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SD6 and Yo-Yos

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

What the motherfudging heck is with schools throwing all these random products on kids?!?!  

SD6's school has a travelling yo-yo person come in every year to do a show, but obviously he can't just do a show, NOPE, he has a sale, for like an entire week, on forking cheap plastic yo-yos.  Last year we gave in and got her one (for 8 bucks. UGH)  She lost in in about 4 seconds, then never played with it again. 

She came to me at the beginning of the week asking for yo-yo money, DH and I discussed it, and decided there was no way in he!! we were paying another $8 for a dang yo-yo that she wasn't going to ever use.

Oh, but then the flyers started getting sent home, and her teacher TEXTED us about it.  And naturally SD6 saw the flyer, ran in the house, and what does she want? Not the already overpriced $8 yo-yo, she wants the crazy duluxe light up $20 yo-yo. He!!. No.

DH tells her no, so then when he's at work yesterday, what is SD6 doing? DRAWING YO-YOS.  AND HANGING THEM UP ALL OVER THE HOUSE!  I have her take all them down and inform her she's not getting a yo-yo, and if she wants to play with one, she can find her one from last year.

Naturally it didn't stop.  NOPE. She then informed me that she was just going to buy it herself. So he!!, I even helped her count what she could find/had left from tooth fairy and the occaional chore money (they have regular chores, but sometimes when I really don't want to do something I'll offer them like a quarter to do it. LMAO)  She only had $4 (kid likes spending money... AND she loses it frequently...)  So I explained that wasn't enough for a yo-yo and if she wanted one, she needs to find a safe place for her money and she can save up for the yo-yo show next year.  Which obviously she didn't like. So she threw a fit and got sent to bed instead.

 

After all that, would someone please explain why these schools push so much for some kind of stupid yo-yos???  It seems excessive! And who the heck wants to pay $20 for a dang yo-yo?!

Comments

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

Probably so. There's ZERO other reason I can see to EVER allow something like that... 

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

Nothing on the Flyer says it is. They sell Soda closer to the end of the year for their fundraiser.  But maybe it is somehow?

notarelative's picture

Don't know who invited your yo-yo guy, but here it's the parents group that sponsors this type of presentation. So before you get upset at the school, be sure you are upset at the right people. 

I don't know where you live, but our school has had the same presentation in the past. There's either one yo-yo guy going around, or it's a franchise. Either way the yo-yos are way too expensive. They do have nice ones at the dollar store here that SD could afford.

I have seen  a yo-yo program. It was quite entertaining and kept the kids' interest. There is no way they can do the presented tricks even with the most expensive yo-yo. 

 

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

Regardless of WHO invited him.  The school is the one sending flyers and the TEACHER texted us.  Which leans more towards school to me.  I could be wrong... But the school seems to be the ones pushing it.

They can't do the tricks.  SD6 was telling me that "One of the yoyos you can throw sideways and it comes straight back!"  I don't think they really realize that it's not the yo-yo, it's the fact the guys doing the tricks are dang good at it.

Maybe I'll take SD6 to the dollar store and let her pick one out there.  I'm sure they have some.

NoThanks's picture

I wouldn’t let her get a cheap one. Keep reminding her that she has one somewhere already. It’s the beginnings of teaching kids to respect their stuff and take care of it. 

I would be really ticked about the yo-yo hocking at school though. Unless it’s a fundraiser, its a complete waste of resources for the school and a parental annoyance. 

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

True. Maybe if she asks again, she can spend the afternoon cleaning up her room to find it. I like that better.

It is.

hereiam's picture

This would irritate me to no end.

It doesn't sound like a fundraiser, to me. Aren't fundraisers for the kids to sell stuff to raise money?This is geared towards the kids spending money (albeit, their parents' money) for a toy. This is a sales pitch, pure and simple.

School book fairs are one thing, a traveling yo-yo salesman is another.

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

They have the book fair next week... It's literally like "here, spend $8-20 on a dang yo-yo. OH, and then come and spend money at the book fair too once you're done!"  We don't live anywhere ritzy! It's not like the majority (with some exceptions) don't have unlimited funds!

Lizzylemon's picture

I refuse to take part in any school fundraisers because at least 2/3 of what you pay for an item goes directly to the corporation. It’s rediculous to buy these overpriced items. DH and sd9 thinks I’m insane for refusing to buy anything but I would prefer to buy her whatever chintzy prize she fancies on my own rather than subjecting my friends and family to this ploy for corporate profits disguised as school fundraising. I saw through this bs when I was in in grade school and refused to take part. Teachers even tried to lecture me and make me feel guilty lol

hereiam's picture

I agree. The only thing I buy from one co-worker's kid is trash bags.

I refuse to buy the ridiculously over priced candies or popcorn or any of that other useless crap.

susanm's picture

You mean you don't want boxes of candy that arrive half melted and taste like wax?  Or rolls of wrapping paper for $20 each?  My personal favorite is the list of magazines that my dentist would refuse to have in his waiting room.  Does anyone still read Cat Fancy or Teen People?  I will probably get run up the flagpole for this but even Girl Scout cookies have gone downhill.  I remember buying endless boxes of Thin Mints and eating them until I was disgusted with myself but they just don't taste the same.

Aniki-Moderator's picture

IMO, the teacher TEXTING you about friggin' yo-yos is a crock of shite. Sorry, but making sure your students comprehend the bloody lessons is a helluva lot more important than some overpriced TOY. 

advice.only2's picture

Oh god the dreaded yo-yo's!  That is a thing!  My bios had it at their elementary schools and every year they would beg and plead and swear they were going to play with them.  Every year I would say no!  GRANDMA would step in and get them the damn yo-yo's!  

Thank god you don't have grandma buying them the yo-yo's!  

 

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

Oh my gosh! Thank goodness! That would be a NIGHTMARE!  Nothing we'd ever say would mean anything!!!  Count the blessings there!

Aniki-Moderator's picture

If the school had a Happy Hour fundraiser, they'd likely get all of the funds they need in one night. *dirol*