FUNDRAISER HELL

One of the drawbacks of living in a country that has decided to underfund the public school system as standard policy, and where citizens complain about taxes while at the same time griping about lack of services, is the ever present 'school fundraiser'.

Thanksgiving is a special time in our family. All the aunts, uncles and cousins get together and we end up with quite the crowd. Of course nearly everybody has kids and every kid has a fundraiser for their school and we all end up buying from each other.

So in the end the fundraiser becomes a manner of everybody supporting everybody elses children. Sometimes I think it would be better if the schools just stopped fundraising all together. Its not like any children actually go door-to-door anymore selling to strangers, its all kept within the family.

I joked with my wife at the beginning of the school year. "How about I just go ask the Principle how big of a cheque she needs me to give her RIGHT NOW to guarantee that our kids don't bring home anything even resembling a fundraiser for the rest of the year?"

My problem isn't with fundraisers, its with family who cop a negative attitude and behave like this is some kind of burden. Its part of being a parent, and its part of being in a family.

For example, my kid was selling apples this year. It was a good price. A big ass bag 'o apples for $3. Probably would cost roughly the same to buy them at the grocery store. So don't give me a guilt trip for trying to sell you some damn apples. If you don't eat apples don't buy them. I'm not asking you to buy something you don't want or wouldn't buy anyway. Not my problem you don't consider fresh fruit part of a healthy diet. If your going to buy apples why not buy them from my kid so her school can buy a freakin' pencil or something?

My kid was selling spring bulbs (for the garden not for a lamp) earlier in the year. I heard someone whisper "I'm not buying apples, we bought bulbs already". Give me a break! I'm not asking you to become a gardener just for my kid. If you were going to buy some bulbs anyway to spruce up your garden why not buy them from the school. Like the apples it was a good deal, no more expensive then buying them at a garden center. Don't buy them just because my kid is selling them, buy them because you have a green thumb.

Then you have the "Did they buy from us? I'm not buying if they didn't buy from us" Seriously... buy what you would buy anyway just get it from a different source. Just don't give me attitude because your kids fundraiser is stupid magazines that I'm not interested in subscribing to. Next year why don't you recommend they sell apples. I love apples. I would totally buy apples. Or spring bulbs.