Ok, I'm all for pushing good eating habits, but does this go too far???

[Laurie]

Laurie! The whole deal is Buyer Beware! Nobody is expecting anyone at this school with A Policy to use common sense.

 

Don't get crazy on us.

 

;)

 

:D Sorry. It's hard to hide my libertarian lunchbox leanings.

[Melinda in VT]

It's hard for me to get worked up about this.

 

It's a charter school. A charter school based around nutrition. Parents choose to send their kids there.

[nd293]

If this is a public school, then the rules might be going to far. If it is a private school, and rules are known in advance, then it seems quite reasonable to me. Either way, it is the school which has to deal with the fall-out from poor eating (if you agree that poor diet affects learning and behavior) and so they should have some control over what children can eat during school time. As for good-eating being parents' responsibility - it sure is, and as a group, parents are failing miserably. Better the school steps in than that children suffer.

[Margaret in GA]

My first thought was that in the example the foods the parents packed may be part of their family's food culture. Why should we take away the traditional foods of their culture (that happen to have a whole lot more protein than a PBJ) and replace it with the standard "American" lunch.

 

I would be livid. I suppose if the people voluntarily put their kids in that school they knew what they were getting into but the way they define "nutritious" is just silly.

 

White flour tortillas are not a "traditional" food of Mexican culture if that's what you mean. The traditional tortilla would be whole grain corn (masa harina) and that would fit in with the rules of the school.

 

I am really baffled that people think this is a big deal. A rule is a rule. I am sure that the tortilla wasn't the worst thing the kid could eat, but you bend this rule then next time the kid just brings a tortilla with cheese and no beans or just a plain tortilla. As a parent, I know kids will push the limit with rules. You have to be consistent.

 

I am with another poster that said it would be really nice if my kids attended a school like that in which there was no peer pressure to bring bad food because it isn't even an option. And clearly, this school is just one option of area schools. These parents have chosen the rules. And if your child has IBS and can't tolerate whole grains, surely you could bring a low carb lunch? We have lots of food sensitivities in our house and I've learned how to cope in all sorts of situations. We have a soccer party next week. We are expected to chip in and help pay for a pizza we can't eat. Should I revolt??

 

signed,

you-can-have-my-white-bread-when-you-pry-it-from-my-cold-dead-hands-Margaret

[LibraryLover]

Rules is rules! Dangnabbit. Common sense? Not so important.

[Snickerdoodle]

Nobody is expecting anyone <snip> to use common sense.

 

 

:D

 

Sometimes it's all you can do to keep your sanity.

[helena]

I lived in South Tucson for a few years and taught at a little private school. This was about 15 years ago, so things may have changed drastically since then.

It was obvious that food was an issue in that community. Obesity, diabetes, lack of proper nutrition.. it was kind of gnarley to witness. I'm from a Mexican family living in So. Cal, (have family in Tucson too) and the overall food habits seemed drastically different at the time. The Pima in that area also had terrible eating habits. Here is a piece on obesity in the Pima tribe: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/pima/obesity/obesity.htm, if you go down a bit there is an interesting part comparing Pima in the States and Mexico.

All that to say, I think this is an understandable reaction to what's going on there. Maybe they are desperate to make changes. I haven't been there for a while, I've heard S.T. has really changed. I wouldn't be surprised if this is part of an overall community effort.

[Nakia]

I don't see anyone upset that the rule is enforced. I see people questioning whether these rules make sense (eta: but, I may be misreading). Obviously, I don't send my kids to this school, so I don't have a horse in the race. However, I don't think it makes sense to allow chips and not a tortilla. That's just dumb.

 

Sorry, I guess I worded my response wrong. I do absolutely agree that these rules are dumb. But I still think if parents signed up for the school and its rules, they are going to have to deal with that.

[Photo Ninja]

If it was the local public school, I would not agree with the food rules at all. It is not the government's job to control the foods a child eats. That is the parents' job. Since it is a charter, it is a public school, but families choose to attend there. They can choose not to attend there. Charter schools have a lot of requirements that regular public schools don't have. If families don't like the food rules, they can choose a different school.

