Okay my son was given the opportunity at school to watch a guy throw a yo-yo around the hall for 3/4 of an hour last week, whilst being reminded how with perseverence and concentration they could also be fab at using a yo-yo, and it would also help them concentrate with their school work!???

Then at the end of the 'assemby' all the Junior year were given an order form to bring home just in case (ROFLMAO) they would like a yo-yo of their own. Starting price..£5 rising to £10 for the deluxe model which of course is what every child needs. Oh and don't forget mums and dads incase you don't feel guilty enough for daring to say no, a percentage goes to the school funds.

Ok, the junior year at my sons school has approx. 180 kids, lets say two thirds of them nag and nag until they get one (which are available from the office for a whole week!) and pay the middle price of £7.00, thats £840.00 bullied out of parents pockets, and even if a percentage goes to the school I still think it is unethical.

This 'organisation' say they provide the show for free (normal charge in the states is $700) bless are they generous or what, in exchange for the opportunity to sell toys in school!

Am I over reacting?

just buy one for a quid or two from a toy shop.

You are NOT over reacting and if this had happened in the school my kids attend I feel I would have reacted the same way!!

Complain to the school...!!

They are always quick at complaining to us...I am sure my lads teacher gets some sort of 'kick' out of been the bringer of bad news at the end of the school day!! She bustles out of the classroom with a sinister grin on her face whilst she tells tales to the Mums and Dads about their childs behaviour which is just 'kids being kids' 99% of the time!!

The other week he was excluded from afternoon play for climbing a tree....:confused:

Err, no you're not. It's hard enough trying to steer kids away from the 'I want' culture that we live in today without unwittingly sending them to school to have them inflict it too.

Play them at their own game. Let your kid be the first to have those poi things :D It's the natural next-step. Why follow when one can lead the fashion?

Originally posted by Strix

Play them at their own game. Let your kid be the first to have those poi things :D It's the natural next-step. Why follow when one can lead the fashion?


Whats a Poi????

Hes into Yu-gi-oh cards at the moment but they have also been banned in school! lol

Originally posted by Cyclone
just buy one for a quid or two from a toy shop.

Not good enough cyclone these ones are super dooper with gears and tyre tread!??

Check out the website where this all started its a schools dream come true - free entertainment and make some money, no wonder they get sucked in The Ned show (http://www.thenedshow.com/)

http://www.homeofpoi.com/

They have the advantage of being soft, so they are not actually a weapon (as the yo-yo is) and have not (to my knowledge) been banned from loads of schools (as the yo-yo has)

Of course they can be much flashier too, and I think you can have flammable ones (unlike yo-yos) :D

Parents that allow themselves to be nagged into submission by their children have only themselves to blame. :|

More interesting blurb:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/181892.stm

This also happened at my sons school and I was apalled.(sp)
He belly-ached for a yo-yo with a starting price of £5.
Eventually,we found one in towm on Saturday for £1.99.The only annoying thing is,some parents will have forked out top daollar for one,and,like my son,will be bored with it already.

I have furiously written a letter to head:

"Dear Mr *******,

I write as I have concerns with your recent inclusion of the All for Kidz motivational assembly you invited to school on the ** of June. Having taken time to find out about the organisation and the ’NED Show’ I must tell you it has put me in another awkward position.

Though I commend its principles and support the idea of raising funds for the school, I object to assembly being used as a tool for selling a toy. A toy which I have been told rightly or wrongly will not even be allowed to be used in the playground.

You have an estimated 180 children in junior year; let’s assume 60% are successful in the water torture that is their speciality when a fad comes into the classroom. If each child bought a Yo-Yo at the average price of £6.75 that means this registered company has made £729.00 from your parents. I do feel it would be good to let us know what the percentage is that ********** school would receive in order that we can make an informed choice. I would hope your cut would be in excess of 15% to justify such blatant commercialism in our school.

I have been inundated with requests for money via sponsor forms, uniform order sheets and school trip money, all in the last two weeks. And now YO-YO's! I don't have any more money! Please stop asking me! you are not going to get it!

Kind regards,

Me "

Originally posted by InvalidUser
Parents that allow themselves to be nagged into submission by their children have only themselves to blame. :|

Obviously you have no children or you must have found the perfect parent switch at the back of your head which means children never nag you till you want to kill them, and they are perfect angels who never ask for anything and never get anything that may be faddy.

I think I would rather buy my kid a yo-yo for a fiver than a Playstation game for 40 quid. Not right sure what the fuss is about... sorry!
If you don't want your kid to have a yo-yo, tell them that yo-yos are for sad losers (this would be mean and untrue, but effective). Otherwise, get them said yo-yo and remember the days of the yo-yo craze (free with cans of coke?). You could join in the fun and try to do an 'around the world' or a 'walk the dog'. Oh how I reminisce...

why not make them buy it out of their pocket money. That should be at least a weeks worth money.

Yes indeed! I agree with that! Then you would be teaching them the value of money aswell as a new and fun passtime (one that requires dedication no-less)!

This could be a great opportunity for learning stuff!

Originally posted by chickmonk
I think I would rather buy my kid a yo-yo for a fiver than a Playstation game for 40 quid. Not right sure what the fuss is about... sorry!


Part of the problem is that there is already a growing bullying problem in schools. Children can be very spiteful, and if there is a fad any child without will be picked on. This can be for clothing, shoes, a specific toy, whatever. The fact that the school is providing the fads for which children can be teased is worrying.

Many families can't justify £5 on a fad. £1.99, maybe, but it's not the _right_ one, which means the teasing will continue. There's enough of this already without a.n.other organisation profitting from it.

Er, I think that most kids pick on other kids about things worth more than a fiver - eg, mobile phones, trainers, Playstation etc.

I see your point about school encouraging such things but think that there are worse things the school could be up to. In fact, I'm suprised that an activity promoted by the school is being taken up so readily by the kids. i would have thought that this would have had the opposite effect (ie school says it so it's naff).

I also think that it is a tad oversensitive to attack 'fads' because they cause bullying. Yes, bullies will use any excuse so we're onto very dodgy ground if we try to eliminate anything they can use to tease others.

Kids create their own fads and I would rather see yo-yos as a 'fad' than some of the more distasteful stuff kids can get into.

I appreciate that some families can't afford a fiver on a yo-yo tho. SO - MUCH cheaper yo-yos or better still, FREE YO-YOS FOR ALL!!

I think its funny selling stuff to kids, they will belive anything you tell them. Kids are the best way to make money
________
Babes Webcams (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/webcam/babes/)

so true, so true.

Like taking candy from a baby...

Originally posted by chickmonk
Er, I think that most kids pick on other kids about things worth more than a fiver - eg, mobile phones, trainers, Playstation etc.

They'll also pick on other kids for a lot less....

I was merely highlighting the concern :)