Um no.

[minkydog]

So my daycare, that I pay a ton of money for, sent home a fundraiser today. Say what?! Apparently, in addition to paying them a large chunk of money each week, they are hoping I will peddle some additional crap to raise money for iPads for each classroom. Since my 4 month old won't be doing any selling, I think they thought I might do it. WRONG. Isn't that ridiculous?

Yes, it is ridiculous. I don't own an iPad and neither do my Dh, my DD20 and my DS27. An iPad is not a necessity of life.

I hate fundraisers. When my kids were in school I used to send in a check for $25 at the beginning of school with a note that basically said "Don't call me, I'll call you." The best part about being a mature adult is NO MORE SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS

 

[emer95]

I used to do the stupid fundraisers for my kids. I'd bring them into work, bug the grandparents, etc. I quickly realized that if people bought crap from my kid, I was obligated to buy crap from their kid! That shut down operations pretty quickly. I now sell nothing and buy nothing, and we're all happier for it. Like a PP said, I'd rather give a donation than pay for overpriced junk.

 

[CdnCarrie]

My kids go to a non profit day care they do fundraisers. What's ridiculous about it? Very common practice.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

My kids go to a non profit day care they do fundraisers. What's ridiculous about it? Very common practice.

This is *NOT* a non profit daycare. It is a FOR PROFIT daycare and I spend a small fortune to send my child there. And with all the money it costs to send my child there, I am not selling crap to my coworkers. If they want to raise the tuition, that is fine, go ahead and see how many children go elsewhere. They are already overpriced. I will not be participating in this fundraiser.

 

[mombrontrent]

This is *NOT* a non profit daycare. It is a FOR PROFIT daycare and I spend a small fortune to send my child there. And with all the money it costs to send my child there, I am not selling crap to my coworkers. If they want to raise the tuition, that is fine, go ahead and see how many children go elsewhere. They are already overpriced. I will not be participating in this fundraiser.

Good for you, don't get suckered into it. As far as the prizes I just tell my kids "too bad, you don't need that crap anyways". Yes I really say that. I am not sympathetic at all

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I saw the same thing at my children's preschool. Also at their dance studio. We paid them for dance classes and they wanted us to also fundraise. No.

 

[goofyintoronto]

LOL! I agree with this!! Ipads for daycare? who are they kidding?! Thats ridiculous!

Ipads for a day care? I am all for technology, but they do not need them in order to do their jobs. So that would be a H to the E to the double LL NO! And I agree with other parents, it has only begun.

Good for you!

This is *NOT* a non profit daycare. It is a FOR PROFIT daycare and I spend a small fortune to send my child there. And with all the money it costs to send my child there, I am not selling crap to my coworkers. If they want to raise the tuition, that is fine, go ahead and see how many children go elsewhere. They are already overpriced. I will not be participating in this fundraiser.

My DS13 school already has 2 fundraisers. TWO!! The MINIMUM is $25 for one of them, like really? They never had a minimum before, this is something new. im not impressed.

 

[Roo2You]

My kids go to a non profit day care they do fundraisers. What's ridiculous about it? Very common practice.

Just curious, what is a non-profit day care? You don't pay the owners? Nobody is making money?

 

[Disneychix]

Just curious, what is a non-profit day care? You don't pay the owners? Nobody is making money?

I'm guessing either part of a church or public school system?

My DS had ipads assigned to each child in Kindergarten. So I'm not totally against the ipads for the 4 yr olds.

OP: you can choose not to participate but just remember the weekly fee you pay is to cover the current cost of the business, there will always be things to raise money for.

 

[WDSearcher]

Just curious, what is a non-profit day care? You don't pay the owners? Nobody is making money?

A non-profit simply means that any money made by the school goes back into the school (or the parent organization), as opposed to investors, owners, etc. It's a different tax designation, and it enables the school to write grants, accept donations, and get funding from philanthropic groups.

