Another school year, another fundraiser!

Here we go again! We've been in school for 2 weeks and we're already getting the first fundraiser package in their backpacks! How I dread those! I always hated asking people to buy stuff so I'd wind up buying what I could and sometimes just asking close family members. Even then I hated doing that. Most of my family don't even live near us either. They're all spread out in other states.

For awhile there when I had 2 kids in school, I'd get 2 packages, of course. And they were asking the kids to sell at least 20 things each! That's just crazy. I didn't think I even knew 40 people! Lol. But if they don't sell anything then they don't get their class party. What pressure!

At least now I just have one. My daughter's charter school she goes to now doesn't do the fundraisers. But here is my little Kindergartener with his first fundraiser. It looks like the minimum sell they're asking is 5 items so I guess my husband and I are going to buy 5 items!

I know the schools use these to help buy things for the schools, etc. I just wish there was another way instead of having little kids trying to sell things and parents feeling guilty enough that they wind up buying things they don't even want. Who wants the poor kids to lose their party?!

How do you all feel about school fundraisers? I personally think I'd rather just write a check to the PTO!

[alikat1205]

I hate them.  I would rather, we need x per year ($200 for example).  You can divide it into five payments, or whatever, and that is what the school needs to operate.  No selling, no pressure if your child doesn't become the superstar sales person, no hassling your family and co-workers for ****.  

[April2]

Lol, I just had this poor kid come to my door this evening. He looked like he was maybe 14 or so. As soon as I saw him with his box I started to turn him away and he just got this defeated look on his face. You could just see his whole face drop. I asked if he had sold anything yet and he sighed and said not one. So yeah, lol, I caved. I bought something from him. His whole face lit up and he kept thanking me and saying "God bless you!"
Man, I wish they wouldn't make these poor kids do this!

[gokuangel]

Selling stuff period is just annoying!! I have a relative that sell Mary Kay and everytime shes gets one of our #'s or has a hint we will be near her town she wants to know if we need anything or if we want2 come have facials!! UUGGHH!! SS but its beyond annoying!! I just seem to have theory that if people wanna buy something they will go to the store and do so they dont want people hassling them!! I do like the idea Alikat said for the school to say ok we need so much per year to make it or have one GIANT fundraiser to get the $$ like a carwash or bake sale something like that!

[jollyman069]

pretty sad that our schools have to resort to doing this...it is ok to bail out the banks and wall street but hey let's not fund our schools properly...pretty sad statement for our country...huh???

[ChitChatNine]

We limit what we buy and for the most part will not solicit others.  We pick and choose (among my 4 kids and their fundraisers) what we buy and put a limit on the $ amount like at the "book fairs", etc.  -- I am probably NOT the most popular among the PTA's but will only do what I can afford.  

What bugs me the most is when the schools PRESSURE the children about reminding Mom & Dad to get that fundraiser in or they make them feel "odd" or "left out" if they aren't participating in that author's book signing (which means buy the book) or the artwork project made into notecards!  It's not done on the surface but the undertones are there that the kids who don't participate do feel left out.  It's not done overtly, but let's face it .. there's those who "do" and those who "don't".

Or some other fundraisers that my kids don't want to participate in - on their own accord -- the teachers hound them about it.


C~