagree with this practice to the school district as well as I have learned that the teachers do not like it so much either. They are there to teach our children not be record keepers/bill collectors.
signed
worried about our kids
Ginger in Delaware
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