I can't send a can of diet Coke in with DS for his lunch! (VENT)

[December99]

There are more and more schools now that are taking soda machines out of their schools. School boards are requiring that they not be allowed in there but I haven't heard of them banning kids from bringing them in their lunches. Since the parent paid for it, I don't know how they can monitor it because the school isn't losing any more money on them bringing soda than they would them bringing juice in their lunches!

I don't think kids should have soda at school anyway but that's my humble opinion. My dd drinks soda as do I, she is suppose to be limited to 1 a day but I don't think that happens when I'm not there. But there are kids that have been bringing soda in their lunches since at least 4th grade...I think that is ridiculous!

 

[mamajoan]

I forgot to ad that here in Ca.. Coke and Pepsi duke it out publicly to have their vending machines put on campuses without competition from the other.. Lots of money given to schools for this situation...

Now that's what I call subsidizing!!

 

[figmentvi]

Originally posted by mamajoan
WHOA! You mean to tell me that the Ma. state gov.t has time to pass a law to decide what you put in your child lunch?? WILD.. and AMAZING!!! Hec, out here in Ca. our legislature can't decide on how many kids should be allowed in a classroom.. dear Lord I hope they leave brown baggers alone..

Yup that's the state of Mass. for you. I think it's just terrible that a school system and state legislature can tell parents what they can and cannot pack in a school lunch bag.

Another case of the government dictating how to live your life.

What's next....state laws telling what you have to cook at home?

 

[ckr]

The "nurse" claims he cannot bring it (provided and approved/rationed by the parent) because it is "junk food". However, there are vending machines selling this "junk food" (unsupervised, not rationed, not necessarilly approved by the parents) to the students. And making a profit from it to boot.

It may be more of a contract thing -- which I would (and actually DO) fight against. (I work at the school administation building.) In our district, Coke and Pepsi put up HUGE amounts to get exclusive rights in all of our schools. When the school board decided to go with Pepsi, all the Coke machines were IMMEDIATELY taken away (like the very NEXT day!) So those of us who prefer Coke were forced to start bringing our own from home.

One of my coworkers would just keep 12-packs in her office rather than have to remember to bring one every day. She was told she would have to remove it and also that she could not drink the soda from the can because of the Pepsi exclusive contract. She did it, but I have refused. Actually, I never throw my can away and have developed a nice little display of empties here. Adds that red/white color splash to an otherwise boring decor! I also wear the red Coca-Cola embroidered polo shirt my DH got me as a souvenir from a trip to Atlanta. When coworkers have commented that I might be told to change, I reply that the contract was to provide exclusive rights for Pepsi to SELL their product in our schools. I am not going against that by bringing in my own OR wearing a Coke shirt.

You may want to check to see Pepsi has this kind of exclusive contract (again with MAJOR BUCKS attached) in place at your DS's school. If that is why they don't want him to brown bag a Diet Coke, I'd fight it. Pepsi's exclusive rights to SELL should not infringe upon individual's rights to CHOOSE!!

 

[RitaZ.]

Originally posted by ckr She was told she would have to remove it and also that she could not drink the soda from the can because of the Pepsi exclusive contract.[/B]

I would have a problem with that.

 

[Wagamama]

At my high school (Watertown High, in MA) there were at least 2 coke or Pepsi vending machines. It was never a problem for us. I don't see what the big deal is. Let the kids have their soda, its none of the schools business.

 

[Mermaid02]

I'd lose it if I were you..... I would tell the "nurse" that I would send whatever I wanted my child to eat with him... she could make her kids lunch but it was none of her, or the schools, or the districts business what I packed in their lunch. This seems very "Big Brother" to me..... oh it would be ugly.

 

[Patio]

SeaSpray, what if you put your son's diet coke in a thermos? I'm sure they don't go around checking everyone's thermos... or maybe they do!!!

 

[lil mermaid]

Originally posted by mamajoan
WHOA! You mean to tell me that the Ma. state gov.t has time to pass a law to decide what you put in your child lunch?? WILD.. and AMAZING!!! Hec, out here in Ca. our legislature can't decide on how many kids should be allowed in a classroom.. dear Lord I hope they leave brown baggers alone..

Where are people getting the idea that the Massachusetts legislature has laws against children bringing soda with their lunch?

