Mom against sweets in the classroom

[goofy!]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree, but I find it very hypocritical that you all are saying you have the right to parent your kids, not others. If you want your kid to have a cupcake at school, then send a cupcake with them. Just don't send one for mine. If you do, then I'll send him home with you for you to deal with the behaviors.

ETA: I never said that cupcakes caused obeisity, but that there are a host of other reasons than obesity not to send cupcakes and sweets to school for other kids--with the major reason being the one many people have quoted--it's not another persons' right to decide what's best for my child. And FWIW, when I take my children to bday parties, my son is allowed to have sweets, because I am there to 1. monitor the amount and 2. will take the responsibility for his actions later. A teacher with 20 other students in the class, however, should not have to deal with that.

From the American Journal of Psychiatry:
* "It is unlikely that sugar and aspartame are clinically significant
causes of disruptive behavior." (American Journal of Psychiatry:
"Effects of sugar and aspartame on aggression and activity in
children:" http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/144/11/1487


There are plenty more studies that debunk the notion that sugar intake affects behavior.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

My daughter is allergic to dairy, always has been. She has never been picked on or singled out. Quite the contrary. Her classmates have always learned how to be sympathetic and sensitive to her needs (and in general, sensitive to the needs of others). I didn't realize they were being this considerate until I started getting phone calls from other moms prior to them bringing in snacks or treats. It seems all those kids you think would single out, pick on or tease learned a valuable life lesson. They go home and tell their parents to bring something safe for my daughter if they're able to. Hmmm, doesn't sound like my daughter is being left out or feeling bad. What do you think?

I can't believe this is such a controversial topic. Kids are getting fat because their parents are not helping them make wise food choices. It has nothing to do with getting a cupcake once a month at school.

I agree. My DS insisted we take dixie cups instead of cookies so his good friend could eat the birthday treat and not be left out since his friend is allergic to peanuts.

Kids are intuned to their friends needs , and don't make fun of them.. At least that is true in my sons class.

 

[goofy!]

I'll bring the brownies.

?

If the special brownies will be there, we are going to need some Doritoes. Sign me up for a few bags.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

If the special brownies will be there, we are going to need some Doritoes. Sign me up for a few bags.

What special brownies?

Heck, Doritos are a part of your well-balanced meal in the Chicago Public Schools. No kidding. The Tribune had an article last week regarding school lunch choices. The most popular item after pizza? Nachos. Yes. Nachos. Salty, processed corn chips with a scoop of processed meat food and a glop of cheese food product. I'd rather feed the kids cupcakes (especially that tasty looking burger cupcake from an earlier page) than that mess.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Some of you would absolutely hate the classroom I student taught in. For life skills our student cooked every Friday. We allowed him to choose whatever it was he wanted to cook. Most of the time it was not healthy: smores, cookies, etc. We also gave them to the few students who were in the room at the same time. He would come over while we were working, off whatever treat it was, and we would get back to work while they nibbled. No instructional time lost. And you know what? Despite the fact that these particular students had treats every Friday, not a single one of them is even overweight.

Obesity is a problem, yes. But banning treats in schools will not make one iota of a difference. What irks me is that more and more the schools are being expected to do the parents' job. There was a furor among teachers in my state because our legislature wanted to pass a law requiring __x___ amount of physical activity a day. The problem was it was an ungodly amount. The chose that amount because that is what studies show kids need to be healthy. Since it is believed (by law makers anyway) that parents can't be responsible for making sure their kids get exercise, the onus falls to the school. Little Jimmy is packing on the pounds? Must be the school's fault. Let's ban treats.

