Three Reasons School Fundraisers Frustrate Me But I Support Them Anyway

It's that time of year again when those colorful little catalogs filled with cookies, cards, and cute things come home in our kid's backpacks and our anxiety goes through the roof.

A KIND PARENTAL DISCLAIMER FOR MY KIDS

Let me start off by saying this article in no way is connected to how my children feel about school fundraisers.  They have no concept of money or the fact that if we bought the 100 items it takes to get the $100 Walmart card we'd need to take out a second mortgage on our home.  No biggie right, it's all for the children.  I'm hoping after reading this the school PTA moms don't wait for me in the after-school pick-up line and jump me or blackball my kids from future fun crap.  But it is what it is

I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE RIGHT?

Angel here and I can't be the only person who silently rolls my eyes when their child comes running out of school with the plastic fundraiser bag.  This happened two days ago as both my kiddos bombarded me as they walked out of school screaming "mom we HAVE to sell items to get a prize".  Cue immediate stress.  As if I don't have eleventeen hundred other things to do with our lives.

CRAZY COMPETITIONS

I promise I get it.  Schools have to have funding for different things.  Whether it's for the teachers or supplies or whatever it may be but I really just don't like how it's presented.  We make our children think they have to have that $.10 toy because if they don't it truly will be the end of the world.  At least I know it was when I was in elementary school.  I'm pretty sure I went to school with some of the most competitive kids to ever grace public school doors.  This was back in the day of door-to-door sales and some of my friend's moms were loading them in the minivan and driving them around town.  Now, that has gone by the wayside and kids basically hit up their parents, grandparents, maybe a next-door neighbor, and then mom and dad are left to take these things to work.

THE DESPERATE THINGS WE PARENTS DO

I thought I had seen it all when it comes to school fundraisers until yesterday when a parent literally posted the whole school catalog to Facebook and was soliciting people to purchase.  Well, thanks for spoiling it for the rest of us LOL.  Here I am telling my husband you take one to work and I'll take the other so they can at least sell their requested three items.  School Fundraisers are like having a second freaking job for two weeks or more out of the year.  When all the while I'm thinking why can't I just write a check or send money to school at the beginning of the year and avoid all this crap.  I think there are a few schools who provide this service and it's fantastic.

SOME KIDS WON'T EVER SELL A THING

As one of these kids who didn't really ever sell anything I can promise you I hate these catalog fundraisers.  We couldn't afford the stuff they were selling.  I dreaded having to bring it home and a lot of the time I never even took it out of my backpack because I didn't want my momma to have to feel bad about not being able to buy anything.  All the while you've got kids whose parents are loaded and can basically buy their way to win whatever prize they want.  It totally took the fun out of it.

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I'LL SUPPORT IT ANYWAY

My kids have always loved school fundraisers.  They didn't grow up like I did.  They have two parents, grandparents, and other family members who have bought and will buy items from them.  I understand it's fun for them and I want to support their determination and school. They're determined to sell three items.  Now, Tuck asked if he could sell 100 items to get LED lights and I basically laid it out and said I can buy you those lights for way cheaper at Ross Dress for less and spend a whole lot less time than selling all those items.  I commended him on his desired efforts and we moved on.

ON A POSITIVE NOTE

Hats off to the parents and kids who go all out for school fundraisers.  Our family wasn't built for that.  Now, send home some world famous $1 chocolate or those $.50 bags of suckers the cheerleaders used to sell and we are on it LOL.  To each their own I guess.

P.S. with all that said if you would like to purchase something from Tuck or Charlotte for their school fundraiser message me...I'm totally serious LOL!