Public school RANT/VENT!

[Punky]

OK, I just had to rant and vent about something...I thought some of you
health conscous mama's and papa's could relate too :mad:
My son in 2nd grade this morning asked me for a quarter to by icecream at lunch; said they sell it there to have after you finish eating!
I replied, I'm sorry Logan but your are allergic to dairy and besides I don't believe in eating that type of food at school..that's for birthday parties, special occasions or sometimes on the weekends..but it's not good to eat during the school day. I feel like such a big meanie :rolleyes:
So he told me after school that they sell it everyday at lunch to 2nd graders and above. I was fuming...last year our school district was cracking down
on junk food at school...i guess they changed their minds!
So I called up there to the office to verify if this was true and the lady said yes...she said, "BUT THEY MAKE SURE THEY FINISH THEIR LUNCH 1ST"...
like that would make all the difference to me...so I told her that I wasn't aware that I was sending my son to a birthday party and it is junk food
and it undermines everything that I teach him at home about eating healthy and nutritous and that these things are for special occassions...
than I asked her how fair it was to the diabetic children and children with food allergies to have this junk flaunted in front of them everyday...
she transfered me to the principal than! ha..
whom I just got a voicemail and repeated my whole speal pretty much.
Told her I doubt that my 2cents will change it, but just thought you should know that ice cream is not acceptable to all parents.
My husband thinks I shouldn't say anything because it won't matter and when my kids get out on their own they will eat it anyways. Well I couldn't shut my mouth...AM I LOSING IT? sigh...rant over....
p.s. my son does have food allergies but I truly believe these are not appropriate foods for school.... :( :( :(
they would rather have children with behavioural problems than take out junk foods!!!! ok..i'll stop ranting...
what would you do? leave it be or write a letter to the school district???
probably a lost cause and I should homeschool or get over it.

any suggestions what to tell my son, besides what I have?
It is so hard for him with his restrictive diet --he already feels isolated at times...I think it's cruel to have
ice cream flaunted in front of him like that..i want to cry...
I can't even pack a non dairy ice cream because it will melt..although that's besides the point...I just hate that this could effect his self esteem...always feeling left out...

[Revvell]

I'm not a parent yet I understand your feelings...and yes, it will matter when your child is older and has money of his own...yet, not at first.

My mother was concerned about what we ate when I was a child. My neighbor use to undermine her attempts by giving me store-bought sugar cookies and Kool-aid and such. I thought my mother was pretty bad as a mother.

When I was 13, I started working. Root beer floats were my biggie ~ as was acne. As the years went by, I realized it was what I was eating/drinking that were causing my healthy problems. I did some research and realized my mother was correct. Now I totally appreciate her for her "attempts" at eating healthier. (She read Prevention Magazine and they ~ at that time anyway ~ advocated eating milk; drinking milk, etc.)

I applaud you for what you are doing.

Revvell

[Punky]

I applaud you for what you are doing.

Revvell

thanks Revvell....
i'm literally sitting here in tears...i feel like it's a losing battle on something so simple...it's a no brainer....how come other parents don't see that too...
if the icecream was just on fridays I could probably deal with it by putting
a special treat in his lunchbox...but everyday just tweaks me.....
well hopefully if enough people complain they may consider just selling it on Fridays...

[sport]

I have another worry in this. If you do manage to get them to stop the ice cream is it possible that the other kids would ever discover who was responsible and take it out on yours. Bullying is so common these days and so destructive. I do not think that that is a good enough reason to stop your campaign but it is something that you should watch out for in the future. You should find out why they changed their mind regarding the junk food.

[Punky]

I have another worry in this. If you do manage to get them to stop the ice cream is it possible that the other kids would ever discover who was responsible and take it out on yours. Bullying is so common these days and so destructive. I do not think that that is a good enough reason to stop your campaign but it is something that you should watch out for in the future. You should find out why they changed their mind regarding the junk food.

hmmm...I never even considered this..
I doubt that by me complaining that it will change anything though anyways...it would have to be a bunch of parents complaining...the best outcome I can see is them limiting the ice cream to Fridays only...

I would think that my complaint was all confidential...but one never knows...
We live in a very big and well known school districts (one of the best educationally--lots of $ in our area) in the suburbs of Dallas...

[meganthevegan]

Oh, I feel your pain. I am a teacher and it anger me that here they say "obesity is up, we must push healthy eating, more exercise but to get the funds to buy ______ we must sell candy, ice cream...". Honestly, I do not allow my students to buy that stuff, if I can stop them. and I alway eat fruit in the class.

Perhaps we are the minority but I am a teacher and I plan to make a difference however I can!

