Preschooler's Homemade Lunch Gets Replaced with Cafeteria Nuggets

[Spy Car]

We do it at my school. The teachers make sure every child eats a vegetable and finishes their lunch before running off to play. And if we see a parent that consistently sends a very unhealthy lunch, I will personally speak to the parents about it. If they do not change the lunches they send then I WILL give their child a healthy lunch AND charge their account and not even think twice.

 

Our lunches are all made from scratch. No preservatives. Nothing prepackaged or frozen. Completely homemade every day.

 

I had one student this year whose parents sent him to school with a sandwich of nutella on white bread, Oreos, and chocolate milk. EVERY DAY. The kid acted like a spazz after lunch then crashed and could not hold his head up the rest of the afternoon.

 

If that parent is not smart enough to see that the lunch they are sending is GARBAGE then I reserve the right to step in and do something for that child. If they don't like it, they can find another school.

 

But I will NOT sit by and do nothing while a child gets sick from the lunch his idiot parents send. Not on my watch.

 

.

 

Good for you Heather!

 

Bill

[*********]

:iagree:

 

Wouldn't it me nice if "news" outlets didn't fabricate and misrepresent the truth? :glare:

 

There is a public interest in developing healthful eating habits in young people. I don't know that the USDA guidelines are the "gold standard" if they include chicken nuggets, probably not the most healthful option (depending on how they are made), but potato chips certainly don't quality as a "vegetable."

 

It is my understanding this is an optional pre-k that has some rules about lunches. Home lunches and school lunches need to have basic minimums. I have no doubt this standards are a well intended effort to improve the lives of children.

 

As you are aware we have a health crisis in America. Never in our history has the incidence of Type II Diabetes, Childhood Obesity, and early Heart problems been so high. And the problem is clearly diet related. Should we as a society sit back and do nothing? I think we agree that would be a bad idea.

 

Do well-intended programs ever get implemented in clumsy ways by individuals who are charged to carry them out? Sure.

 

But twisting the facts of the story, as FOX "News" and the propaganda machine of its affiliates at Drudge and WND have done is unconscionable. But people fall for it time and again. Break out the pitchforks; THE GOVERNMENT is the devil. Oh brother! :rolleyes:

 

Bill

 

So spycar, do you think what the school did in this situation is ok? I'm not clear.

 

Oh, and could we keep the whole putting news in quotes and politics stuff out of it? I think we could have a good thread if it doesn't get locked because of that sort of thing.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Food allergies were my first thought as well.

 

I would be furious!!!! Absolutely furious.

 

:iagree:

 

For whatever reason those parents chose not to have their child eat school provided lunch. In the end there was nothing wrong with the home made lunch and the school shouldn't have interfered. But it is just the ridiculous application of rules that stand out. In theory we are supposed protect the kids from food allergies, poor nutrition etc. But instead they hand a lunch, not approved by the parents and probably not cross-checked with the child's health record, to a four year old. A four year old may or may not know their own health or other dietary restrictions or her parents dietary preferences. It was way out of bounds.

 

Sadly this sort of line crossing happens every day and perhaps it would be better to encourage open dialog between parents and schools about these issues and deal with them directly (such as making a phone call before acting) or properly training staff rather diverting attention from the issue by blaming poor reporting or biased media.

[chepyl]

We eat nuggets and I don't really care what anyone thinks about that. AND, get this, I let my kids drink diet soda sometimes. AND I use Splenda. OH MY GOD!!

 

:D

 

We eat Tyson nuggets, applesauce and when we get Little Caesar's.....we get a bottle of side. The applause is hfcs free, no sugar added. We also buy condensed noodle soup!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

This is soooooo infuriating. There are so many issues with this: first the mother knew what her child would eat and therefore actually ingest the most nutrition. Then you have the food allergy issue. Plus, no one has the right to inspect a lunch a parent makes for their child.

 

I would probably be the parent that got their kid's lunch confiscated everyday because we shoot for Paleo around here so their would be no grains in my kid's lunches. We do not follow USDA recommendations for our nutrition and I do not believe their recommendations are what is best for my family.

 

I am so glad that I am able to hs. But, I also have to say that when you give your kids up to a government institution, you lose so much control. It isn't fair, but it is true. I am blessed that I don't have to and I pray that blessing lasts.

 

I agree with this post 100%!! Originally though the bolded is what stuck out to me! How sad!

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

Okay, okay! I relent! Ketchup =/= applesauce. *waves white flag* :001_smile:

[Veritaserum]

Good grief! I'd be pretty ticked, especially if my 9yo's lunch were swapped. She is very sensitive to MSG, nitrates and nitrites, artificial sweeteners, etc. We buy and make foods that don't have these additives because they make her ill (migraines with nausea). Most canned soups, sauces, broths, frozen meats, etc. have one or more of these harmful ingredients. I have to be very careful with labels. Hers is not a life-threatening reaction, but still! She has the food she has for a reason!

