Having kids sell stuff on your blog-opinions?

[tabitha2]

LiaS does this.I think it is manipulative to have your little girl in her child's language try to sell things on your blog talking about her need to sell things for her sisters birthday gift knowing people will give and the money will get sent of course to you. But then again if it was her idea she should be lauded on her ingenuity right?... What do ya'll think?

[Sola]

It's a difficult call this one. Nobody should be guilted into buying anything like this. But if she has made something that she wants to sell then she should be able to do so.

I do sell on ebay from to time and on Folksy too. They are always things I have made. My daughter who is learning to sew and knit has often asked if she made something, could she sell it on my folksy or ebay. Now right now she simply doesn't have the skill to make a quality product. I could list what she makes and go with the byline that a partially sighted, 11 year old girl with autism and cerebral palsy has knitted this wonderful scarf full of holes and now it's for sale. But I do not consider that to be ethical. I would be playing on her disabilities.

LiaS is doing the same thing, although not using the disabilities angle. She is using an angle of buy this wonderful object so I have the money to buy my sister something, if you don't buy it, I wont have the money. If she was just listing stuff, even saying that her daughter made them, I would be fine with that. But nobody should be guilted into buying something.

[Deleted03]

Personally I think it's pathetic that this mother of nearly 11 is asking for people to buy knives so she'd have 40$ to buy her sister (one of many) a present.

If you don't have 40$ to buy your sister a present, you may have too many kids lady. Or also maybe you should only do stuff within your means. Like knit her something. Bring her a casserole. Knit her a scarf. Take her to the movies. Do something less expensive, it's ok too.

And I've always wondered, where do they get those products? Do they get free stuff from VF, and isn't it distasteful to sell it back?

[tabitha2]

Talking about her daughters here.One of her younger daughters is selling things for her older sisters birthday.

[Deleted03]

Talking about her daughters here.One of her younger daughters is selling things for her older sisters birthday.

see did not even realize it wasn't Kim C

Still where do they get this stuff that they sell around? Same comment applies though, I would not buy a present I could not afford. Why don't you give your sister those knives? or your brother?

Anyway.

[tabitha2]

Dad works at VF as a where house manager and they get freebies likely.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

It's not quite the same thing but I will say I felt uncomfortable when parents at my workplace bring their kids around to sell their Girl Scout/Boy Scout items too.

They used to have their kids go from cube to cube, and it was awkward to say the least, particularly when it was a manager's kid. Thankfully people complained and now the most they can do is put an UNMANNED sign-up sheet in the break room.

I'm not sure how I feel about constant selling on blogs in general. Usually I just don't bother responding, but I've read a few blogs where the authors were clearly living quite comfortably, going out constantly, all the rest (not that there's anything at all wrong with that!) and then in the next moment, having a "Donate Now" button because oh my, I need a new fancy camera or whatever it is. Then again it seems for some people they almost take it as a mark of having "arrived," blogger-wise, if they can get their readers to buy them stuff. The ones that make me feel the most uncomfortable is when it's clear (from reading the blog) that most of the people who are reading and donating are kids with far less money than the blog author has. They'll post about how they sent in their $5 or whatever...

(yeah, sorry to go so far off topic)

As for LiaS I too wonder if VF is cool with all the reselling. I guess they must be, or they'd have shut it down, she's well known.