Stand up for your moral,s even if your child rebels some aspect of himself will appreciate you even if it's 20 years later when he has children. Make a special time for treats at your home (make it a "party"). Good luck.

[Revvell]

Make a special time for treats at your home (make it a "party"). Good luck.

I'm thinking you are meaning raw treats? IF not then, making ice cream, candy, etc. as "special" treats will in the future be someone's way of dealing with things. I've been "good" so I'll have a "treat". Junk food is not a "treat" ~ that's why it's called "junk". (Not meaning to chastise you. Lil rant here in general myself) :)

If you are talking about raw treats, then...for me, raw fudge doesn't taste any different than "real" fudge. My husband makes a GREAT almond milk shake with bananas and berries OR adding my raw fudge. There are many recipes on this site for "ice cream". How's this? Make some of these goodies and invite parents over! Don't tell them it's raw and see if they even notice? Problem is, this can't be served at school sooo, what to do?

I think anyone who stands up for what they feel is right concerning themselve and their children are to be congratulated.


:cool:

[Punky]

Oh, I feel your pain. I am a teacher and it anger me that here they say "obesity is up, we must push healthy eating, more exercise but to get the funds to buy ______ we must sell candy, ice cream...". Honestly, I do not allow my students to buy that stuff, if I can stop them. and I alway eat fruit in the class.

Perhaps we are the minority but I am a teacher and I plan to make a difference however I can!

Stand up for your moral,s even if your child rebels some aspect of himself will appreciate you even if it's 20 years later when he has children. Make a special time for treats at your home (make it a "party"). Good luck.

thanks for the feedback megan,
it makes me feel better to hear it from a teacher to. I do compramise at times and let him have certain treats..but it's always in an appropriate time and place and not a daily thing. Other times I make healthy sweets sound like treats and make them fun. My boys love mangos and date "cakes" (i make up fun names for healthy food to make it fun). We made smoothies this weekend which they loved; as we put each ingrediant in I told them what vitamins, etc..and how it helped there bodies..they loved it! and repeated it back to their dad when he woke up).
I just think the public schools send a confusing message...They just studied about excercise and healthy foods in school. the teachers sent home notes saying we may send up a healthy snack and water for snack time. Than I hear this about the icecream being everyday now. very conflicting info we send our children. I will just live by example and hope my son understands
when he is older. I have explained to him about health issues too; diabetes and heart disease and strokes in very close family members. So he understands (for an 8 year old) about the relationship between junk food and disease...sigh...

[Punky]

I'm thinking you are meaning raw treats? IF not then, making ice cream, candy, etc. as "special" treats will in the future be someone's way of dealing with things. I've been "good" so I'll have a "treat". Junk food is not a "treat" ~ that's why it's called "junk". (Not meaning to chastise you. Lil rant here in general myself)

Good point Revvell --in an ideal world you are right! But
Actually I do let my kids have regular cooked food treats at times
so you can chastise me :p
but I do explain to them that there is nothing healthy in them and no nutrition,
at all, and if they overeat they will have health issues when they
get older... so I do compromise between the cooked and raw world...
that's just where we are right now.
BUT my kids love healthy foods too, so I think I'm on the right path
and doing something alright as a mama...they love all my raw dessert creations: pudding, icecreams and raw pies..alissa's blueberry pie doesn't last long around here. they like green smoothies and juice too as long as it has some sweetness..we call them "HULK" juice or drinks..
my youngest just brought me a box of dates from the cupboard and asked for
some. :p

[meganthevegan]

Don't be afarid to talk about the conflicting messages. We are all consumers and have to weed through media messages, (and whatnot) and decide what is right for ourselves. I talk about it in my classroom all the time.

Revvell, I didn't know if Punky feeds her children all raw and I feel that is a personal decision on her part. But I am finding that you are right, raw treats are great and you can guiltlessly go back for seconds!!

[SedonaSun]

You can't possibly be the only outraged mom... at least I sure hope not! Maybe you've been made aware of this because you're so passionate about it and are just the one to take up the cause. :rolleyes:

It is totally ridiculous to sell crap like that, especially given that so many kids are ADD and obese and on cholesterol lowering drugs and getting all these other "adult" diseases.

So maybe write letters to the principals, the teachers, the board, parents you know...and don't let up. Keep sending them. Ask other parents to join you. Might not want to come across totally angry so as not to put them on the defensive immediately, but a little righteous anger is good :)

HEY!!!... have a meeting at your place to discuss it with other parents and serve them raw goodies :)

Good luck...