[Haiku]

It's a private school. They are free to take their child elsewhere if they are unhappy with my decision.

 

And that right there is the crux of what I dislike about schools: the idea that schools get to dictate family lifestyle. Schools exist to educate students. They do not exist to parent children. Threatening to kick a child out of your school because you don't like his parents' nutrition choices is blackmail: do it my way or suffer the consequences. I think schools need a big dose of "mind your place."

 

I feed my kids unhealthy food sometimes. I think most people do. That's not the point of this discussion, imo. To me, the point of the discussion about this specific incident is that schools are supposed to provide kids with healthy meals, and they don't. So it doesn't really matter if HFCS-laden applesauce is readily available at the grocery. Schools should provide better if they are going to provide anything. BUT! If the parent chooses to bypass the school lunch, it is none of the school's business.

 

Every time I discuss something like this with anyone even remotely teacherly, I get the same tired line about how schools are the last defense for these legions of downtrodden children whom NO ONE except the martyred school employees are looking out for. I'm tired of hearing that, and the hubris inherent in such statements is tiresome. My kids don't need to be protected from me.

 

Tara

 

Tara

[shinyhappypeople]

What about a child who brings a lunchbox full of candy and the teacher takes it away and makes them buy a school lunch? The child was a little older, but I saw this happen when I was in the third grade. I think that's the kind of thing that started this law. Like most things, the school districts carry things to extremes.

 

What the schools need to realize is that ultimately what to feed your child is a parenting decision. Personally, I don't like the "candy for lunch" parenting decision at all, but it's not my kid and not my decision. And it sure as anything is not the SCHOOL'S business. Parents have the right to make dumb (from my perspective) choices.

 

DH and I were talking about this article last night and it reminded me of all the little things that drove me nuts when older DD was in PS Kindergarten. The school wanted so bad to be mommy and daddy to her. It was insane.

[russiantwins]

It makes me so glad we are homeschooling.

[Moxie]

It's a private school. They are free to take their child elsewhere if they are unhappy with my decision.

 

I guess I didn't realize that paying for private school = allowing someone to overrule my parenting decisions.

[mommaduck]

Schools have rules. Particularly private schools. When you sign up, you read the rules and sign on to abide by them. If a rule is continually broken, someone will speak with the parent and either a remedy will be found or the student and school will have to part ways.

 

Again, I would have a problem if my child's HEALTHY lunch had been replaced then, yes, I would be upset. If my child was continually bringing nothing but oreos and chocolate milk then, yes, I would expect someone at the school to voice concern and if I were that teacher I would try to find some way to include healthy things that have a low risk of allergic reactions to it.

Edited February 15, 2012 by mommaduck

[Heather in Neverland]

. Threatening to kick a child out of your school because you don't like his parents' nutrition choices is blackmail: do it my way or suffer the consequences. I think schools need a big dose of "mind your place."

 

 

Tara

 

Ah. But that is not what I said, is it? I said send your child with a healthy lunch or I will provide one and charge your account. If the parent is unhappy they are free to leave but I never said I would kick anyone out.

 

I wouldn't. I would just keep giving them healthy lunches and charging the parents until they finally woke up and did the right thing. ;)

[Haiku]

The school wanted so bad to be mommy and daddy to her.

 

Yup. I was recently discussing with a public school employee friend of mine a situation in which one of the schools she worked at was out of line. One of the things she said was, "I have found that the relationship between teachers and families about a child can be just as difficult as between separated parents."

 

That really made my jaw drop because, really, what she's saying is that both entities think they have the right to make decisions about the child's life. In reality, the school does not have that right. At all. Schools and teachers are NOT parents, and they don't seem to get that.

 

I hear school employees wonder, frequently, why they are so unappreciated. My opinion is that it's because of issues like this. And the "isolated incident" argument doesn't hold water. There have been many issues we have dealt with with dd17's schools that never made the news, but they were real issues nonetheless. Lots of parents have issues like this; it's not a secret that schools screw up ... a lot ... so schools shouldn't really be surprised when people distrust them.

 

Tara

[shinyhappypeople]

And that right there is the crux of what I dislike about schools: the idea that schools get to dictate family lifestyle. Schools exist to educate students. They do not exist to parent children. Threatening to kick a child out of your school because you don't like his parents' nutrition choices is blackmail: do it my way or suffer the consequences. I think schools need a big dose of "mind your place."

