Comments on: Updates from the Scholastic Meeting at our Preschool http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/ Anyone else find childhood a little stifling these days? Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:39:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Shaping Youth » CCFC Successfully Knocks Sense Into Scholastic Re: Bratz Books http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-879 Shaping Youth » CCFC Successfully Knocks Sense Into Scholastic Re: Bratz Books Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:25:21 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-879 [...] about thanking CCFC for mobilizing 5000+ parents to give Scholastic a bracer to get their act together and go back to their roots of selling books [...] [...] about thanking CCFC for mobilizing 5000+ parents to give Scholastic a bracer to get their act together and go back to their roots of selling books [...]

]]> By: outside the (toy) box » Quick Links - Webkinz, McCarthyism, and My 2 New Favorite Blogs http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-478 outside the (toy) box » Quick Links - Webkinz, McCarthyism, and My 2 New Favorite Blogs Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:51:52 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-478 [...] alternative to the Scholastic Book Fair (New readers? Scholastic = bad.  Venting on this Here and Here.).  Check out this little exchange in the comments from Corp. Babysitter.  Anne McCarthy, if you [...] [...] alternative to the Scholastic Book Fair (New readers? Scholastic = bad.  Venting on this Here and Here.).  Check out this little exchange in the comments from Corp. Babysitter.  Anne McCarthy, if you [...]

]]> By: Two Knives http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-210 Two Knives Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:18:25 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-210 Several thoughts here: We get so immersed in the topic, it becomes easy to think that not only does everyone know about the problem and understand it, everyone agrees with us. Thanks for the reminder. I know when I talk about my project with parents I do get a lot of blank stares: What are you talking about? I am especially interested in the letter that the director will be sending to Scholastic. Maybe we need a coordinated effort to encourage all schools to do the same. Maybe some organization could take that on . . . . We could post sample letters and samples announcement that can be attached to the circulars that are given out. The used book fair definately addresses the economic issues. Ours is Friday night, and it is the first time I've worked on it, so I will let you know how it goes. And of course, the library! Maybe parents need reminders about all that local libraries can offer? Keep up the work and let us know how everything goes! Several thoughts here:

We get so immersed in the topic, it becomes easy to think that not only does everyone know about the problem and understand it, everyone agrees with us. Thanks for the reminder. I know when I talk about my project with parents I do get a lot of blank stares: What are you talking about?

I am especially interested in the letter that the director will be sending to Scholastic. Maybe we need a coordinated effort to encourage all schools to do the same. Maybe some organization could take that on . . . . We could post sample letters and samples announcement that can be attached to the circulars that are given out.

The used book fair definately addresses the economic issues. Ours is Friday night, and it is the first time I’ve worked on it, so I will let you know how it goes.

And of course, the library! Maybe parents need reminders about all that local libraries can offer?

Keep up the work and let us know how everything goes!

]]> By: Must be Motherhood http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-206 Must be Motherhood Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:41:13 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-206 Your activism is inspiring. It rocks that although your involvement in this pre-school will probably (hopefully?) benefit children who attend for years after your own have left. I love Juliet Schor too and think all new parents should be handed a copy of "Born to Buy" along with their goodie bag of formula and Pampers coupons when they leave the hospital ;P Seriously, it's a fantastically well-researched and frightning book. Your activism is inspiring. It rocks that although your involvement in this pre-school will probably (hopefully?) benefit children who attend for years after your own have left.

I love Juliet Schor too and think all new parents should be handed a copy of “Born to Buy” along with their goodie bag of formula and Pampers coupons when they leave the hospital ;P

Seriously, it’s a fantastically well-researched and frightning book.

]]> By: Tina http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-205 Tina Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:24:04 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-205 Would it be too much to ask for your list of cheap book ideas (you know, when you come up with it). I'm too lazybusy to do the work, but with a handy list, I'd like to bring it up to my preschool, too. Would it be too much to ask for your list of cheap book ideas (you know, when you come up with it). I’m too lazybusy to do the work, but with a handy list, I’d like to bring it up to my preschool, too.

]]> By: An Ordinary Mom http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-203 An Ordinary Mom Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:49:11 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-203 Very interesting and thought-provoking post. I just went to my child's Scholastic Book Fair yesterday and was somewhat appalled at all the marketing books they were selling. I immediately skipped over those and went for the more "real" books ... which are getting harder and harder to find. My husband is in graduate school so money is tight for us. That is probably why we end up using the library so much - it's free and it saves trees :) !! Very interesting and thought-provoking post. I just went to my child’s Scholastic Book Fair yesterday and was somewhat appalled at all the marketing books they were selling. I immediately skipped over those and went for the more “real” books … which are getting harder and harder to find.

My husband is in graduate school so money is tight for us. That is probably why we end up using the library so much - it’s free and it saves trees :) !!

]]> By: blue milk http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-201 blue milk Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:13:05 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-201 My god you're amazing. This is a very inspiring post. My god you’re amazing. This is a very inspiring post.