[Revvell]

Good point Revvell --in an ideal world you are right! But
Actually I do let my kids have regular cooked food treats at times
so you can chastise me :p
but I do explain to them that there is nothing healthy in them and no nutrition,
at all, and if they overeat they will have health issues when they
get older... so I do compromise between the cooked and raw world...
that's just where we are right now.
BUT my kids love healthy foods too, so I think I'm on the right path
and doing something alright as a mama...they love all my raw dessert creations: pudding, icecreams and raw pies..alissa's blueberry pie doesn't last long around here. they like green smoothies and juice too as long as it has some sweetness..we call them "HULK" juice or drinks..
my youngest just brought me a box of dates from the cupboard and asked for
some. :p

Punky,

Nahhh, no chastising. Being a parent is difficult w/ pressure from other children and parents; t.v. ads, and people just giving away "junk". (I've always wondered why they serve coffee for free yet, not a good juice or something). Anyway, your children will remember you and the wonderful food you are giving them. More power to you! :)

:cool:

[Punky]

Don't be afarid to talk about the conflicting messages. We are all consumers and have to weed through media messages, (and whatnot) and decide what is right for ourselves. I talk about it in my classroom all the time.

Revvell, I didn't know if Punky feeds her children all raw and I feel that is a personal decision on her part. But I am finding that you are right, raw treats are great and you can guiltlessly go back for seconds!!

yes, i think I will sit down and talk to Logan about conflicting messages...I have explained to him about commercials and the messages they send are driven by money....

yes, we are a half cooked and half raw family; my husband is very cooked
and a meat eater; but he is supportive of me and my ideals.
I think my kids are more receptive to raw food at times than him.
my youngest son saw me get a raw pizza out of the dehydrator the other night and asked for some...to my surprise he ate it! although good,
it doesn't taste exactly like SAD pizza and he is very picky eater.
He ate it and asked for more :D He actually thought it was regular pizza..kept calling it "cheese pizza"...who was I to correct him!
another small victory!

[Leiloshka]

I'm SOOO sorry about the ice cream incident Punky!

It is so hard feeling at times I'm going against the grain by trying to eat right. But, boy, when you try to have your kids eat right too, it seems like everybody looks at you like you are depriving the kid! It's so aggravating because it seems like making smart eating choices for the child lines you up to be criticized as a mean/bad mom. Or a "troublemaker".

One suggestion on the school. My daughter's school has a prepaid lunch program where they deduct the lunch from the computer when the student goes through the line after they give their name. At the beginning of school, the parents are given a form asking if the child may have snacks at lunch. They mean chips, etc. If the parent signs, they can have snacks, but if not, no snacks.

When the child gives his name to the lunch lady she can tell on the computer if a snack form was signed. If the children want a snack, the lunch lady tells them they can't because their parents said they couldn't (or something like that I guess).

The child could be embarrased by this I guess, but with my kids, they already know they aren't suppose to have it before they ask.

Maybe you could look up what the new state guidelines are for the schools (so you can see where they are violating them) and then have a talk with the principal about what the school is doing to implement the guidelines. Then you could bring up your concerns and maybe this suggestion on a snack form. Maybe they have a committee?

My kids don't have allergies, so it's not as crucial as with your child, but, I just try to cut out the "bad stuff" when I can. When I'm around family and their dad, I see peeks of how they eat when I'm not around, but I've got to give up that fight. I can only do what I can do. :)

As to the question of WHY people don't eat right....or for goodness sakes, make better choices for the kids? I have no idea! I truly think a lot of people just don't want to tell their kids no or something. I really don't know.

[Punky]

You can't possibly be the only outraged mom... at least I sure hope not! Maybe you've been made aware of this because you're so passionate about it and are just the one to take up the cause. :rolleyes:

It is totally ridiculous to sell crap like that, especially given that so many kids are ADD and obese and on cholesterol lowering drugs and getting all these other "adult" diseases.

So maybe write letters to the principals, the teachers, the board, parents you know...and don't let up. Keep sending them. Ask other parents to join you. Might not want to come across totally angry so as not to put them on the defensive immediately, but a little righteous anger is good :)

HEY!!!... have a meeting at your place to discuss it with other parents and serve them raw goodies :)

Good luck...

Thanks for the suggestions SedonaSun!
I think I will start with a letter and send it to the principal and school district...not angry, more factual, and based on ethics and the messages we
are sending our children. Back it up by the rise in overweight children, and children with type 2 diabetes and the ever rising behavioural problems.
I just read an article in the "DALLAS CHILD" magazine...a free publication locally on how some parents are hiring nutritionists to help there children.
Also, organic food is really starting to take off more and more in this area, along with an increase with the awareness of food allergies. Several other
children in my other sons preschool class had dairy and other food allergies.
SO I KNOW other parents out there must disapprove of this as well; we are just still the minority is the battle
:(
but at least I will have the peace of mind that I was heard, and spoke up in what I know is right and perhaps planted a seed of some sort; or maybe they will be influenced!
Ha! you never know.