 

I feed my kids unhealthy food sometimes. I think most people do. That's not the point of this discussion, imo. To me, the point of the discussion about this specific incident is that schools are supposed to provide kids with healthy meals, and they don't. So it doesn't really matter if HFCS-laden applesauce is readily available at the grocery. Schools should provide better if they are going to provide anything. BUT! If the parent chooses to bypass the school lunch, it is none of the school's business.

 

Every time I discuss something like this with anyone even remotely teacherly, I get the same tired line about how schools are the last defense for these legions of downtrodden children whom NO ONE except the martyred school employees are looking out for. I'm tired of hearing that, and the hubris inherent in such statements is tiresome. My kids don't need to be protected from me.

 

:iagree: every.single.word.

 

There was this vibe of "you (mom) are ignorant and we (school staff) love your child more than you do." It was absolutely SICK.

 

This thread has been awesome. Thanks for reminding me of one of the core reasons we homeschool.

[Haiku]

Ok. I see that I misunderstood you. But ...

 

until they finally woke up and did the right thing. ;)

 

Sorry, but that kind of attitude is unacceptable. The principal of my dd's school wanted us to "do the right thing" by changing how and when we schedule dd's doctor appointments. He called her our in front of her peers for missing too much school. She has an "otherwise health impaired" IEP and the specialty clinics she attends have certain hours. All close by 3:30. Honestly, I'll be d*mned if I'm going to let the school tell me how to parent my child. And I really don't agree with you, in any way, shape, or form, that it's your right to dictate what a child eats at your school. Not your right.

 

Tara

[AndyJoy]

We do it at my school. The teachers make sure every child eats a vegetable and finishes their lunch before running off to play. And if we see a parent that consistently sends a very unhealthy lunch, I will personally speak to the parents about it. If they do not change the lunches they send then I WILL give their child a healthy lunch AND charge their account and not even think twice.

 

Our lunches are all made from scratch. No preservatives. Nothing prepackaged or frozen. Completely homemade every day.

 

I had one student this year whose parents sent him to school with a sandwich of nutella on white bread, Oreos, and chocolate milk. EVERY DAY. The kid acted like a spazz after lunch then crashed and could not hold his head up the rest of the afternoon.

 

If that parent is not smart enough to see that the lunch they are sending is GARBAGE then I reserve the right to step in and do something for that child. If they don't like it, they can find another school.

 

But I will NOT sit by and do nothing while a child gets sick from the lunch his idiot parents send. Not on my watch.

 

.

 

I struggle with the whole balance between parents' rights and the duty of other adults in authority to care about their students!

 

I attended a PS in a tiny farming town (where my mother grew up) for one month. The food was excellent for cafeteria food, as it was made by sweet little old ladies who'd been cooking from scratch for decades. One cafeteria lady stood by the trash can and said things like, "Take another bite of green beans, deary," or "Just one more gulp of milk please, sweetheart." It didn't feel oppressive or obnoxious--it felt like they cared about us!

 

At the PS I attended for 5th and 6th grade, however, the food was the typical nasty cafeteria fare. The cafeteria lady would stand by the trash can and bark at us, "You HAVE to eat your vegetables. You didn't eat enough! Go sit down and don't waste food!" I was a good eater, but there were times when I couldn't stomach every bit of it or just wasn't hungry. We discovered that she didn't check to see if you drank your milk, so we stuffed our empty milk cartons with unwanted food and slipped past her that way. She definitely didn't care about us--she just wanted their perceived food waste to be lowered.

 

When I taught middle school at a private school, I helped institute a "breakfast break" after 1st period because we discovered that the majority of our students were not eating breakfast before school because they felt it was to early to eat and weren't hungry. As a result, they were cranky and had major focus issues before lunch. Thus, we encouraged them to pack a nutritious breakfast to eat during this time. We didn't hyper-police them, but we did ban Pop-Tarts, energy drinks, candy, and the like. Our science teacher did a lesson on nutrition and gave them a list of some optimal choices to keep them from sugar highs and crashing. It worked very well, though I did have to confiscate the occassional double-size Rockstar from an 11-year-old:glare:. I had no qualms about doing this and would do it again.

[mothergooseof4]

I am going to stand by my statement that no one has the right to inspect a lunch that I packed for my child. I also don't want anyone telling me what curriculum I can use, how many hours we have to school, where we have to be at what time, that I can't take my kid and do something besides "school" on a certain day, how long their hair can be, or what type of pants they can wear. And, to be honest, I am really not much of a rebel. I just want to parent my kids in the way that I want to parent them. It is my right. I am thankful that I am able to homeschool and do things my way. I am thankful that I live in a state that is easy to hs in. And, I think I am a decent parent. I make mistakes, but my intentions are good and I am constantly studying up on ways to improve the education, health, etc. of my family.