I have no problem with schools being healthier. Heck, we did jumping jacks and other activities like that in my reading class that I taught. But there comes a point when parents need to teach their kids to say no. My best friend growing up was Muslim. How easy would it have been during Ramadan for him to sneak food at lunch? He actually *gasp* had the self restraint to sit in the cafeteria with us and not eat even though he hadn't had anything since sunrise. His parents impressed upon him the necessity of it and he never had a problem with it. At no point did anybody make fun of him or did he ever complain of feeling left out, and this was not a once in a blue moon thing, this was a whole month. Kids are put in the situation all the time at school where they may need to say no. An occasional sweet treat will not scar them for life.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I was curious about her so I ran her name through Google and found this endearing tidbit:

Her suffering was apparent early on. "When I was in kindergarten," she recalls, "no one taught me to be ashamed of obesity, but the day, on my birthday, that my mother was to bring cupcakes to my class, I put my head on the table because I knew that within minutes my mother would be there and everyone was going to know that my mother was fat. I felt ashamed. I was grateful that down the block there was another mother who was fatter than my mother."

That's just sad. My entire life my mom has been obese. I have never once felt embarassed or ashamed by her. She may not be a super model, but she is an incredibly intelligent and wonderful woman. This woman has some serious issues and I feel very sorry for her family and how they must feel about all of her comments about them and obesity in general. She is a few fries short of a happy meal.

 

[NHdisneylover]

That is different, and you know it. A child should not have to self moderate in their own classroom to appease a classmate's parents' need to celebrate their child's birthday publicly. They should not be put in the position of having to learn to say no. You want to celebrate your kid's birthday, have a party on your own time.

Sorry. I meant in the classroom, in this scenario, not ever in their lives. I suspect you already knew that.

Honestly, as a former teacher and a Mom I think it is important for kdis to be able to say no in a classroom setting also. I really, really do. Most teachers are great people, but some do some pretty stupid things and sometimes values are just different and these are times I want my children to say no at school. Here are a few real life examples I have seen:

I am fine with my kids having treats (at school and at home) but we do talk about how much is healthy and when it is too much. These last couple of weeks as school has been winding up lots of treats ahev been at school. DS10 brought home several items to save for later becuase he felt he had "probably already had too much sugar today" (and he LOVES sugar).

DD12's English class is watching a movie for the last week. The teacher was going to put on Pirate's of the Cairbbean and one of the girls in the class said she is not allowed to watch that movie. Another movie was chosen.

When the kids were little we lived in a district in Michigan in which parents drove private cars with kids in them to field trips. DS was 5 and in first grade and the mother driving him did not want to carry his booster seat to teh car and told him to just put the shoulder strap behind his back. He said no he is not allowed to ride out of the booster seat.

Similar situation to teh one above excet DD was told to sit in the front seat as a 7 year old second grader. She said she is not allowed.

I am very glad I taught my kids to say no when needed whenever and where ever from a very young age.

 

[aprilgail2]

Glad that woman isn't in our schools! She would be HORRIFIED to know that we have a big ice cream party on the 100th day of school, sell chocolate lollipops that parents and other children can have delivered to the other kids in the school for valentines day.. Our fundraisers include pies and cookie dough! Oh and we also can send in cupcakes, ice cream or what ever for the kids birthdays......we don't have any food nazis yelling about it here thank goodness!
There are kids that can't eat that stuff, lactose intolerant kids, diabetic kids etc- their moms make sure the classroom is stocked with thing that they can eat....so perhaps food nazis could send in veggies for their children to eat while the other kids have cupcakes and srop tryingto run the lives of everyone else....or just have your child say NO THANKS!!!!!!

 

[dhcoffey]

Some people keep talking about how children may feel excluded or made fun of. Well, guess what? My kid gets made fun of at school every day. Why, you ask? Because she eats her vegetables at school during lunch. Some of the kids that sit around her refuse to eat them and then make fun of her for doing so. Now what? Take vegetables out of school because my kid is made fun of? Nope, I tell her to ignore them or tell them they're being silly and eat her vegetables. Kids are going to make fun of other kids no matter what you try to do and I teach her to deal with it.