[meganthevegan]

one more fun idea punky. I love it when parents volunteer time in the class and you can't bring homemade treats, but you should be able to make them with the class. apple season it coming up. think about it.

I admire you for working on being raw with your children. My dh is 50/50 but my son (age 2) spits out every veggie i give him. He does love fruit. I've tried pizza, soups, enchiladas, all desserts (and I make a lot of them), no go. I think it's the consistencies he doesn't like. But I keep trying. oh, and he screams everytime the blender is on!!

[sweetgoddess]

Punky I understand well.
The school my daughter went to last year, they BRIBED all the kids with candy. The bus driver would give them suckers to behave.....the office gave them candies when they went in....if they got a question right in math they got some m&m's ( every single day)...when her teacher sent home a school supply list, on it listed as a SCHOOL SUPPLY was a bag of individually wrapped candies.

I went nuts when I discovered all of this.
I called the principal right away and I asked her why candy was a school supply now? I asked if she was aware of the rise in juvenile diabetes and obesity? I asked if she realized she was participating in giving all our children life-long food issues by using it as a reward and bribing them.
I was just livid! I told her my daughter responded very well to verbal praise and didnt need to be rewarded with toxic food. I asked, if they felt such a need to bribe children with food, then why isnt it at leasthealthy food.

She said the teachers cant afford to buy them healthy treats and bags of candy are very cheap. Can you imagine this?!?!
I told her I was shocked and disappointed and that I would not accept this , nor support it. And then I asked her, how do I change this??

I then wrote her teacher a letter explaining this and sent her a whole bunch of organic 100 percent fruit leathers to use for my daughter when she felt it necessary to bribe her.
I spoke honestly tomy daughter about this. ABout sugar, obesity, juvenile diabetes and the effect of using foods as a reward/bribe. She understood! She willingly passed these treats up, and happily accepted the fruit leathers and pencils as rewards. Soon, all the kids wanted fruit leather!

The principal got back to me, said she had spoken with the school nurse about it and she agreed. The next week, the teachers sent home notes to all the parents, saying that a parent had suggested healthy snacks, would anyone be interested in supplying a few for their child.

So you can make a difference. You should not sit idly by. It is people like us, speaking up right now that will change this for the future.

Keep calling the principal! Ask them how you can change this. They will tell you how to get ahold of the right person. Volunteer to help them learn what snacks would be healthy and why. Talk to the school nurse. Join the PTA.

My daughter brings her lunch to school and often has to share it. I pack plenty. The school lunches are hideous! Last year the group of girls that eat with her all ended up going vegetarian together because of what my daughter taught them.
I explained to her, all along the way, what I have been learning. A lot of the choices, such as not drinking milk etc, are now her choices. It really helps to keep your kids informed and let them make choices. Of course, not do you want ice cream or kale..lol
And even if your kids choose ice cream now-you are planting a seed that will always be there,ready to grow when they need it. So bravo to you.
Your a wonderful Mommy!

Blessings~

[Punky]

Well the principal just called me back.
She was polite and we chatted. She did say that
it was over her head having the vending machine in the cafeteria;
all the schools have one and they did last year too.
The 1st graders didn't really have it available to them though since
they were overcrowded and took too long to get it so that's why
my son didn't know about it last year.
She said they didn't change any nutritional guidelines this year, and that
ice-cream wasn't considered a non-nutritional food because
of the milk in it. I did point out the sugar isn't at all good for them
and she agreed. She said when they had blue bell they got a kick
back from them to use for educational purposes for the school, but
that with these new ice cream vending machines the didn't get much $ back.
So yes, she did seem *somewhat* sympathic to my cause, but
I will have to take it higher to be heard pretty much.
I don't think she sounded overly concerned, more just professional about it.
At least she called me back. I will call the district next week to be heard ...

[Punky]

Punky,

Nahhh, no chastising. Being a parent is difficult w/ pressure from other children and parents; t.v. ads, and people just giving away "junk". (I've always wondered why they serve coffee for free yet, not a good juice or something). Anyway, your children will remember you and the wonderful food you are giving them. More power to you! :)

:cool:


thanks Revvell for the support; it is very difficult w/pressure from other kids and the media, sigh... :(

[Punky]

I'm SOOO sorry about the ice cream incident Punky!

It is so hard feeling at times I'm going against the grain by trying to eat right. But, boy, when you try to have your kids eat right too, it seems like everybody looks at you like you are depriving the kid! It's so aggravating because it seems like making smart eating choices for the child lines you up to be criticized as a mean/bad mom. Or a "troublemaker".

