Schooled: Didn’t I Just Write You a Check?

Last year, especially with PTA, I learned that fundraising is a compulsory part of public education. So, when I decided to home school our kids this year I thought my life would be blissfully devoid of hawking $100 a roll wrapping paper to friends and family.

But then I woke up and realized that as part of a “well-rounded,” “well-educated” child, we’d have to “sell, sell, sell!” for every activity we’re in. With three kids, that means we’re selling things for scouts, sports, dance, and even church fundraisers.

Seriously, folks? Didn’t I just write you a check?

Now, I love my kids. Love them. But at some point, I feel like my relatives must hate to see my name on the caller ID knowing that we’re essentially begging their money from them in the name of our kids’ extracurricular activities, several of which we paid a hefty chunk of change to enroll them in.

This all came to a head for me this week as two parents went head to head over a fundraiser for one of the sports teams my kids participate in. Party A decided they were not, in fact, going to hit up everyone they know to buy raffle tickets because they already paid a large amount of money for their kid to play. Party B said that was unfair because our team has to pay for field time. Party A wanted to know why we paid to play –– and said they’d rather just pay the actual cost of playing.

I seriously wanted to stand and applaud. I just wrote you a check. Could I at least have the option of paying the extra $60 rather than begging it from friends and family? My time, and my family still answering my phone calls, is worth more than that.

Are we teaching our kids something valuable with all this selling? Or, are we just teaching them to beg a la the kids and moms with buckets at the corners of intersections asking for “donations?”

I’d really just rather write you another check. But, since I’m a little scared of one of our team moms, would anyone like to buy a raffle ticket?