It’s coupon book sale time in TN. I despise the coupon books. First, many of the coupons themselves are less than fabulous. No one needs a pile of “ten percent off of places you don’t go” coupons. The Home Depot coupon does allow you to break even on your ten dollar purchase but the framing discounts and restaurants that frown when they see children coupons are useless. Second, with every child in Knoxville trying to sell the coupon books, it is almost impossible to find anyone who hasn’t already bought them from their own relative or friend. I feel terrible for every child who has been given the sales pitch at school and starts off so eagerly trying to win some of the much talked about “prizes” only to find that they can’t find anyone other than their own parents willing to buy them no matter how very hard they try. If you have more than one child you are going to end up with several coupon books just so that your children aren’t completely crushed. The children who win the prizes have parents who own or work for large companies that buy the books to give to employees and clients. Finally, I hate my children being treated like carnies who must always be trying to sell something. After coupon books the schools will be selling gift wrap, cookie dough, magazines and a steady stream of other things. Add to that a product sale for nearly every activity a child participates in like popcorn for Boy Scouts, nuts/chocolates and cookies for Girl Scouts. Doug and Noah will try hard to sell the Boy Scout popcorn because it pays for the boys to do fun things like sleep at the aquarium or camp in caves. I will help Sarah sell nuts/chocolates a little bit and go completely insane trying to sell Girl Scout cookies because it pays for our troop to do fun things like sleep at the zoo and spend a day having fun at the Chattanooga attractions. I know that our scout troops allow children to do things they would probably never do outside of scouts. The coupon books are used to pay for things that the school system should be providing already.

Anybody want a coupon book? Or some popcorn? Or some nuts/chocolates?