One suggestion on the school. My daughter's school has a prepaid lunch program where they deduct the lunch from the computer when the student goes through the line after they give their name. At the beginning of school, the parents are given a form asking if the child may have snacks at lunch. They mean chips, etc. If the parent signs, they can have snacks, but if not, no snacks.

When the child gives his name to the lunch lady she can tell on the computer if a snack form was signed. If the children want a snack, the lunch lady tells them they can't because their parents said they couldn't (or something like that I guess).

The child could be embarrased by this I guess, but with my kids, they already know they aren't suppose to have it before they ask.

Maybe you could look up what the new state guidelines are for the schools (so you can see where they are violating them) and then have a talk with the principal about what the school is doing to implement the guidelines. Then you could bring up your concerns and maybe this suggestion on a snack form. Maybe they have a committee?

My kids don't have allergies, so it's not as crucial as with your child, but, I just try to cut out the "bad stuff" when I can. When I'm around family and their dad, I see peeks of how they eat when I'm not around, but I've got to give up that fight. I can only do what I can do. :)

As to the question of WHY people don't eat right....or for goodness sakes, make better choices for the kids? I have no idea! I truly think a lot of people just don't want to tell their kids no or something. I really don't know.

Thanks for the suggestions
Leiloshka...I already pack all of his lunches and snacks, so that gets around lots of issues, but the ice-cream just tweaked me to no end....
I do feel like the "trouble-maker" cause I am anti-junk food at school.
Geez, I just learned today that ice cream wasn't considered junk food!
It does have some nutritional value (because they get money from it!).
cakes and cupcakes are not considered non-nutritional foods either and can be allowed for class parties and birthdays (which I already knew). So what have they eliminated? I guess just candy and gum...
big strides huh?!??!

[SedonaSun]

Here's a thought Punky... I don't remember if this is national or regional, but schools here get paid a certain amount each day for each child in attendance (or at least they did years ago -- maybe this is a moot point now) but throw in some facts that will make the school/district look good if they dump the junk... like fewer sick days and better test scores because the kids will not be as hyper and will be thinking more clearly as well. They will have healthier athletes. They will gain more recognition for the increased performance all around, which will translate into more money in other ways.

That, and they are selling the health of the kids they are entrusted with in the form of junk food profits and kickbacks.

Our country is just SO irritating to me in so many ways...

[Punky]

Here's a thought Punky... I don't remember if this is national or regional, but schools here get paid a certain amount each day for each child in attendance (or at least they did years ago -- maybe this is a moot point now) but throw in some facts that will make the school/district look good if they dump the junk... like fewer sick days and better test scores because the kids will not be as hyper and will be thinking more clearly as well. They will have healthier athletes. They will gain more recognition for the increased performance all around, which will translate into more money in other ways.

That, and they are selling the health of the kids they are entrusted with in the form of junk food profits and kickbacks.

Our country is just SO irritating to me in so many ways...

Great ideas Kelly!
I am going to look into some of this and my letter will be backed up with this kind of stuff and hard facts.

Sweetgoddess!!!!!!
Thank you for the awesome pro-active story of making such a difference in your daughters school and with her!!! Very inspiring!
I will keep at it
;)
Even if I fail, I will have planted a seed. Hopefully my son will understand
as he gets older my good intentions. He already likes healthy foods; he just likes junk food *other* kids eat too, and feels left out at times , sigh...

MegantheVegan,
great suggestion in being involved in the classroom.
I will volunteer for bringing in food for the parties!
at least I will have some control over one thing brought into the class...
Last year during a class holiday party, a room mom got some fruit from another classes' party and the kids liked it better than the other junk brought in.


I am feeling better and not fuming anymore...
thanks everyone :D

[twinyoga]

My twins were at a Mom and Me at our synagogue last week. And there was an art project....graham crackers, pink and white frosting, and sprinkles...that was the art project. The kids were to make art with the "food" and then eat it.

I was so mad and tried to stay calm. I didn't want to seem like the mean person. I only let me kids have the graham cracker, nothing else. This was the last day of the program, when they start the next one in fall I'm asking if they are doing food art projects. And if they are and if it's with junk food I will not allow my kids to participate.

I refuse to cave in.

Anyway, good thread!

[SedonaSun]

;)
Even if I fail, I will have planted a seed.

If you do ANYthing to try to fix this, you are not failing. If nothing changes because of your actions, it's those with the power to change it who will have failed.

You go girl!! :) Get 'em!

[rawpriestess]

Well, you have some really great ideas in this thread, but let me tell you something from the child's point of view.

When I was young, my mom had me on diets so I was always eating something entirely different than any of the other kids, she started this at about age 4, (it was a very strick no carbs diet) so I couldn't have anything the other kids had.