]]> By: candace http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-196 candace Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:05:47 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-196 How great. I think it would be tough to assume that parents and teachers in my daughter's pre-school would be open to this kind of conversation. Our sholastic bookfair starts next week and everyone is all geared up about it. You got so much accomplished! What we need here is step by step conciousness raising and parent education. I need it too. Just so we can begin to understand the reprecussions and how insidious all the marketing can be. I'm SO guilty of "just this once." I'm a total pushover but I'm trying. Your blog helps to keep me honest..... How great. I think it would be tough to assume that parents and teachers in my daughter’s pre-school would be open to this kind of conversation. Our sholastic bookfair starts next week and everyone is all geared up about it.
You got so much accomplished!
What we need here is step by step conciousness raising and parent education. I need it too. Just so we can begin to understand the reprecussions and how insidious all the marketing can be. I’m SO guilty of “just this once.” I’m a total pushover but I’m trying. Your blog helps to keep me honest…..

]]> By: mad grad mom http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-194 mad grad mom Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:39:08 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-194 That's great! It seems that the conversation went really well. Though the advertising is less than ideal, the issues the conversation brings up are important, too. Even though living on a grad student's "salary" doesn't give us a lot of financial flexibility in my household, we try to be cautious about what we buy our son and don't really care for tie-in products. Of course, taken individually, buying some Thomas the Tank Engine trains for our son doesn't seem so bad, but when it turns into buying a gazillion other products (t-shirts, shoes, tableware, etc.) because our son recognizes Thomas or Percy, the advertising has won out. Fortunately for us, even though he has Thomas trains, he doesn't actually notice the myriad products emblazoned with Thomas or whatever character. I like to attribute that to the fact that he doesn't really see much advertising because he's only allowed to watch PBS. And, of course, there's the issue of parental awareness and the family's ability to afford books that aren't sold at deep discounts because of advertising. Congrats to you for meeting with the preschool and what a great set of steps to implement to help minimize the power of advertising! That’s great! It seems that the conversation went really well. Though the advertising is less than ideal, the issues the conversation brings up are important, too. Even though living on a grad student’s “salary” doesn’t give us a lot of financial flexibility in my household, we try to be cautious about what we buy our son and don’t really care for tie-in products. Of course, taken individually, buying some Thomas the Tank Engine trains for our son doesn’t seem so bad, but when it turns into buying a gazillion other products (t-shirts, shoes, tableware, etc.) because our son recognizes Thomas or Percy, the advertising has won out. Fortunately for us, even though he has Thomas trains, he doesn’t actually notice the myriad products emblazoned with Thomas or whatever character. I like to attribute that to the fact that he doesn’t really see much advertising because he’s only allowed to watch PBS. And, of course, there’s the issue of parental awareness and the family’s ability to afford books that aren’t sold at deep discounts because of advertising.

Congrats to you for meeting with the preschool and what a great set of steps to implement to help minimize the power of advertising!

]]> By: Not the Mama http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-192 Not the Mama Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:16:55 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/updates-from-the-scholastic-meeting-at-our-preschool/2007/11/08/#comment-192 Interesting. I'm glad that the teachers and administrators at the preschool are so open to discussion and helpful. I wish there was an easy answer to this (and other questions of this nature). As someone who grew up very, very poor and used education to pull myself out of that vicious cycle, I value access to books and education above almost everything else. It's so important that all children -- not just those whose parents can afford it -- have access to books and education. But I hate that the companies who should be focusing on that access instead are focused on making a profit by selling the reverse access to companies marketing their wares to children. I loved the idea that someone else suggested of having a used book fair. I also wonder if you could work out a program with your local library. When I was growing up, we could never afford to buy books, but my mom took me to the library almost every day. If the logistics of taking the preschoolers to the library are too complicated, perhaps the library can come to them in the form of a Bookmobile (if you have those there -- I grew up in a very rural area that had no local library, so the bookmobile came to us). Or perhaps someone from the preschool could be in charge of a weekly trip to the library to return the current set of books and bring back new choices for the children to pick through. Interesting. I’m glad that the teachers and administrators at the preschool are so open to discussion and helpful. I wish there was an easy answer to this (and other questions of this nature). As someone who grew up very, very poor and used education to pull myself out of that vicious cycle, I value access to books and education above almost everything else. It’s so important that all children — not just those whose parents can afford it — have access to books and education. But I hate that the companies who should be focusing on that access instead are focused on making a profit by selling the reverse access to companies marketing their wares to children.

I loved the idea that someone else suggested of having a used book fair. I also wonder if you could work out a program with your local library. When I was growing up, we could never afford to buy books, but my mom took me to the library almost every day. If the logistics of taking the preschoolers to the library are too complicated, perhaps the library can come to them in the form of a Bookmobile (if you have those there — I grew up in a very rural area that had no local library, so the bookmobile came to us). Or perhaps someone from the preschool could be in charge of a weekly trip to the library to return the current set of books and bring back new choices for the children to pick through.

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