AtLeastMyInternetConnectionWorks
62349
1686
27
Jun 13, 2021 1:06 PM
AtLeastMyInternetConnectionWorks
62349
1686
27
PizzaPounderNan
Even as a teacher I couldn’t afford all of the books I wanted to buy for my classroom.
barbarian818
I played hooky on book fair days even though I'm a reading nerd. I didn't want the embarrassment of not being able to buy anything.
soparadoxical
I used to skip lunch for the week leading up to the book fair to make sure I could buy something…
PoppaBigBear
Same, but that's why I spoil my nephews and niece.
Lobo82
It always broke my heart when kids would get excited about the Book Fair, but never actually got anything. It was exciting just to go. Ughh
q34tw4
Ditto
FlametongueKavu
I’m 39 and still want JNCO. These feelings stick with you when you cannot have them as a kid
periwinklepanda
My parents didn't see the point when we could get books from the library and use the money for other things, especially since my siblings/1
periwinklepanda
went through books like candy and usually didn't reread them. We also had excellent libraries, Seattle public library & King County library.
adenclarice
I purchased some sort of book one year with what little money I had. I received the wrong book but read it anyways. One of my favorites now.
BonkyMcBonkface
What's the book?
adenclarice
The secret under the waterfall
Birdman79
Thank GOD for consignment shops, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, yard sales, estate sales and the library.
30H1PPU5
Truth. In middle school on scholastic fair day I had $5 in cash to spend (which I was grateful for!) but walking in the hall, I found an
30H1PPU5
Honest to god blank check! It was signed just had no amount written in yet. The thought that someone’s parents could just leave an open door
30H1PPU5
Like that really blew my mind!
toogoodtomiss
So how many hundreds of dollars of books did you get?
EmanNiemThcin
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&u=http://bessiere.de/texts/lied-vom-klassenfeind/
MetellusCeler
My school always had some extra books for any kid who couldn't afford one. I realize now that just meant I went to a rich school.
ameranthe
Same. I got in trouble for stealing a whole bunch of books one year because I was fed up.
HugsandTacos
I was allowed one bookmark. I chose very carefully and treasured my bookmark collection.
myquietfantasy
I send cash to my kids teacher in case anybody forgot their money.
squillis
I may not have been able to get a book, but I did get a fancy eraser or two
nat300Lord
Mine was being made fun of for bring "weird" food when my Mom packed Russian lunches in My Little Pony lunchbox (purple).
somethingfunandwitty
I would have so many thing circled in the catalogue. My mom did her best. But I usually had to whittle it down to a couple of things. ….
somethingfunandwitty
That said, I feel fortunate that we could afford those couple of things.
ChinchillaLady25
Scholastic has a new program that you can sign your school up for and each kid gets 3 free books. Our school signed up and it was amazing.
Bladedrummer
My classmates and teachers couldn't understand that my mom couldn't pick me up because we only had 1 car and my father worked late.
tokenhooker
We never had a car
Bladedrummer
Like after I told them like 3 times, they kept insisting "can't your mom pick you up if your father is working?".
Slamtastik
Was there some reason your mom couldn't drop your dad off at work and pick him up?
Bladedrummer
Yeah, work was 1h away and my father worked until like 1am so usually my mother would already be sleeping.
Ozzy98
When was this? Single car families were common when I grew up.
Bladedrummer
Early 90s, and unfortunately I went to a public school where the vast majority of students had rich parents.
Ozzy98
I'm most likely a little before you, I graduated in '96. I grew up in an area where most parents had tractors or 1 car.
angryotterface
Wasn’t wealthy growing up. My dad put $2 in my hand every year day of book fair and told me give it to someone that couldn’t buy anything.
Knightendae
If you were in my class and I saw you weren't getting anything I'd share what I had, and if I were a teacher I'd have to spring for it
Knightendae
I didn't give a fuck what anyone thought, if I saw need I'd fill it. Love, money is nothing, it's struggle. Without peace it's a burden
Birdman79
Thank GOD for consignment shops, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, yard sales, estate sales and the library.
Birdman79
I see these UsBorne book sales at my kids day care that are INSANELY overpriced. We do OK, but I feel bad for the less fortunate.
JustSeinfeldQuotes
You can say that again.
HuskyParty
i didn't realize my family was poor until 6th grade when it was pointed out my shoes were generic.
override367
I knew I was poor when I had to use fire-heated rocks in cooking pots to keep my room warm at night in the winter because we didnt have gas
override367
like, nobody told me other kids just had heat, and running water, but its pretty obvious from tv
spacecowboyein
I wore the same pants every day to school and I didn't start being conscious of it til kids started making fun of me in middle school
spacecowboyein
20 years later I'm back to wearing the same sweatpants every day though.
Enginerrrrrrrrr
I definitely went to Payless a lot.
myusernameisbrunhilda
Prowings or XJ-900's
HuskyParty
PROWINGS!!!! I had those! ;)
seagoose
I felt this all the way back to 1978.
DustyPigeon
I wore generics well into highschool. Now I think of all the kids that had cool shit then and how much they suck now while my life is great.
hairytrigga
What's wrong with generic?