I was only offered a cupcake once at Sunday school by a mom/helper, and it had sprinkles on it, the first time I ever saw these little things, I thought they were bugs. LOL

anyway, even at the age of 4 years old, I wanted to please my mom, and I loved being special, so I really did everything my mom wanted and I never cheated not even once.

So, you might just try talking to your children and letting them know that they are very special to be able to eat the fresh raw ripe food that God/dess gave us, instead of all of that Junk food that is made by man and everyone else is eating.

Just a thought.

[Punky]

Well, you have some really great ideas in this thread, but let me tell you something from the child's point of view.

When I was young, my mom had me on diets so I was always eating something entirely different than any of the other kids, she started this at about age 4, (it was a very strick no carbs diet) so I couldn't have anything the other kids had.

I was only offered a cupcake once at Sunday school by a mom/helper, and it had sprinkles on it, the first time I ever saw these little things, I thought they were bugs. LOL

anyway, even at the age of 4 years old, I wanted to please my mom, and I loved being special, so I really did everything my mom wanted and I never cheated not even once.

So, you might just try talking to your children and letting them know that they are very special to be able to eat the fresh raw ripe food that God/dess gave us, instead of all of that Junk food that is made by man and everyone else is eating.

Just a thought.


thanks for sharing your experience Raw Priestess...
I've tried talking with Logan about food God/dess created vs. man made..
he can be receptive to it at times...and at other times he gets frustrated at not being able to eat what others eat...
so pyschologically not sure where he's at with all of this.

[ren]

thanks for sharing your experience Raw Priestess...
I've tried talking with Logan about food God/dess created vs. man made..
he can be receptive to it at times...and at other times he gets frustrated at not being able to eat what others eat...
so pyschologically not sure where he's at with all of this.

That's the only way you'll ensure your child is eating properly. Public schools serve mass produced schwag.

[Autumn]

I am continually flabbergasted at these types of situations. If your child has an allergy, they have to respect that, but if it's your own personal wishes, the school thinks you're being "difficult" or "radical". Wow, how radical is it to serve ice cream every single day at school? I don't envy parents trying to balance the scales between giving your child what is best for him/her as well as allowing the child to "fit in" with their peers.

I also don't get their argument that since ice cream is made of milk, it must be healthy. That's the same as saying that since a baked potato is healthy, french fries must be nutritious as well. Or if an apple is a great snack, apple pie must be too. (Not that I believe the aforementioned foods are healthy, except for the apple. :D ) It's a ridiculous argument.

It's easy for me to say since I don't have children, but keep fighting for their health!! In time the school board and other parents will thank you when they notice the decrease in behavioral problems both in class and out, the decline in child obesity and diabetes, and the rise in alertness and retention in class.

[Punky]

That's the only way you'll ensure your child is eating properly. Public schools serve mass produced schwag.


LOL Ren, I have thought of that too...
I am afraid I would go banana's :p with the boys at home ALL the time :p
really, all kidding aside...I am serious...they are very high energy...
I have thought seriously of homeschooling, but not sure if I am organized enough...plus with my oldest having social/behavioural issues (ADHD, mild
autism when little) I am not sure *my lack of structure* (I am very unorganized) would be beneficial
to him...but I am still considering it...lots of homeschooling groups in my area
and businesses that have classes for homeschoolers (art, gymnastics, etc..).
So maybe I will get the courage someday.
I guess I got spoiled too; He went to a holistic school in the country for kindergarten...they followed a Waldorf/Montessori style (Robert Muller school for Living Ethics)...what I loved most is absolutely NO junk food...
parents took turns providing snacks and they had to be organic, no refined sugar (could use natural sweeteners like molassis, honey, maple syrup, agave), no artificial anything...just made from natural whole foods.
And their lunches had to be packed the same way. The teachers enforced
no sharing lunches so you would have the peace of mind that your child ate
what you packed with love....
Now I have to deal with this.....but no tuition...everything is a trade-off...

[Punky]

I am continually flabbergasted at these types of situations. If your child has an allergy, they have to respect that, but if it's your own personal wishes, the school thinks you're being "difficult" or "radical". Wow, how radical is it to serve ice cream every single day at school? I don't envy parents trying to balance the scales between giving your child what is best for him/her as well as allowing the child to "fit in" with their peers.

I also don't get their argument that since ice cream is made of milk, it must be healthy. That's the same as saying that since a baked potato is healthy, french fries must be nutritious as well. Or if an apple is a great snack, apple pie must be too. (Not that I believe the aforementioned foods are healthy, except for the apple. :D ) It's a ridiculous argument.

It's easy for me to say since I don't have children, but keep fighting for their health!! In time the school board and other parents will thank you when they notice the decrease in behavioral problems both in class and out, the decline in child obesity and diabetes, and the rise in alertness and retention in class.