 

The problem for all is that there are poor parents out there. There ARE parents that will send their child to school everyday with unhealthy food. There ARE parents out there that will send their child in the freezing weather with no coat. There ARE parents that neglect their children. There ARE parents that say they are hsing their kids, but NEVER actually do it.

 

I want "officials" to stay out of my business.....period. I don't want anyone looking over my shoulder to see if I am doing what the government thinks is right. I will choose to live my life in a way that avoids as much "overseeing" as possible. I personally think that government and schools need to back off and realize that the children belong to the parents and it is really none of their business how the parent chooses to raise that child. However, I am also thankful when I hear about a kid that truely was being neglected or abused and someone cared enough to step in and do something about it.

 

Unfortunately, it is hard to perfect a system that will protect the kids that need that protection while not interfering with the rights of parents that do not need that intervention. I know. I have had to deal with some nosey, power tripped neighbor that thought they were "protecting" my child. In some cases, that neighbor would have been the hero that saved a child from a horrible situation. In my case I was infuriated with her stupidity and the "authorities" laughed at her concern. But, it traumatized my whole family. My kids were extremely upset by her actions. I felt violated and slandered. Emotional damage was done. Yes, we are all still normal, but it was a trying couple of hours for our family.

 

So, where do we draw the line? How can we avoid abusing a family in the manner that mine was, while still helping the kids that really need it? How can a system make sure that those that are put in charge of implementing any rules use some common sense when doing so and not approach things in such a legalistic manner?

 

I don't know.

[Stacy in NJ]

privilege. Your dd attends a public institution. Apples to oranges. :001_smile:

 

 

Ok. I see that I misunderstood you. But ...

 

 

 

Sorry, but that kind of attitude is unacceptable. The principal of my dd's school wanted us to "do the right thing" by changing how and when we schedule dd's doctor appointments. He called her our in front of her peers for missing too much school. She has an "otherwise health impaired" IEP and the specialty clinics she attends have certain hours. All close by 3:30. Honestly, I'll be d*mned if I'm going to let the school tell me how to parent my child. And I really don't agree with you, in any way, shape, or form, that it's your right to dictate what a child eats at your school. Not your right.

 

Tara

[Stacy in NJ]

It's a private school. They are free to take their child elsewhere if they are unhappy with my decision.

 

If a majority of parents (influential parents) become displeased with your decisions, they might have the ability to get your fired.

 

I'm sure you temper your decisions based upon the culture of your student/family population.

 

We all have our masters.

[Moxie]

Schools have rules. Particularly private schools. When you sign up, you read the rules and sign on to abide by them. If a rule is continually broken, someone will speak with the parent and either a remedy will be found or the student and school will have to part ways.

 

Again, I would have a problem if my child's HEALTHY lunch had been replaced then, yes, I would be upset. If my child was continually bringing nothing but oreos and chocolate milk then, yes, I would expect someone at the school to voice concern and if I were that teacher I would try to find some way to include healthy things that have a low risk of allergic reactions to it.

 

I have no problem with private schools checking lunches if, when I enroll my child, I'm given something that tells me that lunches will be inspected, only XYZ foods will pass and this is what will happen to the offending food. If a parent gives the school that right, fine. Otherwise the school is taking rights that don't belong to them.

[Haiku]

Your dd attends a public institution. Apples to oranges. :001_smile:

 

I don't really agree with that. Sending a kid to private school does not, and should not, entail giving up parental rights and authority to whatever the school decides to do. A private school employee is also not within her rights to tell me when and how to schedule my dd's doctor appointments, and if a private school tried to force such an issue, they would be slapped with a lawsuit and they would lose.

 

Besides, my comments are about educators' (disdainful) attitudes toward families, not about how the schools are funded.

 

Tara

[Ester Maria]

The thread is too long for me to read so sorry for jumping in like this and probably repeating what others said before.

 

Those schools of yours sound prison-like the more time I spend thinking about them and the more news I read, it always confirms, in retrospect, my choice not to enroll my children there.

Since when the school has a right to mandate what you feed your child?! And what if I do not want my child to eat meat and dairy in the same meal?! Furthermore, the school workers inspect kids' lunches and make sure kids eat them?! What the hell?! Since when is that the school's responsibility in any way? I operate within the system of values in which you send your child to school to get an education, not a parenting, while the latter is exclusively your own thing unless abuse is going on. And if a teacher suspects extremely poor nutritional choices, then it is much better to call a parent for a private chat, while still being very careful not to transgress some boundaries, than to go against parental authority in front of the child! I would be LIVID if this happened to my child, times four - once for having "inspected" what I send (as long as it is not illegal substances, what do you care?! and why should you even inspect what kids' bags contain - we were NEVER done that, NEVER searched in any way without a hefty reason first!), the second time for having taken it from my child and replaced without consulting with me whether it is okay with me, the third time for transgressing my parental authority in front of my child that way, and the fourth time for "making sure" my child eats (again, what do you care?! it is between my child and me, and I can even, as a parent, decide they would not eat at school at all, especially if it is a shorter program).

