I am so angry

[Kristi]

My son has never drank milk. If he tries something he doesn't like it. My thought is that he is lactose intolerant and his body naturally tells him he should not have it by making him not like it. Besides, I'm against dairy in general. Now, the school system will automatically give him a milk with lunch. I said, he doesn't drink it can you exchange water or juice. Not without a doctor's note. What?! :mad: I, as his parent, cannot tell you what I want my child to eat? My word is not good enough. No. Fine, I'll go get a note. Well, the doctor won't give me a note because he has not been "officially diagnosed." How do they diagnose.....they say stop drinking milk....there do you feel better. Yep, lactose intolerant. They want me to come in and PAY to have the doctor say that. BS! :mad: :mad: !!!!!

So, obviously vegans have even a harder time because of no doctors note. I am so flipping mad I could spit!!!!!

[Rawkinlocs]

That's just awful and very, very annoying to hear, Kristi!

I can totally understand you being upset by this. But you do realize that it's set up this way for a reason...I mean afterall, "milk does a body good" :rolleyes:

Well, you can either get the doctor's note OR you can simply have him bring his own juice or water to school to have with lunch and tell him to simply throw the milk away. I know it costs for the little carton of pus (sorry, just callin' it what it is) but if you don't want to jump through all the hoops, then it's an option.

[kirk]

Kristi,
I know exactly how you feel...as an amputee I can't even buy a sock without a dr. visit.

[Kristi]

I know it is probably set up this way to protect children who perhaps aren't given proper nutrition at home and yes, the "it does a body good" campaign but it gets back to the principle of the whole thing....why can't a parent's word be good enough. It's not like I'm asking them only to feed him cookies, it's milk vs. juice/water for a common sense reason. The doctor won't even give me the note because there's no official diagnosis......meaning, I didn't pay him to have his professional opinion since I am just a layperson that knows nothing. I know he could just take it or just pay for it but I'm spending an extra dollar a day........that doesn't sound like much but it sure adds up. We are having big money problems right now (thanks to another government thing that is designed to help us, but that's another story.....don't even get me started on the student loan situation.

I know I should just let it go and I'm sure I will soon. It's just fresh enough that I want to rant and rave a little bit.

Thanks for listening. Maybe I should have him say, no thank you, I don't want that little carton of pus. That'll stun 'em.

[Rawkinlocs]

You're kidding right? They are charging a DOLLAR for those little cartons of pus nowadays??!!?? My goodness!

I didn't know because when my kids were in public school, they got the free lunch program but I homeschool now (Detroit schools SUCK!) so I had no idea how much they charge for that.

Geez! Well, rant and do what need to because believe me, I totally understand your frustration on all levels of this matter.

(((hugs)))

[Kristi]

The milk is 25 cents. The juice is 75 cents. I pay for both.

[marigold]

thats outrageous..i dont think they do this in uk anymore..used to...there have been ideas to give infants fruit and then all the primary school ang guess what the parents objected !! you are not going to make my child eat fruit..i kid you not!!!!

there is nothing for alternative of healing here in the system..for time off sick for eg you hve to visit the doctor...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[thunderdancer]

Blimey Kristi that's awful, rant away.

So where you live you don't have the right to be vegan?
You can't just say 'my child is vegan' - that's not ok?
You are so right about you have the right purely as his mother to say no milk, it's madness.

I'm prob being very niaeve, not living in the US or having kids, but it's just nuts if you ask me, even if your kid isn't vegan, forcing milk is just ridiculous, infringement of your rights surely?

Thunderdancer thundering with you xx

[Kristi]

Thanks to you all!

~Thunderdancer~ I live in the USA......you know "land of the free" come on, sing it with me! Welcome to our family! I'm really not this grumpy all the time.

[thunderdancer]

Hi Kristi!

Thanks for the welcome :)

I love the way you write, grumpy is cool sometimes, I love how this board is so REAL!

And I just saw your pics too - awesome! I want to do Aikido when I go home next month, can't wait - I have always wanted to learn a martial art. A few weeks ago I did a Ju Jitsu class and it nearly kiled me as they sprung a fitness test that day!! Awesome stuff, I loved throwing my body about on the mats and learning to trust, roll and move in new ways, I threw a HUGE guy and i'm only 5ft1 and small RaAHHHHH!! You look like you have an advanced belt? Oops i'm going off thread here aren't I.. WOW just went and saw you are a black belt in instructor and your family are hard core too! NICE! that's so excellent.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi Kristi,

I'm so sorry to hear what your school is doing to you. I just calculated it out . . . it is costing you $45.50 a year (180 school days) for your son to just dump the milk out. How sad . . . such a waste of money.