As for why schools do fundraisers even though they charge a small fortune ... the country isn't really all that generous when it comes to paying for schools, whether it's basic needs or that extra over-the-top stuff. Once you pay teacher / care-giver salaries and benefits, insurance, rent & utilities, supplies, etc., there's not a whole lot of "profit" going on for extras.

I actually think it's smart to want to have iPads and other technology for kids, even in pre-school. Kids are growing up with this all around them, and there's nothing wrong with teaching kids how to utilize technology as they learn. Before I helped fundraise for something, though, I'd want to see how the teachers are planning on using it in the classroom and what kind of overall plan they have. If they want iPads as electronic babysitters, then no. If they want them to use throughout the day as interactive teaching tools, then sure! It's no different than me sitting with my kids watching Sesame Street or Disney Jr. and playing the games and singing along with the songs.

I also applaud the fact that they're fundraising separately for the iPads, as opposed to putting them in the budget and then raising tuition or cutting something else. Seems that the daycare folks understand that iPads are a "nice to have", not a "must have", which would make me feel better about how they look at the school as a whole.

 

[Jaime4004]

I hate school fundraisers. They also get filed in the garbage at my house. And I love disappointing my kid when they find out they will not get any of the crappy prizes(for selling) the school spent two hours hyping up that day.

Totally! I have disappointed kids every year because i won't let them beg family members to buy overpriced, useless stuff. This year I told them that I would just buy them a new pencil topper (the prize for selling one thing). I didn't and they forgot about it the next day.

 

[blessedone03]

The wife is PTO president at our daughter's school. She despises fundraisers as much as everyone else, however here is the problem if they don't do them.

Each class is allocated one set of ink jet cartridges and one reem (not case) of paper for the entire year. The teachers is supposed to make all her copies and handouts using this allocation per the school board! The large Xerox machine is allocated one set of toners and one case of paper for the entire year for the entire school to use.

The PTO usually ends up buying $5000 - $6000 worth of cartridges and paper for the school each year or the students/teachers would have none after about the 1st month. They tried two years ago to sell memberships to the parents for $10.00 a student in lieu of fundraisers and got a whopping $350.00 out of that.

They can make thousands from the fundraisers so they do them in order for the teachers to be able to teach and have the tools necessary!

Nevermind the upteen numbers of vice-presidents making 6 figures at the ed-center, but they can't afford ink and paper for the faculty/students!

 

[ellone]

I agree with this- iPads for daycare? Kids, especially those of preschool age need to play not stare at screens.

Exactly - I don't let my kids play with the iPad. They zone out too much.

 

[luvsJack]

Not sure about the need for Ipads, but we did fundraisers in our center. The childcare center may be "for profit" but there is usually very little profit involved.

Everything we did fundraisers for was a specific need---playground equipment, art/classroom supplies, books, learning games, etc. We would decide on a need for the year and the annual fundraiser would go to that need-we tried to make sure it was something that would benefit all ages in the center.

We charged a weekly tuition rate and a yearly enrollment fee. We didn't charge any kind of supply fee or anything like that.

We had parents that didn't participate and some that sold a lot of stuff. The ones that didn't participate would usually make some kind of donation.

DD is in choir--try selling $25 cheese cakes! Last month it was candy bars (those sold like hot cakes) and next month will be raffle tickets for a gift card (those will be easy to sell too). In between those we have a student talent show and a powder puff football game which is a huge event. And just did their third performance last night with another one today, and three in the next two weeks. And in our spare time we go to school and to work

OP, it doesn't get easier, believe me. Unfortunately fundraising is a necessary evil.

 

[Wendy31]

Sorry, OP, but fundraisers are just a part of whatever group your child is currently involved - daycare, school, sports teams, band, theater groups, choir, etc.

When our 2 older children were attending a private school (for which we paid hefty tuition fees), there were 2-3 fundraisers every year. What I hated was when the administrator decided to promote different incentives for the students.

