Should I e-mail the teacher?

I have a silly issue and I don't want to sound crazy, that's why I'm asking here first.

The PTA has a fundraiser called square 1 art. All the kids do little pictures and you can have them put on mugs, and shirts, etc... It's really cute.

Anyway, my DS's picture doesn't look like he did it. He's not great with art and he only draws pics of superhero guys. This pic is of a red car outside with flowers. It's cute, really nice, but not something I see him doing. I don't know how to say it, I just know he had help, or he didn't do it at all.

My question is, would you ask the teacher about it? I want to buy the items, and probably will anyway, but it's bothering me because I want to buy HIS art.

I don't know why it's bothering me. It's really silly.

So what should I do? E-mail, or just let it go?

TIA

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

Did you ask your son about it?

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

Posted by Tah-wee-ZAH

Posted by InShock

Did you ask your son about it?

As a parent and a teacher, I'd ask my son first. Try to get the real story out of him. With 20 plus kids in the room and each child drawing several times a week, the teacher may not be able to 100% tell if it's his.

Could it be that he was guided to make a picture of something he would think you would like (ex. addition of the flowers ) because it would be displayed on the items you would purchase? KWIM?

Did he write his name on the picture? Is it in his handwriting?

I always encourage dialogue between the parents and their child first. I know it's different as I teach high school but I always remind parents that I have over 120 students but they usually have 1-3 children. If the answer is no to all question above then you can send an e-mail to the teacher.

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

i would not email the teacher.

at this age i only contact the teacher if there is something "wrong", and i'm a class mom. they have so much on their plate as it is, i don't want to take away from the "important stuff" be it for my kid or someone else.

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

If your son said it was his, I would believe him.

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

Thank you. I didn't e-mail her. After I read my own post I was like wow, you're a little nutty.

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

I would be so curious, but I'm sure your son Did it. All The children were probably guided to put flowers etc to make for nicer pictures

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

Posted by greenybeans

Thank you. I didn't e-mail her. After I read my own post I was like wow, you're a little nutty.

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

Not nutty at all. DS has an art exhibition coming up and I asked him last night about his project. He told me he drew flowers ... then he explained it was guided. If I didn't know that fact before going to the art exhibition, I would have had your same reaction.

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

I have purchased one of these in the past, and my child doesn't have an artistic bone in his body, so I knew it was def. not his work. I think the teacher outlines the stuff, and they trace it. At least that's how it looked IME. I could see the faint outlines of pencil under the marker/paint or whatever they used. I guess they figured I would purchase a "prettier" project than a bunch of scribbles

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

Thanks everyone. I feel better! I asked him more about it and he told me the teacher helped him, and he told me it was a picture of daddy's car. (I imagine she did add the flowers and butterflies. LOL) I'm happy to hear that other kids have guided work also. I'm a little sensitive about my boy I guess.

After all that I'm ordering $100 worth of square 1 art. Lots of gifts for the grandparents.

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

My DS' pre-k did this as well. I ordered book marks and keychains.
My DS did a sailboat.
When I saw it, I did question (in my mind) for about two seconds. LOL
I'm pretty sure he was guided through the project.

Re: Should I e-mail the teacher?

Posted by greenybeans

Posted by Tah-wee-ZAH

Posted by InShock

Did you ask your son about it?

As a parent and a teacher, I'd ask my son first. Try to get the real story out of him. With 20 plus kids in the room and each child drawing several times a week, the teacher may not be able to 100% tell if it's his.

Could it be that he was guided to make a picture of something he would think you would like (ex. addition of the flowers ) because it would be displayed on the items you would purchase? KWIM?

Did he write his name on the picture? Is it in his handwriting?

I always encourage dialogue between the parents and their child first. I know it's different as I teach high school but I always remind parents that I have over 120 students but they usually have 1-3 children. If the answer is no to all question above then you can send an e-mail to the teacher.

I spoke to my son about it as soon as I saw it. He said it was his. I asked him what "inspired" this photo and he couldn't tell me. He wasn't giving me much. It didn't have his writing on it but his name was typed on top of the form.

He's a 5 year old boy. It's a picture of a red car on grass, with flowers and butterflies, a blue sky and a sun. I just can't imagine him drawing that. Also, it was much more mature than his normal work.


It can't hurt to ask for another form and let him draw what he loves...spiderman or whatever. then you could order what you want to see, his work.

You're probably right though. It was probably guided. I didn't know they did that but it makes sense, and that's probably what she would tell me.

They probably told him what to do. I asked him why he didn't draw Spiderman and he said because it had to be beautiful. It's silly. It just makes me sad because I would have loved to buy HIS art, kwim?

I probably won't bother e-mailing her. I'm not sure why I care this much, it's only a fundraiser.