I thought you might be interested in this article:

Frank Oski, M.D., author of Don't Drink Your Milk! is the Director of the Department of Pediatrics of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief of the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. He is the author, co-author, editor or co-editor of 19 medical textbooks and has written 290 medical manuscripts and is mentioned in this article. If someone of his stature doesn't think our children should be drinking milk, then why should a school board of education people (who may not even have a degree in anything) tell you what's good for your child?????

Cow's Milk is for Calves (http://www.all-creatures.org/cb/a-cowsmilk.html)

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[ConsciousCuisine]

I relate. I send my daughter with lunch and snacks to school, as I wouldn't even feed a stray dog the junk they serve here in California (we're all "Healthy in Cali, right? Wrong! There's not even a salad bar option!) All the food is overcooked, irradiated, genetically modified, commercially grown and sprayed with toxic chemicals. We're working to pass bills that will ban some of these practicies (like irradiation) and even if they passed I would *still* send her lunches, because it's all unhealthy junk.

For Girl Scout Camp, I had to get a Doctor's note. I went to her Pediatrician and told him she has always had a reaction to any small trace of dairy- "allergy shiners", gas, stomach cramping, eczema rashes you name it! Any symptom of Lactose intolerance, I exaggerated. He wrote the note. :) In part, I think, just to shut me up... :)

Kristi, why not make his lunches yourself? That way he'd get lovingly prepared, wholesome healthy food of his and your choice. You can make a good lunch at home affordably and infuse it with your love and care...

[Kristi]

Helen~ I'm reading his book now!

CC ~ He's in middle school and it isn't cool to bring your lunch. Whatever that means! I finally got the doc to give me a note.....again, to shut me up!

[Analeah]

This whole situation is unbelievable! I think you should sue the school!

[AJ Bodine]

Kristi,

I live in Wisconsin, the Dairy State.

One of the top ten reasons we decided to homeschool our son was because of this very reason. The milk thing in school lunch programs.

I've heard horror stories where lunch ladies will check each and every child's carton to make sure they've drunk their milk and aren't throwing away that room temperature pus. They've actually made kids stand at the garbage can and drink the rest before they are allowed to throw it out.

And no Dr. will give you a note, even though the school says they need one. I've already been told that Mom's who have tried to get their kids excused from drinking it, can't find a Dr. that would sign that kind of note because lactose intolerance can't be proven. I would NEVER allow my son to drink that poison every day at lunchtime. When I first heard about this problem, it strengthened my resolve to homeschool.

I'm so sorry to hear that you are going through this. I'd instruct your son not to drink it and throw it away if you are not able to get a note from a Dr. This is unbelievable and I'm glad you posted about it. The squeaky wheel get's oiled, just fight them on it and maybe they'll get sick of you and give him juice!

You've gotten my dander up on this issue Kristi!

AJ

[AJ Bodine]

A little sidenote regarding dairy. This was a short column today written by Robert Cohen the "NotMilkMan".


On Tuesday (September 21, 2004), the Senate
Appropriations Committee voted to donate $2.4
billion in taxpayer-funded subsidy payments
to dairy farmers.

There are 66,000 dairy farms in America.

On average, each farm will receive a $36,363
payment. That's as good as winning the lottery!

Forgive these politicians. It's an election year,
and that's how they do business.

God Bless America.

Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com

[Analeah]

Thanks for posting that AJ. It really makes me want to puke just thinking about it. How/when did we ever let all those politicians get so out of control! I am sure they do the same thing with the meat industry too...It makes me so angry to know my tax dollars are helping the meat and dairy industries to get more profit, slaughter more animals and spend more millions of dollars on blatand propaganda! :mad:

[Kristi]

I finally got a note from a doctor. It said, "Mother says child has an intolerance to milk." But since it was on a doctor's note that makes it ok. Geez! He doesn't drink it and doesn't get forced to. I honor what his body told him naturally. He refused milk the second it was introduced to him at about 6 months old. I listened to what he was telling me. I'm in Indiana which is a heavy dairy state. Dr. Cohen's book is wonderful and infuriating at the same time.

I knew you guys would help me vent!!!!

[AJ Bodine]

Kristi,

I'm so glad you got your note. I can't believe you had to pay a Dr. to give you a note that tells the school that, "His Mom says, so". That's hysterical in a way! But mostly just ridiculous.