For example, instead of winning a gift certificate for ice cream if you sold 10 items, you won a "no-uniform" day at school or an ice cream party at school or early dismissal. So, if my child didn't sell his/her 10 items, then they were one of the few who had to go to school in his school in his uniform on "no uniform" day or had to stay in his classroom while the majority of the other kids got to go to the gym for an ice cream party.

I refuse to peddle stuff to friends & family, & we wouldn't let our kids go door-to-door in our neighborhood. My policy is "I won't sell my kid's stuff to you, if you won't sell your kid's stuff to me."

So we usually ended up purchasing the minimum 10-orders ourselves, so our kids could participate in the "minimum order celebration" incentive at school & not be left out.

I hated it & was normally really grumpy about the whole thing!

Not gonna lie, while there are many reasons we homeschool, the absence of fundraisers was a factor. I figure, I can either fund our own "school" or someone else's...

 

[FlyingDumbo]

My child is 4 months old and goes to daycare. This is not a school. We are going to take a pass on fundraising for the daycare I pay for my 4 month old to attend. When I told the teacher this morning, she said she has gotten a lot of the same from the other parents. So far out of 12 babies, 5 parents have said no.

 

[luvsJack]

My child is 4 months old and goes to daycare. This is not a school. We are going to take a pass on fundraising for the daycare I pay for my 4 month old to attend. When I told the teacher this morning, she said she has gotten a lot of the same from the other parents. So far out of 12 babies, 5 parents have said no.

The fundraising I am doing now is school.

But, like I said, we did them in our daycare/child care center too.

As your child gets older he/she will benefit from the things that other parents have worked to purchase for the center.

 

[Pikester]

From the school (at least twice a year), from the band (all kids were in marching band), from German club, from the drama society, from scouts, from church, and on and on. I decided early on which (if any) fundraisers we would peddle to the grandparents/other relatives and passed on all others. I was totally in support when the elementary school went to the "no fundraiser fundraiser" . Basically, "Please give us some extra money". That way I knew that 100% of what I gave went back to the school (unlike typical fundraisers where they only get a low percentage of the take).


Have fun. Welcome to the world of parenting.

My kid's school still does fundraisers but I don't buy anything from them. Instead I look through and figure what I might have bought and just donate that money to the cause so that they get all of it instead of just 50%.

 

[Jaime4004]

The wife is PTO president at our daughter's school. She despises fundraisers as much as everyone else, however here is the problem if they don't do them.

Each class is allocated one set of ink jet cartridges and one reem (not case) of paper for the entire year. The teachers is supposed to make all her copies and handouts using this allocation per the school board! The large Xerox machine is allocated one set of toners and one case of paper for the entire year for the entire school to use.

The PTO usually ends up buying $5000 - $6000 worth of cartridges and paper for the school each year or the students/teachers would have none after about the 1st month. They tried two years ago to sell memberships to the parents for $10.00 a student in lieu of fundraisers and got a whopping $350.00 out of that.

They can make thousands from the fundraisers so they do them in order for the teachers to be able to teach and have the tools necessary!

Nevermind the upteen numbers of vice-presidents making 6 figures at the ed-center, but they can't afford ink and paper for the faculty/students!

I think everyone realizes that they are fundraising for a good reason (usually). Just need a better system for some of us to join in. But apparently the selling of useless crap is working because I still get a fall and spring fundraising packet for each kid, every year. Some years i'll just send in a check, some years not, depends on our financial situation. I'll buy the school t-shirts, etc, things we can use. But can't in good conscience ask family and friends to buy things that I wouldn't want, especially when they have their own fundraisers to deal with.
The teachers also send out "wish lists" periodically of things they need, wish I like.
I will say that I know they are trying to have more useful things, it's not always the same company. They've tried the usual gift baskets/wrap, specialty coffee/tea, coupon books. Still nothing that works for us...

 

[Aladora]

In this day and age and this economy, fundraising is something that is necessary for schools. What is unnecessary is fundraising for iPads for a daycare! Fund raise all you want to buy puzzles or snacks or playground equipment, those are things that the kids need. But iPads? Nope.