School Fund Raisers, Great when there are four kids from the same family tree....
School fund raisers happen every week where the kids are going to school. Every Friday they have a "dollar" day. This means they get to do something out of the ordinary that day. Maybe it's wear pajamas to school, bring a stuffed animal, wear a crazy hat, something of that nature. We generally participate in each of the Friday events. Even if it is just to give the system a dollar and not wear a crazy hat.
Of course then there are catalog sales that are overpriced goodies that you pay for now and receive a lot later, like close to the holidays later. Far enough away that you forget that you have ordered something and replace it at the local store at 25% of the price you paid the school for it.
This time the fund raiser went a little far. They gave the children a coupon page and a speech about how they would get a prize for each thing they sold (kids interpretation). On the coupon page they had a coupon for a "good deed" prize. They each had to do a good deed and they would get one "free" squishy toy on a clip. In my opinion this was just a ploy to entice the children to "want" more. They were encouraged to collect the most squishies. At first, I thought, oh that's nice they are being inclusive. So even a kid who cannot get anyone to buy something will get at least one squishy.
So I dutifully bought some wrapping paper (that I will forget about) and each kid got 3 squishy toys. They did not come home with these prized and I might add expensive one inch tall bits of foam rubber. No apparently they were "talked" out of all but one each by other children who "needed" a new one for various reasons. There were tears for about two hours last night as each child realized they had been generous to a fault.
I did feel bad for both of them. But not bad enough to spend $50 each for one more squishy! That was the price of the next free squishy based on the requirement to sell 5 more items. The lowest priced item is $10.00 Simple math but neither kiddo could conceive that I was actually paying for that squishy! Offers to go door to door and try to get 5 neighbors or any neighbors for that matter, to buy something were futile.
Then DH suggested that we just go to the store tomorrow and try to find the "coveted" toy. I scanned Amazon and found a bigger and perhaps better version of the clip toy and finally broke down and ordered it with the promise by three girls to "earn" them. With that homework was started and finished by 10pm, and a note on the calendar to toss out the next fund raiser that comes with "free" prizes!
Hopefully the girls will learn that the only free thing in this lifetime is God's Grace!
Of course then there are catalog sales that are overpriced goodies that you pay for now and receive a lot later, like close to the holidays later. Far enough away that you forget that you have ordered something and replace it at the local store at 25% of the price you paid the school for it.
This time the fund raiser went a little far. They gave the children a coupon page and a speech about how they would get a prize for each thing they sold (kids interpretation). On the coupon page they had a coupon for a "good deed" prize. They each had to do a good deed and they would get one "free" squishy toy on a clip. In my opinion this was just a ploy to entice the children to "want" more. They were encouraged to collect the most squishies. At first, I thought, oh that's nice they are being inclusive. So even a kid who cannot get anyone to buy something will get at least one squishy.
So I dutifully bought some wrapping paper (that I will forget about) and each kid got 3 squishy toys. They did not come home with these prized and I might add expensive one inch tall bits of foam rubber. No apparently they were "talked" out of all but one each by other children who "needed" a new one for various reasons. There were tears for about two hours last night as each child realized they had been generous to a fault.
I did feel bad for both of them. But not bad enough to spend $50 each for one more squishy! That was the price of the next free squishy based on the requirement to sell 5 more items. The lowest priced item is $10.00 Simple math but neither kiddo could conceive that I was actually paying for that squishy! Offers to go door to door and try to get 5 neighbors or any neighbors for that matter, to buy something were futile.
Then DH suggested that we just go to the store tomorrow and try to find the "coveted" toy. I scanned Amazon and found a bigger and perhaps better version of the clip toy and finally broke down and ordered it with the promise by three girls to "earn" them. With that homework was started and finished by 10pm, and a note on the calendar to toss out the next fund raiser that comes with "free" prizes!
Hopefully the girls will learn that the only free thing in this lifetime is God's Grace!
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