[Julie in Austin]

So as best as I can tell from the news reports, this is what happened: the pre-school has a policy that if the lunch is missing a major food group, the school will supply it.

 

(This strikes me as reasonable--I sure as heck wouldn't want to be the preschool teacher dealing with a child who had had nothing but sugar for 6 hours.)

 

The employee messed up this policy in two ways: (1) the packed lunch was OK and (2) the policy was to supplement, not throw away, the packed lunch. The Mom complained.

 

(Good for the Mom.)

 

The school groveled a response and restated their policy.

 

(Good for the school.)

 

This is not a national news story--it shouldn't even be a local news story. The school has a very reasonable policy, it wasn't followed, Mom complained, the school groveled. This kind of stuff happens a million times a day. Employees mess up; their supervisors correct them. It is not news.

 

It is made into news by people who want to foment fear and anger over an encroaching nanny state. After they've spent all afternoon with a dozen preschoolers who had nothing for lunch but sugar, then I'll listen to their complaints about this policy. But not before then.

 

In the meantime, fake news stories like this (honestly, I can practically see it as an Onion headline: "Low-level Employee Makes Mistake; Manager Corrects Her") crowd out the time and energy we should be devoting to the real problems facing us. It is one step removed from celebrity gossip news.

[Stacy in NJ]

institution. Your comparison of your dd's situation to attempting some control of diet within a private institution just doesn't square. They aren't comparable. Apples to oranges.

 

I don't really agree with that. Sending a kid to private school does not, and should not, entail giving up parental rights and authority to whatever the school decides to do. A private school employee is also not within her rights to tell me when and how to schedule my dd's doctor appointments, and if a private school tried to force such an issue, they would be slapped with a lawsuit and they would lose.

 

Besides, my comments are about educators' (disdainful) attitudes toward families, not about how the schools are funded.

 

Tara

[Haiku]

Your comparison of your dd's situation to attempting some control of diet within a private institution just doesn't square. They aren't comparable. Apples to oranges.

 

We'll agree to disagree, as the point I am making is that schools tend to think that they know better than the parents how best to raise the children, not whether private schools can/should make dumb, invasive rules.

 

ETA: The school my child goes to, while public, is a highly specialized school. You have to apply to get in. They have some rules that I think are dumb, but I enforce them with my child. I'm not overly anal about other people's rules. But there is a point at which I push back when the school attempts to drastically overreach its authority.

 

Tara

Edited February 15, 2012 by TaraTheLiberator

[AndyJoy]

What the schools need to realize is that ultimately what to feed your child is a parenting decision. Personally, I don't like the "candy for lunch" parenting decision at all, but it's not my kid and not my decision. And it sure as anything is not the SCHOOL'S business. Parents have the right to make dumb (from my perspective) choices.

 

While I would generally agree with the parent's rights to make these choices,I've been on the other side (as a teacher) and am less black-and-white about the issue now.

 

Schools have many rules that are contrary to a child's home life and parents' decisions. I didn't allow my students to cuss, discuss R-rated movies or M-rated video games, wear revealing clothing, bully other students, peruse Victoria's Secret catalogs, use MP3 players on campus, mock others' intelligence, or blow off homework. However, many of my students' parents let them do these things at home and resented their restriction at school. We restricted these things because they affect the whole school community, not just the one child. I think blatantly unhealthy lunches fall into this category. If a students consistently eats a Twix and a Rockstar for lunch, his behavior will likely affect the whole class. We saw it over and over. Once we placed some limits on junk food consumption, behavior and attitudes improved.

 

I think the problem is more that the standards schools use are out of whack--not that their concern or desire to be involved is inappropriate. I think if you give your child over to the care of another adult for 7 hours a day, you should expect them to do some "parenting" or at least "responsible-adulting" which may look like parenting. There is no way a school/teacher can interview the parents of every child to determine exactly what that parents' preferences are and apply them to that child. That is exactly why I plan to homeschool. Food choices/rules are low on my list, but how the school/teacher deals (or doesn't deal) with character/discipline issues is high on my list.

[Spy Car]

So as best as I can tell from the news reports, this is what happened: the pre-school has a policy that if the lunch is missing a major food group, the school will supply it.