 

[mjkacmom]

My daughter is allergic to dairy, always has been. She has never been picked on or singled out. Quite the contrary. Her classmates have always learned how to be sympathetic and sensitive to her needs (and in general, sensitive to the needs of others). I didn't realize they were being this considerate until I started getting phone calls from other moms prior to them bringing in snacks or treats. It seems all those kids you think would single out, pick on or tease learned a valuable life lesson. They go home and tell their parents to bring something safe for my daughter if they're able to. Hmmm, doesn't sound like my daughter is being left out or feeling bad. What do you think?

I can't believe this is such a controversial topic. Kids are getting fat because their parents are not helping them make wise food choices. It has nothing to do with getting a cupcake once a month at school.

My dd's best friend has crohns disease, a very restricted diet. No rice, potatoes, corn, wheat, or dairy. Every year, dd has a pool party, and asks to have hamburgers and hot dogs. She doesn't even eat hamburgers or hot dogs, but she wants her friend to be able to eat. She also has a friend, in this same group, very allergic to peanuts, so she makes sure we only have peanut-free snacks when they come over (plus walnuts and plantain chips for her other friend). FYI - if you're bringing in treats to school, and someone has a peanut allergy, Betty Crocker cake mix and frosting is manufactured in a peanut free plant. My kids will tell me who in their class is allergic to what, to make sure I don't send anything in with those ingredients.

 

[mlynn]

My dd's best friend has crohns disease, a very restricted diet. No rice, potatoes, corn, wheat, or dairy. Every year, dd has a pool party, and asks to have hamburgers and hot dogs. She doesn't even eat hamburgers or hot dogs, but she wants her friend to be able to eat. She also has a friend, in this same group, very allergic to peanuts, so she makes sure we only have peanut-free snacks when they come over (plus walnuts and plantain chips for her other friend). FYI - if you're bringing in treats to school, and someone has a peanut allergy, Betty Crocker cake mix and frosting is manufactured in a peanut free plant. My kids will tell me who in their class is allergic to what, to make sure I don't send anything in with those ingredients.

There will be a little boy in my dd5 class next year(already talked to his mom)who has a lot of allergies.to the point you can't even use your pans to bake something fo rhim if a peanut has ever bee in it.
Back to my point. She told me there is a way to make him cupcakes with out eggs or oil.(both he can't have) You take the cake mix and use a soda(usually a coke but he can't have the food coloring)so a sprite/7up and back it. SHe says it gets messy but they are good jsut the same. He knows what he can and can't have. She said if the parents can't do it this way she will have the teacher contact her each time there is a class party so she can make him one and send it in. I also have my dd5 being tested to see if she has a peanut allergy.She knows what to say no thank youtoo.

My older daughtter has a little boy with peanut allergy. All the kids kknow about his allergy and they all fight to sit with him at the peanut free table.Kids that have only ate pb&j have stopped bringing it in jsut so they can sit with him. If you teach your child the right way then they know when to say "no"

 

[Jennasis]

Wow. That mom has some serious image issues. Really...ashamed of your mom for being fat? Not eating till 3:30pm. Hello eating disorder.

 

[goofy!]

She would hate our school too.

Our area's culture is extremely health conscious, almost obsessive with fitness and health. Boulder & Colorado have been voted the healthiest place to live more times than I can remember. It really is an obsession.

Our elementary kids train for the Bolder Boulder every year (a prestigious, international 10K). They are warmed up by neighbor Alan Culpepper (olympic marathon runner), go out on their training run, and then when they come back in, there are...

POPSICLES.

And handed out by an Olympian with a good knowledge of elite athlete nutrition.

Guess we should get the evil school designation because it combines fitness training with sugar. Oh the horrors!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

There will be a little boy in my dd5 class next year(already talked to his mom)who has a lot of allergies.to the point you can't even use your pans to bake something fo rhim if a peanut has ever bee in it.
Back to my point. She told me there is a way to make him cupcakes with out eggs or oil.(both he can't have) You take the cake mix and use a soda(usually a coke but he can't have the food coloring)so a sprite/7up and back it. SHe says it gets messy but they are good jsut the same. He knows what he can and can't have. She said if the parents can't do it this way she will have the teacher contact her each time there is a class party so she can make him one and send it in. I also have my dd5 being tested to see if she has a peanut allergy.She knows what to say no thank youtoo.