Analeah,

I think our government subsidizes all types of farming. I'm sure even tobacco. I know cotton, corn, soybeans, etc.. all get forms of compensation when their crops don't turn a profit or when they choose not to farm certain acreage for soil conservation purposes.

I know of a farmer up by where our family farm is, that is a millionare and yet still collects thousands of dollars every year for losses or leaving land unplanted. That doesn't seem right does it??

And the average is $36K p/year for 66K dairy farms, but what that statistic doesn't tell you is that the big business dairy farms receive the lion's share of that money (I know some compensation is in the 100's of thousands) and the old time farmer with 50 head gets squat. Goverment is doing their best to ruin the family farmer and promote big business farms by doing this.

You know why? Because big business farms give chemical companies and GMO producers big money, and those special interest groups are the ones doing the lobbying and greasing palms in Washington. Small farmers don't cull the heard every year like the big producers do and many of them fight having to use expensive antibiotics, growth hormones, chemical sprays on crops, etc.. they remember the old ways that worked and they see their cows getting sick because most of them keep their herds longer. I'm not a proponent of dairy farming in any form, however the milk today is much deadlier than it was when we were all kids.

It's all criminal. And the best thing you can do to fight it is stay raw and keep your kids off dairy at the very least.

AJ

[Kristi]

I didn't pay for the note. They wanted me to come in very an appointment. I said, "you've got to be kidding." They wanted me to pay so they could ask a bunch of questions about it and then say, let's take him off milk and see what happens and I say I already did and they say, is he better? I say, yes. The professional medical opinion is lactose intolerance........or that cow's milk is for cows!

Oh, no, I did NOT pay for it!!!!!!!

[AJ Bodine]

You go girl!

[SimplyRawesome]

Kristi,

I know this is an old thread, but I just had to share this with you. When my older son was a Freshman here in Tennessee, we ran into the same problem. We don't have a doctor - my kids don't get immunizations and they're never sick, so we never had a reason to hook up with one. My son is definitely lactose intolerant because whenever he has dairy, he emits the most toxic flatulance; however, he LOVES milk. Personally, I think he just likes fumigating his surroundings. :mad: Boys!

I would not allow him to drink it at home, so when the school instituted this ridiculous practice, he was thrilled. When I called the school to ask if he could substitute, they told me the same thing you were told. So, I decided rather than fight them - I'd let him fumigate his classrooms! LOL!! If they're going to force him to drink milk, they they can suffer the subsequent air pollution. :rolleyes:

[Penni]

I HAVE to reply to this post... Yes, the school systems are part of the Govt ruled world we live in today!! You go to public schools, you get govt involvment which includes DOCTORS. It's all ONE entity any more..

You must expose this to the public in your area. You must protest also.
I wont ever put my kids in a govt run school. I'd rather die and that right there is just one more reason why. They force you to immunize also. GRRRR.......

God speed to you and good luck. Don't go down without a fight. I'd tell your Doctor off also. Well, I don't have one any more.. but if I DID.

[RWB]

In reply to AJ's comment...

because lactose intolerance can't be proven

I always thought it was true, I know when I was growing up I had TONS of dairy everyday. And although I was healthy(to a certain extent), there were some issues it took YEARS for me to realize what was causing them. Basically, when I had a bunch of milk to drink one day when I was younger I'd have stomache issues. To be more blunt, painful issues on the toilet, pardon me.

Anyways, as I got older it got WORSE and WORSE. Even got fired from my job becuase I hadn't figured it out yet(always late becuase of these issues), this was after highschool even. Then becuase of money issues, I stopped buying anything I didn't need. Lived off of water and ramen for months at a time. Noticed I didn't have the problems, until I had some Ice Cream while visiting my parents. That pinged it right there and after several experiments I realized it really was anything with lactose in it.

Lactose Intolerancy is DEFINITYLY very real, and I know you're saying that it exists too. Funny thing is.... I made myself Lactose Intolerant by having so much dairy, the problems never started until I was in about the 7th grade, and got progressivly worse since.

[Juan, Judy & Alex]

Kristi, we truly thank you for your post, all this does is assures us that "Homeschooling" is the only way to go. My question to you is have you gone to the school board with your concerns? They may be unaware of your situation.

[rawpriestess]

I know this is an old post, but I must speak up.

The ONLY way to get over on the school system is to say that what ever you want to have them do or not do, is based on your religious beliefs.

This can be anything you want. And if they even bat an eye, you can say that the Freedom of Religion act was made law in 1979, and that you as an American Citizen has a right to follow any religion of your choice.

And you choose, "whatever no milk religion you want"