Sharing is caring—it’s a phrase we’ve all heard, and most of us believe in helping out when someone’s in need. But does that mean it’s always the right thing to do?

One woman recently took to Reddit after her kid’s school parade didn’t quite go as planned. She had spent $80 on parade throws for her son, only for the teacher to make him hand them over to a classmate who ran out early. Upset by what happened, the mom decided to confront the teacher. See how it all played out below.

The mom bought her son $80 worth of throws for his school parade

Image credits: Cayetano Gil (Not the actual photo)

Sadly, he never got the chance to use them

Image credits: LightFieldStudios (Not the actual photo)

Image credits: United-Gain1839

Parents and teachers don’t always agree on school expenses

Disagreements between parents and teachers over school-related costs are quite common. In the U.S., for example, these conflicts often center around who should provide classroom essentials. Many public schools face tight budgets, so parents are typically asked to purchase things like crayons, glue, and scissors for their children. This leads to the question: should these items be shared with the whole class or kept for individual use?

Sharing classroom supplies is a standard practice. Schools usually send out lists before the year starts, asking parents to bring the necessary items on the first day. However, not all parents are on board with the idea of communal sharing.

This debate surfaces regularly, but it became particularly heated on TikTok last year. Under a popular video, one parent commented, “What I buy for my children is theirs. And I will be telling their teachers the same.” Another chimed in, “I will label each crayon individually with my child’s name, a whole 128 pack. I don’t care.”

Sarah Spikeston, a community college professor and mom, believes in making sure all kids have what they need, a view shaped by her life experiences. “As someone who was chronically poor growing up and homeless for parts of my youth, meeting the needs of all kids, regardless of their circumstances, is really important to me,” she said. “I know what it’s like to be the kid left without, and I believe classrooms function better when there’s some consistency in what everyone has.”

Teachers often step in to fill gaps, using their own money to buy extra items. In fact, a federal Department of Education survey found that 94 percent of public school teachers in the U.S. pay out of pocket for classroom essentials without getting reimbursed. On average, they put about $479 towards these supplies, with seven percent contributing over $1,000.

“It’s almost expected, especially as we head into the new school year,” said Andy Yung, a prekindergarten teacher in Queens. “It’s just something we naturally do.”

While debates about funding basic supplies are already tricky, they get even more complicated when it comes to expenses for special events or personal belongings—like the parade throws mentioned on Reddit. It raises bigger concerns about fairness, spending, and who should cover these costs in schools. As these discussions continue, it’s clear that finding a fair solution that everyone can agree on is no easy task.

Image credits: Pixabay (Not the actual photo)

Most commenters blamed the teacher

Others said the mom was wrong for spending so much money on a school event

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