 

(This strikes me as reasonable--I sure as heck wouldn't want to be the preschool teacher dealing with a child who had had nothing but sugar for 6 hours.)

 

The employee messed up this policy in two ways: (1) the packed lunch was OK and (2) the policy was to supplement, not throw away, the packed lunch. The Mom complained.

 

(Good for the Mom.)

 

The school groveled a response and restated their policy.

 

(Good for the school.)

 

This is not a national news story--it shouldn't even be a local news story. The school has a very reasonable policy, it wasn't followed, Mom complained, the school groveled. This kind of stuff happens a million times a day. Employees mess up; their supervisors correct them. It is not news.

 

It is made into news by people who want to foment fear and anger over an encroaching nanny state. After they've spent all afternoon with a dozen preschoolers who had nothing for lunch but sugar, then I'll listen to their complaints about this policy. But not before then.

 

In the meantime, fake news stories like this (honestly, I can practically see it as an Onion headline: "Low-level Employee Makes Mistake; Manager Corrects Her") crowd out the time and energy we should be devoting to the real problems facing us. It is one step removed from celebrity gossip news.

 

You nailed it!!!

 

The worst thing is the fear-mongering tactics take attention away from serious issues, including the health crisis in our youth that is a direct result of poor nutrition. It would be far better to spend the energy trying to find reasonable ways to address that problem, but that wouldn't be in the interest of some.

 

Good grief!

 

Bill

[Princess Peach]

You nailed it!!!

 

The worst thing is the fear-mongering tactics take attention away from serious issues, including the health crisis in our youth that is a direct result of poor nutrition. It would be far better to spend the energy trying to find reasonable ways to address that problem, but that wouldn't be in the interest of some.

 

Good grief!

 

Bill

 

:iagree: too.

[My3Boys]

So spycar, do you think what the school did in this situation is ok? I'm not clear.

 

Oh, and could we keep the whole putting news in quotes and politics stuff out of it? I think we could have a good thread if it doesn't get locked because of that sort of thing.

 

:iagree:

 

There are many "right wingers" here on this board including myself, and I for one am really, really tired of the insults. I'm surprised it's even allowed.

 

If this were my child, he would have been out of that school the next day.

[FriedClams]

We heard this on the news today and my ten year old's comment was, "Seriously. There is someone on this planet that thinks chicken nuggets are healthier than a turkey sandwich. Really?" I've made them watch the Jamie Oliver on processed chicken. Maybe these school "experts" should do the same.

 

We'll keep homeschooling and I'll pick what my kids eat thank-you-very-much.

[FriedClams]

:iagree: Yeah, that is what I was thinking. My dd would probably cry if someone made her eat a chicken nugget. She saw them made by Jamie Oliver. :ack2:

 

LOL!!!:lol::lol: I did the same thing. My kids would flat out refuse any processed chicken. :lol:

[5kidsforME]

It's a private school. They are free to take their child elsewhere if they are unhappy with my decision.

 

 

Sorry Heather but that sounds like a huge power trip on your part. And this comes from someone taht almost always agrees with your posts.

[5kidsforME]

Ok. I see that I misunderstood you. But ...

 

 

 

Sorry, but that kind of attitude is unacceptable. The principal of my dd's school wanted us to "do the right thing" by changing how and when we schedule dd's doctor appointments. He called her our in front of her peers for missing too much school. She has an "otherwise health impaired" IEP and the specialty clinics she attends have certain hours. All close by 3:30. Honestly, I'll be d*mned if I'm going to let the school tell me how to parent my child. And I really don't agree with you, in any way, shape, or form, that it's your right to dictate what a child eats at your school. Not your right.

 

Tara

 

:iagree: COmpletely. The arrogance is astounding to me. Absolutely astounding.

[melissad2]

The story just ran on CNN but it was the same. They didn't say what was missing unless it was a vegetable. They stated that "all school lunches must contain 2 servings of fruit or vegetables, 1 grain, 1 dairy, and 1 meat". What if the child cannot have grains? Or dairy? Or is a vegetarian?

[My3Boys]

We heard this on the news today and my ten year old's comment was, "Seriously. There is someone on this planet that thinks chicken nuggets are healthier than a turkey sandwich. Really?" I've made them watch the Jamie Oliver on processed chicken. Maybe these school "experts" should do the same.

 

We'll keep homeschooling and I'll pick what my kids eat thank-you-very-much.

 

My son showed me that video and it made me sick, especially when some of the kids still said they would eat the nuggets after seeing them made! It made me feel guilty for all those years of letting my boys get those nuggets thinking they were healthier than a hamburger. Yuck.

 

Jamie Oliver said on the video that "they aren't made this way in this country". What country was he referring to? The kids sounded American to me but I could be wrong.