 

[BethR]

That is completely RIDICULOUS Sea Spray!!! My pediatrician told us years ago to cut out the juices (that is what the 28 that Pumba posted about juices - 28 grams of sugar) and serve sugar free pop and kool-aids when our daughter was battling the "weight thing." That nurse has no business telling you what to feed your son!!! Ask her about how many grams of sugar are in one of those drink boxes that they probably ARE allowed to bring in.
And that subsidy thing - I know that I would be looking into that one!!! That is LUDICROUS that they would loose their subsidy because of what parents PACK in a child's lunch. The government it just getting TOO nosey IMHO!

 

[sandramaac]

But don't you realize that as parents we are brain dead, have not been educated ourselves, and have no ability to make decisions regarding the welfare of oour children. Somewhere along the lines, the people we we have elected into positions of power have made decisions that in no way represent the view and feeling and needs of the people they represent. So the something as silly as deciding what I want to give MY child for lunch, that abiltiy has been taken away from me. It is unreal and awful in many ways.

 

[BethR]

Originally posted by lil mermaid
Where are people getting the idea that the Massachusetts legislature has laws against children bringing soda with their lunch?

lil mermaid,

I believe that it is because sea spray, who is from Massachusetts, has told us that the school is telling her that they will loose their subsidies for allowing children to bring pop in a packed lunch.

 

[Mermaid02]

Thanks for the reminder sandra..... I keep forgetting that we are MORONS and the public school system knows waaaaaaay more than we do.

 

[A kid at heart]

whats a Bubbler?

 

[BethR]

Originally posted by A kid at heart
whats a Bubbler?

I believe that it is a water fountain?

 

[figmentvi]

Check with the school on that. I had DD bringing the mini Poland Spring waters to school -- one for snack and one for lunch. I got a nice note back after the first few days telling me that I couldn't send water because they have a bubbler in the classroom and it was school policy that it not be brought in.

So I called and asked if the bubbler went with the class to the cafeteria for lunch because, if it didn't, DD would have nothing to drink with lunch since they don't provide water in the cafeteria with lunch. I also asked if the bubbler was disinfected after each use to prevent the spread of germs (since we all know 1st graders don't necessarily drink from the bubbler without putting their mouths directly on them). The answers, of course, were no and no.

I had to meet with the PRINCIPALS (!!!) to get permission for DD to bring her little water bottles with her lunch. You'd think I was trying to bring in contraband the way they went over this.

I just read this post and I can't believe what I'm reading !!! Have public schools become Nazi camps? Who are these people that they think they can tell parents what to pack in their children's lunches?

Some may think that this is a trivial issue, but it sounds to me like a violation of civil liberties.

My goodness this is still the "land of the free", isn't it?

 

[Disneydenise]

Hi SeaSpray,

 

[Rock'n Robin]

First, I can say that at the HS where I work (yes it's public) the soda and snack machines in the lobby by the gym are on timers, and no one can get pop except before or after school.
I have always been asked to send "healthy" snacks, from preschool on, but have never heard anything about what I send. DS is a picky eater and I will send Hostess muffins or fruit snacks, which look healthy but aren't, but at least he will eat it--the guy is at 30%ile for weight!
Remember some schools have deals with pop companies--our school has a deal with Pepsi. That might be the "subsidy" they speak of. Those cans of pop after school are all Pepsi products, as are the machines in the teacher's lounge (on all day, thank God!) and the "juice" machines in the cafeteria--kids can buy "juice" and aquafina at any time they can get in there. Of course the "juice" is really sugarwater with food coloring, but again, it "looks" healthy. Perhaps they are worried that if the Pepsi man comes in and your son has Coke, the deal might be in jeopardy! And then who will pay for the big new scoreboard in the gym!
Robin M.

 

[AirForceRocks]

Our school (K- 8) doesn't allow soda of any kind to be brought to school for lunch, and there are no soda machines in the school. Teachers can bring sodas, but not the kids.

 

[Dodie]

I used to teach high school.

No soda pop was allowed in the cafeteria at lunch time. Period. The reason given was always that the school ran the risk of losing some of their government subsidy (i.e. $$$$) if children were allowed to drink unhealthy drinks (pop) instead of milk.

We had pop machines by the gym, but they were NOT turned on until after school.

That was 5 years ago. I don't think this is anything new.