Yes Autumn! exactly how I felt!
I was a little taken back when she explained to me that ice-cream
still fit under their nutritional guidelines as a food with nutrition...
I was shocked! I have never in my life considered it a healthy food!
What's sad is I noticed that there were a few children in Logan's class
last year that had obvious behavioural problems ...I know
these would of improved with diet!
I love the documentary, "Super Size Me" when they show
that special school for kids with learning issues, and how their behaviour
changed because they only serve wholesome, fresh made food in their
cafeteria!!! That is the point I am going to make when I write, call the school district....

[Autumn]

I love the documentary, "Super Size Me" when they show
that special school for kids with learning issues, and how their behaviour
changed because they only serve wholesome, fresh made food in their
cafeteria!!! That is the point I am going to make when I write, call the school district....

I never saw the documentary but it sounds to me that it should be required viewing for every teacher in every school. It could be shown during one of the inservice days they have several times a year. I imagine every teacher in the world would appreciate a classroom full of happy, calm, alert students who are eager to learn, not those who are falling asleep, fidgeting and fighting!

[RawTruth]

Punky,

You are absolutely right to be outraged. And, as a teacher, I can tell you that YOU are the one who the school district provides a service to. The school board, the superintendent, the principal, and the teachers are all there to meet the needs of your child. They will be responsive to you. Just work your way up the ladder. If you don't get satisfaction at one level, bump it up to the next.

You can make a difference. All it takes is one person to start the ball rolling. After talking with my high school students about their rights one year, I helped them organize their demand for a salad bar. In case you don't know, many high school districts have fast food vendors provide lunch options (in this school Taco Bell, Der Weinerschnitzel, Burger King, Subway, and a pizza place rotated days) in addition to the pre-prepared, frozen, and steam-tabled cafeteria offerings. Many kids bought a bag of chips, a soda, and a candy bar, though, and called that lunch. Anyway -- a group of my seniors wanted healthy options, so they took their request to the cafeteria manager. Before that, though, I role-played it with them so that, rather than demand, they phrased it as a question: What will it take for you to be able to have a salad bar? It made a huge difference in her response. And, they got a salad bar and a baked potato bar.

High school students -- almost adults -- can do this themselves. But, elementary school age need parents like you to advocate for their best interests.

Several years ago, the Los Angeles Unified School District, which is the 2nd largest in the country, passed a resolution whereby soda pop had to be removed from vending machines and replaced with juice and water. What an enormous accomplishment -- started by one person.

You can read about that -- and get resources for yourself at:

http://www.nojunkfood.org/

Your instinct is pure and true, Punky. Keep listening to it. And don't doubt yourself.

[Punky]

I never saw the documentary but it sounds to me that it should be required viewing for every teacher in every school. It could be shown during one of the inservice days they have several times a year. I imagine every teacher in the world would appreciate a classroom full of happy, calm, alert students who are eager to learn, not those who are falling asleep, fidgeting and fighting!

I am sure the teachers are not too happy with the ice cream machine either; I noticed in their beginning of the school year welcome letter, they stressed sending a healthy snack and water to school for snack time...
I am sure some of them are wise-ing up to the effects of junk food and behaviour. With all the ''pressure" they put on kids in our school district
for high test scores on the SAT's and even in the 3rd grade for some standardized test, you'd think they would be more proactive with getting the junk out of schools. Our school district puts enormous pressure on kids to
do well on these tests...

I have never ate another McDonald's french fry after seeing the experiment on the extra's in "Super Size Me" (if you had seen it you know what I mean; eeks!). What the heck do they put into these fry's! (gasp)
:eek:

[Punky]

YOUR SO AWESOME RAWTRUTH! WHAT A SOURCE OF INFO AND INSPIRATION YOU ARE!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

My son asked me about the ice-cream again this morning...
so I had to remind him of his food allergies and remind him what I thought
about the whole thing...that I don't believe kids should be eating this
at school...not just him, but all kids have trouble focasing after eating this type of thing....some kids get active and cannot sit still, and others maybe able to sit still, but may have trouble focasing on their school work. And it wasn't just him but all kids..and even mama feels that way if I eat sugar.
I said if you want ice cream you can have some on the weekend
--at home--at an appropriate time...not when you are expected to settle
down and study,etc...but I did tell him I would pack something *special*
in his lunch on fridays...cookie, muffin along those lines...
(so at least I have some control of what he eats and can make sure
it's made with pure ingredients and no refined sugar). He seemed really
happy with this compramise....he also told me that lots of kids do NOT get
ice cream because either they forgot their money or their moms won't let them.... (so the principal was truthful..she told me very few kids got ice cream). Logan said only 5-6 kids got ice cream daily in the 2nd grade (about 100 kids). So at least Logan and I have worked out the ice-cream deal...
now I have to work on my letter with the school district...it's just the ethics of the whole thing that really tweaks me. I am going to suggest fundraisers that teach the children a positive message. Seems like most of the fundraisers are pizza, ice-cream and the sort. Any ideas of positive fundraisers? It would be cool to find a company that sold recycled products for a fundraiser.
The one thing that *did* impress me about my school district is
how they really teach the kids about recycling! They have all sorts of recycle bins in the lunchroom and make a big deal about it.
Logan asked me today if we could walk to school as not to polute the air :)