[angela in ohio]

Even Great Value has a sugar free applesauce, 3 ingredients, no real or fake sugar.

 

Ds and I have a blast reading labels in the grocery. We take bets on what product has HFCS.

 

Well, yes, you can find it, but you have to look specifically for it, which was why I said much and not all. ;)

 

I know many parents IRL who don't realize that applesauce has HFCS in it. If we're saying it's healthier than ketchup just because it doesn't have HFCS, that isn't true usually (most people probably just buy the one on sale and skip reading the label.)

Edited February 15, 2012 by angela in ohio

[mommaduck]

The story just ran on CNN but it was the same. They didn't say what was missing unless it was a vegetable. They stated that "all school lunches must contain 2 servings of fruit or vegetables, 1 grain, 1 dairy, and 1 meat". What if the child cannot have grains? Or dairy? Or is a vegetarian?

Thank you! What if they have days where they have religious obligations to avoid certain foods (as one person mentioned, dairy and meat together is a no-no. In our case, we go from leaving out meat, to leaving out everything except for fruit, veggie, grain, and beans...and I have a daughter that cannot have grain). She might be going to an RC private school next year. If she does, I've already spoken with the principal and he understands that her lunches will be based on our church calendar and her dietary restrictions. She's by no means unhealthy...just eats differently.

[shinyhappypeople]

The story just ran on CNN but it was the same. They didn't say what was missing unless it was a vegetable. They stated that "all school lunches must contain 2 servings of fruit or vegetables, 1 grain, 1 dairy, and 1 meat". What if the child cannot have grains? Or dairy? Or is a vegetarian?

 

And why does every meal have to have every food group represented. Seriously, folks. A kid who's eating a PB&J sandwich and a carton of milk for lunch (no fruit! *gasp*) isn't going to die of malnourishment, become an obesity statistic or bounce off the walls in a fit of sugar-induced hyperactivity because of a "flawed" lunch. Maybe the fruit/veg is eaten at other times of the day.

 

I'm pretty over hearing horror stories of kids whose parents packed nothing but Snickers and Oreos in their lunch box being given as the reason for this over-reaching "every food group" meal policy.

 

I'm so very, very glad I homeschool.

Edited February 15, 2012 by shinyhappypeople

[angela in ohio]

Those schools of yours sound prison-like the more time I spend thinking about them and the more news I read, it always confirms, in retrospect, my choice not to enroll my children there.

Since when the school has a right to mandate what you feed your child?!

 

Exactly. Why do you think we are all here? :D

[MissKNG]

I'd be angry that my kiddo was fed chicken nuggets.

 

ETA: I know that our local ps sends home a list of "acceptable" snacks for kids to bring in when sharing with the class. All are on the "healthier" end of the food pyramid. They never had such a guideline when I there.

[melissad2]

And why does every meal have to have every food group represented. Seriously, folks. A kid who's eating a PB&J sandwich and a carton of milk for lunch (no fruit! *gasp*) isn't going to die of malnourishment, become an obesity statistic or bounce off the walls in a fit of sugar-induced hyperactivity because of a "flawed" lunch. Maybe the fruit/veg is eaten at other times of the day.

 

I'm pretty over hearing horror stories of kids whose parents packed nothing but Snickers and Oreos in their lunch box being given as the reason for this over-reaching "every food group" meal policy.

 

I'm so very, very glad I homeschool.

 

:iagree:

[Joker]

I'm sure the school older dd goes to thinks she eats poorly but she actually is just a very slow eater and would never have time to eat her whole lunch. So, she only packs a little bit of certain foods. She considers lunch time at school (at 11) to be a snack and has her real lunch at home after school (at 2:30). My kids are healthy and we all eat healthy foods but I don't think we need one of everything at every meal and lunch is usually where we don't.

[Hannah C.]

This article has a bit more info - they interviewed the mother. http://www.nccivitas.org/2012/state-inspectors-searching-childrens-lunch-boxes-this-isnt-china-is-it/

[Heather in Neverland]

Sorry Heather but that sounds like a huge power trip on your part. And this comes from someone taht almost always agrees with your posts.

 

Not at all. But I do take my job seriously.

 

It is interesting that I will be held responsible by parents for anything that happens to their child between 8:30 and 3:00 ... If the student gets hurt, is picked on by another child, is treated unfairly by a teacher... The list goes on and on. I hear "You are RESPONSIBLE for what happens to my child while they are at your school!" whenever a parent is unhappy about something that occurred.

 

So I take that seriously. If I had an elementary-aged child that consistently was not eating the lunch his mom packed I would get (and have gotten) phone calls... Why aren't you making sure that my child eats?... Etc.

