Frustrating incident in ds school today.

[mommaduck]

Perhaps a better "treat" would be treat bags that you fill with nickel toys.

[Penelope]

I can understand it's upsetting, but from my perspective, I am tired of my kids being given sugary foods at every turn.

 

I understand that they may have approved the cupcakes if they were labeled, but even that I don't like. A school is not a family and why should all the classmates get a sugary treat that some parents don't want their kids to have, just because it is one child's birthday? If you want to have a birthday party, invite the child's friends to your home, and then you can serve whatever you want.

 

I do miss the days of my growing up when every thing was easier. However, in my school growing up, they wouldn't have served soda and cake regularly, had sugary juice drinks and fruit roll ups or donuts passed out at every sports practice, and the servings of treats were a lot smaller. And even though I still grew up with plenty of junk food, I want better for my kids. Just another perspective and of course it isn't personal.

[wapiti]

Last year in K, my son was in a nut-free classroom. He is severely allergic to peanut. He was given a Kudos bar at snack time - they forgot to check the label. Thank the Good Lord that it was a flavor that didn't really have nuts as a primary ingredient (other flavors of Kudos have lots of peanuts) - it was just there on the label as a rear-end-saving measure. But he could have died. OMG when I got that phone call...

 

Anyway, his current classroom (gr 1-3) is peanut/tree nut free. But his sister's classroom has a table for those eating nut products (dd had to sit there with her soy butter sandwich). Each classroom is different.

 

The teachers there do not allow cupcakes for b-days. They do allow cookies that are nut free. Unfortunately there are also kids with egg and dairy allergies, and that all seems to be dealt with on a case by case basis - some have a personal stash of cookies for this. I made dairy-free mashed potatoes for the Thanksgiving celebration, but the allergic kids' parents didn't allow them to eat them anyway - and I totally understand why.

 

As annoying as it is, in many ways a bright-line rule may be simpler for the school to administer.

 

When I was first looking into preschools, one I called told me that ds would have to sit in the hall during snacktime. Seriously. But I digress...

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I can understand it's upsetting, but from my perspective, I am tired of my kids being given sugary foods at every turn.

 

I understand that they may have approved the cupcakes if they were labeled, but even that I don't like. A school is not a family and why should all the classmates get a sugary treat that some parents don't want their kids to have, just because it is one child's birthday? If you want to have a birthday party, invite the child's friends to your home, and then you can serve whatever you want.

 

I do miss the days of my growing up when every thing was easier. However, in my school growing up, they wouldn't have served soda and cake regularly, had sugary juice drinks and fruit roll ups or donuts passed out at every sports practice, and the servings of treats were a lot smaller. And even though I still grew up with plenty of junk food, I want better for my kids. Just another perspective and of course it isn't personal.

 

I do have to agree with this. We did not have all the birthday celebrations when I was growing up as well. IMHO birthdays should be a family celebration. It is also not fair to the kids whose birthdays fall on school vacations IMHO and the food thing is truly problematic not only for those with allergies, but also those with obesity and diabetes:(

[mcconnellboys]

So many kids are so allergic to a variety of foods now that they just can't risk someone going into anaphylactic shock and suing them.....

[Harriet Vane]

Perhaps a better "treat" would be treat bags that you fill with nickel toys.

 

While I appreciate your kind sentiments, I have to just say please, please, no. I dislike the myriad cheap plastic toys that make their way into my kids' hands and lives. They play with these items for a couple minutes and then are done--those items end up as clutter. No one needs the processed sugar treats or the cheap trinkets. I often wish people would just STOP giving my kids stuff.

[Haiku]

While I appreciate your kind sentiments, I have to just say please, please, no. I dislike the myriad cheap plastic toys that make their way into my kids' hands and lives. They play with these items for a couple minutes and then are done--those items end up as clutter. No one needs the processed sugar treats or the cheap trinkets. I often wish people would just STOP giving my kids stuff.

 

Amen sista!

 

Tara

[lynn]

We always had someone bring in something for birthdays when I was in school. We had several class parties throughout the year with homemade treats. Cupcakes have always been tradition for us to share on birthdays at school. It's actually quite common at the schools my children have attended. Sad that the tradition is ending.

[LisaKinVA]

Man, I'm feeling like I missed out.

[Ravin]

For me the frustrating thing is, DD is allergic to eggs and can't eat the storebought cupcakes. I got away with bringing in homemade ones last October (the frosting was storebought and dairy-free, and the cupcakes had no dairy, and I brought the recipe and frosting labels just in case--one other child in the class can't have dairy, there's no anaphylactic allergies among any of the children that use the classroom), but I've heard they're cracking down now. If they're still being anal about it come DD's next birthday, I'll either have to spend a lot of money for storebought vegan something from Whole Foods, or just bring in something totally non-cakelike.

 

Of course, you can still bring in fruits and veggies, including uncut whole fruit to be cut up in the classroom. So I suppose they're not being as insane about it as they could be. Also, kids can bring whatever they want in their own lunches. Though DD's been buying lunch, and don't even get me started on how inadequate the allergen list for the school lunches is--by no means is everything they serve on the list. The salad dressings, for example, which may be individually labeled packets, but my first grader can't reliably read them yet. I've had to go through and highlight things she can have on the lunch menu so the teacher could just glance at it...at this point though there's nothing new, so DD knows what she can and can't have.

Edited March 25, 2010 by Ravin

[TN Mama]

It's not the obesity, it's not knowing what's in there that some kids may be severely allergic to. Dairy, nuts, soy, eggs--there are children with life-threatening allergies to all these. I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but as a mom with a kid who has severe allergies, I'm grateful for the heightened awareness these days.

 

It is in our schools. Only certain foods are allowed to be brought in for any party or celebrations. Quite frankly most of the foods on the list aren't even "healthy" but include things like the 100 calorie pack snacks, reduced fat muffins & baked potato chips. My homemade cake would be better for those kids than the junk they are calling "healthy."

 

Nuts ARE on the list, so it doesn't have anything to do with allergies.

 

ETA: I realize the aforementioned cake would not be ok for a child with certain allergies. I recognize that & agree - just bringing up the point that here it isn't about allergies.

Edited March 26, 2010 by TN Mama

[TN Mama]

The same rule applies to lunch boxes of course! If the birthday cupcakes are not allowed on a birthday, they're not allowed on a regular day either.

 

Schools will deal with this aspect with a variety of approaches. I've heard of schools double checking every lunch box and throwing away the 'illegal' food.

I've heard of kids being segregated at lunch time, either the allergic kid to an allergy-free table, *or* the kid with the 'illegal' food to the 'illegal' table.

 

Another rule that does not apply here. I've seen some appauling lunches, and apparently anything goes.