[Sharon in Colorado]

they would rather have children with behavioural problems than take out junk foods!!!! ok..i'll stop ranting...
what would you do? leave it be or write a letter to the school district???


Hey Punky - I don't have time to read all the responses but wanted to share my opinion. As with all the crap that goes on that is a challenge to control, I believe the #1 thing we have to do is work on our kids and their behaviors first.

Just because change is slow, it's better to discipline our children to make the right choices.

There will always be evil and the options for our kids to either participate in it or go the other way. We have to deal with this in regards to inappropriate movies, drugs, even junk food at church.

We have to be the filters of our children, and even though we can be proactive at changing the world, which certainly can be done, it may take longer to do that, and since our fast-growing kids come first, it's safer and more reasonable to do the work with them, so that they can help us change the world one day.

Okay I just read all the responses out of curiosity, lol. This is one of the many reasons I homeschool. Junk food is everywhere. It is outrageous, my son just admitted to me that they gave him an ice cream sandwich at church, and I will probably write a letter as well, about that. It certainly does count to have a voice, and it certainly is imperative that you work on the school is you feel led to do that. You would not be dissapointed if you did decide to homeschool though. I think speaking out AND bringing up your children with your standards are equally important.

[Punky]

I totally agree with you Sharon!
thank you for your feedback; I might PM you with questions on
homeschooling ;)
I am thinking a lot about this...but even homeschool groups eat a lot of junk food though so I still have to filter, but it will still be a lot easier than the exposure at public. I need to find a homeschooling holistic health food group :p

Yes I definately have to be proactive and teach my kids as well to make wise
choices when I am not there...It's hard though because everywhere we turn,
the media, school, familiy & friends we are bombarded with junk food...
it's so SAD.

[sachis2112]

I just wanted to share a sad story with you, Punky, although you ALREADY know you're not alone.

My raw girlfriend has slowly been turning her 4-year-old daughter raw (at the daughter's pace, of course). A few months ago, there was a BBQ at the daycare/preschool. There was a big bowl of watermelon and all the kids were RUNNING for it! They all wanted to dive in. The parents were yelling after them, "No! You can't have that until you eat some REAL food," and then handed the kids hamburgers and hot dogs. :eek: :eek:

OK. I understand the perception of hamburger as real food because they do have lettuce and tomato after all and this is what we've been brought up to recognize as a meal. But HOT DOGS?????!!!! :confused: Those poor kids.

[Ariannah]

One time when my oldest two were in school (we unschool/homeschool now), my son's class sent home this long notice about how they wanted parents to send children with healthy recess snacks, and no junk, blah blah blah :rolleyes:

Well, that was fine, because I *already* did that. A week later, after this big hoopla and parents faithfully sending healthy snacks, I learned that they had donuts at school (for free), and they sent kids home with a bag of candy that was mostly food-coloring and sugar!! Like... what?

The year before we started homeschooling there was one teacher who used candy as a bribe and my kid came home every day with a candy. I would have raised a stink about it, but it was close to the end of the year and we decided to (finally, after years of just TALKING about it!) homeschool the children the following year.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Punky please do feel free to e-mail me about it. I'm in the process of moving, so I may not have e-mail access for a couple of days. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. The neat thing about homeschooling is YOU choose whether you want to be involved in a group, or start your own group or do it solo. There are tons of different ways to homeschool. There is an old thread that Rawkinlocs started about homeschooling which would give you lots of ideas too.

[Denise Nicole]

I totally agree with you Sharon!
thank you for your feedback; I might PM you with questions on
homeschooling ;)
I am thinking a lot about this...but even homeschool groups eat a lot of junk food though so I still have to filter, but it will still be a lot easier than the exposure at public. I need to find a homeschooling holistic health food group :p

Yes I definately have to be proactive and teach my kids as well to make wise
choices when I am not there...It's hard though because everywhere we turn,
the media, school, familiy & friends we are bombarded with junk food...
it's so SAD.
I home school and have found home schoolers to be more tolerant of differences whether it be, religious, income, ethniticity, food choices, etc. I have also run into more organic foodies, and vegetarians who home school.