 

If it is the only decent school in the area, and was my only choice, then I would put the quality of education over the lunch rules. If I was by choice attending the school then I would choose to follow the rules. It is only one meal during the day, and it won't hurt to follow those rules during lunch on Mon - Fri. Even my food allergic child would be able to bring lunch that follows the rules (as long as the teachers never gave my child a PB & honey sandwich that could kill her). We would eat what we want at home and follow the school rules for lunch.

[FlockOfSillies]

Sorry, I meant what other charter schools are available choices. Duh, me. Thanks, Jean.

[Laura Corin]

Did you read the actual rules? Maybe I'm extreme myself(?!), but they don't strike me as particularly demanding or out there.

 

There's nothing on the banned list that I would normally pack for my boys.

 

Laura

[Peela]

I don't find it too extreme. I might dispute the details of what they consider healthy (and there are so many points of view about that and no one correct one), but I think its laudable to take such a strong stand, and its great that the kids won't be bringing junk food because of peer pressure, and that they can go through a whole school day without blood sugar swings.

 

I haven't read the other responses but I would be happy if a school my kids attended had a healthy food rule. I have quite a problem with kids eating junk foods through school canteens and then sharing with each other- and as a parent, then feeling obliged to pack something junky in my kids' lunchbox so that they dont feel "left out". The peer group pressure issues around food are huge.

 

The only reason it seems so extreme is because of how far astray we have gone as a society around food and nutriton. We are still riding on past generations of generally decent diets....but it doesn't take too many generations of the sort of diets our kids are being brought up on in the average home, to basically make the human race infertile. It happens to rats- give it another few decades and it will happen to us.

 

I am a food cop myself. The more nutrition I can get into my kids, the more they have in their systems when they reproduce, and future generations have a chance. Just because one or two generations can actually survive on white flour and trans fats and white sugar, doesn't mean our nutritional bank won't bankrupt itself eventually. I dont take the issue lightly and I think people can be way too small minded about it. Sometimes it takes an extreme approach to bring some balance. What seems common sense to one person is ridiculous to another, so on this issue, I think "common sense" woudl mean the same problems they are trying to avoid.

Edited April 15, 2010 by Peela

[stripe]

I am glad that schools are taking this seriously. I am not sure if this particular set of examples is "extreme," especially since the parents knowingly sign up for this, but I once taught in a K class where one girl basically brought cookies for lunch. Every day. Without fail. I finally asked her parents to send something more healthful. (This was at a private school, AND her parents agreed with me.)

 

As to the logic of this school's rules, that should be worked out between the parents and school if there's an issue.

Edited April 15, 2010 by stripe

[PiCO]

Did you read the actual rules? Maybe I'm extreme myself(?!), but they don't strike me as particularly demanding or out there.

 

I would have no problem following the rules at the school, and I agree with them. No, I don't currently follow these rules when I pack dd's lunch, but it's pretty close.

[OnTheBrink]

I don't have an issue with the rules as much as I do with how they're enforced. I'm going on the assumption that the parents were aware of the rules before signing their child up for this school. IMO, any "offending" food should be brought to the attention of the parents instead of being ripped away from the child. Why humiliate or embarrass the child? The responsibility is on the parents to adhere to the rules, not the child. I think a note sent hope or emailed to the parents would be appropriate. I mean, sheesh. Everyone forgets to go to the grocery, has a rushed morning, isn't focusing on lunch rules all the time. How about a little slack? Notify the parents that a horrendous white tortilla crept into little Suzy's lunch and remind the parents of the horrendous white tortilla rules and ask them to be mindful of this when making lunch. If it is a consistent problem, bring the parents in for a chat with the principal. But leave the child out of the problem. I see no need to embarrass them or call attention to the grievous error of a white tortilla in front of the whole class.