What to Know
For some parents, the best part about daycare is getting to see their kids’ crafts that they complete, from little hand-shaped flowers or turkeys to Valentine’s Day finger painting. It’s the first time kids are getting structured craft time and even the random swirls of paint are sometimes too adorable not to hang up on the fridge immediately. Unless you can’t. For a mom on TikTok, Brina, the possibility of hanging her son’s artwork in her home is sort of impossible because, she explains in her video, the daycare has held it hostage.
Alright, not exactly. Maybe that’s a tad bit dramatic. But, she explains in a video, she was told she can get her son’s handprint craft if she spends money to have it printed on something. Otherwise, she explains, she has never received one piece of artwork from her son’s daycare that he completed. Again, that’s pretty strange for most parents to hear.
She has to pay if she wants to get that craft back from the daycare.
@briniebop So glad he is getting out of there
♬ original sound – Brina
Brina explains in her video that she has never received artwork from the daycare that her son has completed. That alone was strange enough for her, but this takes the cake. It’s almost like she is being purposely kept away from accessing the crafts that her son has done, as long as she drops some cash first. At least, that’s how it seems to feel for her.
“OK, so my son’s in daycare, and never once have they sent home artwork, which I have always found really strange,” she says in the video. “Until a few weeks ago. We get an email that if we want some of his artwork, it’s for sale for us to buy. And so here, his beautiful, beautiful handprint — shop now. So I can get his handprint that he painted at school. If I want it on an apron, $49.95.” She adds that she feels like this is “child labor” in a way.
People think the mom is entitled to that artwork immediately.
Users commented on the video to note that the artwork technically belongs to Brina, as her son’s mother. Be that as it may, it seems that the daycare prefers for parents to spend money to get the artwork in different ways than its original form. Excuse me, what?
“It would be one thing if they sent you home with the original and then had options for you to buy prints or mugs or something,” one user commented. “But the fact that you pay for daycare, and they’re trying to charge you for your own kid’s art…insane.”
Another joked, “I feel like you prepaid for the artwork via tuition.”
But is it really a joke? School is one thing, but with daycare, in most cases, that isn’t free. Technically, Brina prepaid for this artwork and, really, any other arts and crafts her son participates in creating.
Another user wrote that, if Brina didn’t sign anything giving the fundraising company or the daycare permission to do this, they shouldn’t be able to.
“Pretty sure this could be in violation of copyright if they haven’t made you sign any release to give them ownership,” they wrote. “Your child as the creator owns their intellectual property.”
“Mind you, that hand print is actually YOUR original work,” someone else added.
This is a thing, but it usually goes differently at schools and daycares.
@briniebop Replying to @louda_651 ♬ original sound – Brina
I’ve seen this before firsthand. My kids have had a similar situation with crafts at their own school. But, in those instances, it was part of a larger promotion that parents were made aware of and parents also got the original copy of the art whether they ordered merchandise or not. It was also about fundraising for the school, and we all know that most public schools need all the funds they can get.
For my son, he was tasked with making a fun drawing full of color and character. I was then able to purchase items with that drawing on them, including magnets, or other potential gifts for family members. But I was in no way obligated to, as seems to be the case for Brina. My son also came home with his original art that was used for the project, and I was made aware of this ahead of time. Brina’s case seems a lot different, and honestly like more of a hostage situation.
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