UCanLookButUCantTouch
Grew up on family mentality that stuff dont matter but what you eat does.
GoodOleBunburyist
Some people think generic is worse, no matter what. That you are somehow worse if you buy generic.
lurkilydurkiler
Shoot, I’d buy the generic of the generic if it was a thing.
30H1PPU5
I got made fun of for wearing jeans that were too short. I grew and it wasn’t time for new clothes yet :/
KiwiGameDev
People can be so cruel
LizzyTheEdgy
Did you get called high waters all the time too? Same situation for me, always got called high waters
MyNamIsJefreee
Same, but not because I was poor. I was a twig with reeeeally long legs. No pants would fit me and be long enough.
dudekazoo
Off, ouch, my memories. I forgot about that.
wikidleaf
6th grade teacher decided to have all the kids in my class to donate clothes. So we all did except me I was told by my teacher I didnt have
wikidleaf
to. That Friday when all the kids brought their unwanted clothes my teacher had me stand in front of the class and thank my classmates.
cookieloverforever42
That is awful. Teachers suck. My 5th grade teacher had me stand in front of the class and tell them about how Medicaid had paid for my 1/2
cookieloverforever42
Glasses. The principal had taken me to my eye dr appt and the kids had thought she bought them for me.
wikidleaf
Confused I didn't understand what was happening but I thank them anyways. Never felt more embarrassed in my life.
iprepteeth
Jesus... Fucking people... At least let someone have some dignity
wikidleaf
Ya this was like back in 96'. Was told by that teacher to bring the boys clothes home as well so my bro could have some as well. So I drag
wikidleaf
Home two garbage bags full of clothes left them in the dining room. I haven't seen my dad and mom more pissed and upset that day. Both work
Them3OtherGuys
I grew up riding the poverty line, always had a little bit for the book fair. Parents make sacrifices for their children. Or should, anyway.
cattywumpus
I grew u fairly comfortable, but didn't realize how much my parents gave up to give me that.
RandomlyAppointedNSAAgent
My parents tried real hard to hide how broke we always were, and we were better off than many. Even now my dad is scared of admitting -/
RandomlyAppointedNSAAgent
How close we were to poverty to me. He denies it. Didn't really notice how close we were myself until I talked with my fiance about how -/
RandomlyAppointedNSAAgent
Much they traveled and got stuff and ate out and went cross country a lot. Was crazy to really see upper middle class for the first time. \-
escapemom
Some parents sacrifice by not eating every day. It’s cheesy, but a love goes a long way. I grew up poor but happy.
Tootsie1
What exactly were her parents supposed to sacrifice? Her food, the roof over her head, the electricity, the heat, the water. >
Tootsie1
They were already probably not eating at least once a week so she could. Get your WP head outta your ass.
relsky
Parents shouldn't have to make sacrifices like what you're talking about. We shouldn't have millions of people riding the poverty line.
IconicM
So this guy was much below the line you were riding.
md22mdrx
Grew up the same way, but always had enough for 1, maybe 2 if they were the cheap ones. Got in HUGE trouble when I penciled in an expensive
md22mdrx
one after they ok’d it. Was like a $6 (for the 80’s) full photographic quality book about a movie. One of the Muppet movies if I remember.
Leeloothedog
yup. my mom raised 3 kids alone. worked as a waitress and went to photography school with 0 government $.she found a way to give me book$
technoPrince
damn I wish I had her energy. Imagine how much more she could have accomplished with a little support...
HiddenSanity
Similar, I grumbled as sometimes dinner was rice and onions, but I always had dinner. Sometimes Mom just had tea so she could 'work on--->
HiddenSanity
- her writing' while dad worked on other stuff. Also, teabags got reused, just steep 'em longer for the 2nd cup.
technoPrince
tea is great for saving money, especially when you already have to boil your water to make it safe to drink.
HiddenSanity
Oh, while the town had no water treatment facility, it was actually very high quality stuff. Only had a boil water advisory once a decade.
WaterUnderTheRocketAppliances
But some parents spend that money on cigs and beer instead.
dingue873000
And loto. True story here
mtimothy
Lotto is a surefire investment though
AsatorDK
No parent should have make monetary sacrifice or e.g. go without food to buy school supplies in a civilised country!
anelephantthatneverforgetstokill
5 years of elementary school I had to stand up weekly and announce I was getting free lunch to the class.
Wherethefackaretheirchins
Those of us with free lunch had to sign up several times a month to serve hot lunch to the other students before we could eat.
Wherethefackaretheirchins
And we ate last everyday regardless if we were serving or not.
schmendrickthemagician
That’s a horrible stigma that shouldn’t have been implemented.
majorkira9
Why did they make you announce it?
anelephantthatneverforgetstokill
That's a good question. The teacher already knew because my family had to apply for it, but still had to do it every week 1st-5th grade.
anelephantthatneverforgetstokill
I was still on free lunch in middle school. I stopped eating lunch at school in high school when a lunch lady made a scene because I tried
anelephantthatneverforgetstokill
to pay 25 cents for a cup of bacon bits to go on a baked potato. That apparently wasnt allowed and I needed to be made an example of.