 

You can't have your cake and eat it too. I am either responsible for your child's well-being at school or I am not.

 

Also, this is GROUP education. There are norms that everyone must follow. I can't let one child eat Oreos and nutella sandwiches and chocolate milk for lunch and not allow it for other kids. Can you imagine a school like that? How the kids would act? But then the teachers would be blamed that little Johnny isn't learning when really he is crashing from a sugar buzz every afternoon.

 

In GROUP education you DO lose a lot of decision-making power as a parent. It is the nature of the beast. It is why many of you homeschool. I support that, obviously. But do not impose homeschool norms on a group education setting. It doesn't work. I recognize the limitations which is why I homeschool my own son.

 

BTW, those parents finally got the message and started sending healthier lunches and that child's behavior and learning improved dramatically.

 

If you think I sound arrogant about what we do here, imagine how arrogant and prideful it sounds when a parent says "It is my RIGHT to make my child sick and unable to focus properly and learn because the lunch I send is so unhealthy. It is my RIGHT to feed my child garbage!"

 

It might be your "right" to do that at home but not on our school property. Not while we are responsible for them.

 

 

.

[shinyhappypeople]

This article has a bit more info - they interviewed the mother. http://www.nccivitas.org/2012/state-inspectors-searching-childrens-lunch-boxes-this-isnt-china-is-it/

 

"In an interview with the Civitas Institute the mother said “I can’t put vegetables in her lunchbox. I’m not a millionaire and I’m not going to put something in there that my daughter doesn’t eat and I’ve done gone round and round with the teacher about that and I’ve told her that. I put fruit in there every day because she is a fruit eater. Vegetables, let me take care of my business at home and at night and that’s when I see she’s eating vegetables. "

 

:grouphug: to the mom. Maybe she'll end up homeschooling :001_smile:

[Haiku]

It is my RIGHT to feed my child garbage!"

 

You may not like it, but it is the parents' right.

 

When I was younger I was much more liberal than I am now, and I bought into the idea of social engineering. Now that I am older and have my own kids and see where many of my choices are out of sync with the mainstream, I have realized that we can't fix everything, and sometimes we have to allow parents to make mistakes ... unless we want a society where parents don't have ultimate authority over their kids.

 

Tara

[Mrs Mungo]

I'm going to have to agree with Heather to a large degree. Is the school responsible for the kids or not? If the school is responsible if Johnny gets detention for bad behavior, then it makes sense to look at what he's eating for lunch and see if there's a contributing factor there.

 

But this is part of the problem too:

he school didn’t receive a high grade from the January assessment because the home-made lunches didn’t meet those guidelines.

 

The school is being marked down on its scores for what students bring in lunches packed at home? I can see why they would have to supplement, according to this program. I would also be willing to bet that this is a federally subsidized head start program. If you take their dollars, then you have to play their game.

 

No, it's not China. You don't have to take the money to send your kid to preschool.

[Pretty in Pink]

The school is being marked down on its scores for what students bring in lunches packed at home? I can see why they would have to supplement, according to this program. I would also be willing to bet that this is a federally subsidized head start program. If you take their dollars, then you have to play their game.

 

It is.

[GoVanGogh]

And why does every meal have to have every food group represented. Seriously, folks. A kid who's eating a PB&J sandwich and a carton of milk for lunch (no fruit! *gasp*) isn't going to die of malnourishment, become an obesity statistic or bounce off the walls in a fit of sugar-induced hyperactivity because of a "flawed" lunch. Maybe the fruit/veg is eaten at other times of the day.

"In an interview with the Civitas Institute the mother said “I can’t put vegetables in her lunchbox. I’m not a millionaire and I’m not going to put something in there that my daughter doesn’t eat and I’ve done gone round and round with the teacher about that and I’ve told her that. I put fruit in there every day because she is a fruit eater. Vegetables, let me take care of my business at home and at night and that’s when I see she’s eating vegetables. "

Exactly.

We try to follow a vegetarian/raw food diet, but do have occasional meat and dairy. And DS does eat home baked items - muffins, quick breads, (gasp!) cookies.

But if I am packing a meal for DS, I am going to pack something I know he will eat. Likewise, meals at home may or may not have both a fruit and a veggie. A lot of meals at home are all veggie, but you may or may not know that by what we eat when we are packing a meal out.

I drive 30 minutes once a week to shop at a quality health food store. I schedule our meals around perishable items - things that don't last (berries, tomatoes, etc) get eaten early in the week, things that store (carrots, apples) get eaten at the end of the week.

Sorry. I don't plan each and every meal around the food pyramid. Our weekly menu is primarily fresh fruits and veggies, though an individual meal may not reflect that.