My older daughtter has a little boy with peanut allergy. All the kids kknow about his allergy and they all fight to sit with him at the peanut free table.Kids that have only ate pb&j have stopped bringing it in jsut so they can sit with him. If you teach your child the right way then they know when to say "no"

I don't know if this will be acceptable for the little boy, but you can do the same thing with a can of pumpkin and it's not messy at all. It's amazingly moist and delicious! I've heard the same thing about applesauce, but I'm not sure how much you use.

 

[mlynn]

I don't know if this will be acceptable for the little boy, but you can do the same thing with a can of pumpkin and it's not messy at all. It's amazingly moist and delicious! I've heard the same thing about applesauce, but I'm not sure how much you use.

I will ask her about that one. Thanks

 

[sbell111]

Sorry. I meant in the classroom, in this scenario, not ever in their lives. I suspect you already knew that.

Still, I stand by my post:

"Hey kid, take this pill (that I took from my parent's medicine cabinet/sock drawer)."
"No."

"Hey kid (on school playground), can you help me find my puppy?"
"No."

"Hey kid (waiting to be picked up from school), get in the car'"
"No."

"Hey kid, do you want to hold my dad's cool gun."
"No."

"Hey kid, eat this thing that your parents don't want you to have."
"No."

I don't know if this will be acceptable for the little boy, but you can do the same thing with a can of pumpkin and it's not messy at all. It's amazingly moist and delicious! I've heard the same thing about applesauce, but I'm not sure how much you use.

Generally, it's a 1:1 swap. It's best to not try it all at once, however. The first time you try the recipe, replace half the oil with the same amount of applesauce (or other fruit puree) and see if you like it. It will make the recipe a little sweeter, so back off slightly on the sugar. Of course, you can also swap out some of the sugar with apple juice (naturally sweetened). Just replace the water in the recipe with allpe juice and back off further on the sugar. It takes a bit of experimentation, but you can really healthy up many recipes with these types of swaps. That being said, my wife will no longer eat the banana bread that I make. (I think that it's the whole wheat flour, not the applesauce/juice.)

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

LOL, in this case I don't bake from scratch. Literally with the pumpkin all you do is get a box of whatever mix you like, mix in one can of pumpkin (don't add any other ingredients) and bake for the time and temp on the box. So no oil, eggs, or whatever else it may call for. Just the mix and the pumpkin.

 

[surfergirl602]

Well, I have a situation for you. My kids arent allowed to have sweets. Things like gummy bears, laffy taffy, sticky things because of their teeth. My daughter's teacher gave her laffy taffy and it pulled her filling out, which in turn, cracked her tooth, and I had to pay an arm and a leg to end up getting it pulled. It was a molar that she shouldn't have had to lose for another four years! Now we need to get a spacer put in so that her teeth don't shift on that side, all because the teacher gave her the candy when I specifically said that she wasn't allowed.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

That's an issue with the teacher then. If the teacher was specifically told that she should not be given candy and proceeded to do it anyway that, is somethign that should be addressed with that specific teacher. A responsible teacher will make sure that such restrictions are enforced.

 

[surfergirl602]

OK, I watched and emailed. While I understand her crusade against obesity, I think she is a jerk for trying to impose her lifestyle on other kids.

Parent your own kids and leave mine alone.

I agree. What really struck me about this woman is that she outright told Robin in the interview that it was okay for her to destroy the YMCA's ice scream stand. She said that if they didn't put something healthy out in an hour, that she was going to start taking it down. What gives her the right to touch other people's things? I agree that there shouldn't be an overabundance of junk food in schools and I don't want my children to eat it everyday. But my kids and I talk about it. They know what is for special occasions and what isn't. If there was some other woman out there trying to or taking special treats away from my kids, I would have to throw her a beatin', verbal or otherwise. lol I am the parent, not you, crazy lady!!