grrr teachers feeding my child junk food!

[ojibwamama]

I domy best to provide my kids with nutritious food to bring to school. We don't do hot dog days, and I have told the teacher that we eat a whole foods diet.
The teacher gives out candy as prizes in class, and when I offered to bring in different treats for my 7 yo daughter, she said no, that it would not be fair to the other children:
Yesterday, my daughter came home and was literally bouncing off of the walls. i asked her what the teacher had given her, and she said 100 fruit loops. (it was 100 day) All that sugar and food colouring!!!
My question is, what should I do? Should I talk to the teacher again? She wasn't very receptive last time and frankly, I think she thinks I am a nut. Should I go to the principal?

[Threefold]

Really, really common.
I am a teacher and by far in the minority with caring about sugar overload and artifical junk. I job share and my teaching partner brings this stuff into our classroom in bulk, as do the students and parents.
I would approach the teacher gently and explain your objections again and ask that you be notified when these thing are to be given so that you may provide alternatives for your dd. If she doesn't comply with your wishes (and remember, she works for you ) then approach the school principal.
HTH

[TiredX2]

I would consider approaching the teacher and then the principal.

But first, honestly, I woudl explain the situation to my daughter. Ask her to please not eat the stuff--- bring it home and you can "trade" it for something you (mom) find acceptable.

[kewb]

I rarely give my children junk food at home because I know they will get it in other places. In all honesty, the 100 fruit loops on the 100th day of school is an issue I would most likely not pursue. The schools make a big deal about the 100th day. This was part of the celebration. Could they have made a better choice-absolutely. But they did not. I also would not ask that my dd not eat it and bring it home to trade later in the day. It is no fun to be the one not enjoying the festivities while everyone else is partying it up on the garbage. I would absolutely have the conversation about food choices and how what we eat affects us so she can understand why you find the food unacceptable.

The reality is, your dd is attending public school. She is surrounded by children who have limited exposure to good nutrition, or parents who are not interested in what really makes a balanced diet. To ask her not to eat it and bring it home has the possibility of setting the stage for resentment and anger. "Why does everyone else get to have it and not me? I never get to have any fun."

I would, however, discuss with the teacher again, your feelings about junk food and request advance notice so you can send in an appropriate snack for your dd. If you still feel as though you are getting the brush off then I would speak to the principal. And of course, continued discussions with your dd about nutrition, why your family eats as it does, etc.

[writermommy]

My daughter has sensitivities to artificial colors. She gets sick to her stomach and has major behavior issues after eating anything with dye in it. We've told her she is allergic to dye, which she understands. I wrote her teacher a note about it earlier in the school year. Her teacher was very responsive and offers dd an alternative treat to lollipops or other foods containing dye. Sometimes this is a hershey's kiss or other small piece of chocolate. Still junk, but at least not the colorings. I would talk to the teacher again and put it in a way that shows the effect it has on your child, rather than just a personal preference. Maybe she would be more receptive to that.

[blessed]

The problem with kids getting the junk foods at school (aside from the unwanted effects), is that it also blunts their taste for the natural foods, making it harder for us to help our kids eat well.

After eating 100 Fruitloops at school, how likely do you think it is that some apple slices or carrot sticks are going to sound good when she gets home?

[ojibwamama]

I so agree, Blessed. thank you for putting it into words for me.

Thank you for all of your input and advice, this is great

[lisalou]

I don't understand why the teacher can't offer stickers or something that's not even food related at all. Not only is junk food bad but offering food as a reward is just heading down the path of bad eating habits. So yes talk to teacher and principal if need be.

[turtlemama77]

I'll fess up. When I taught, my prize basket had junk food prizes in it. Most 5th and 6th graders aren't all that thrilled with stickers, unfortunately. I never had a parent approach me about it, but I would have been willing to offer something else if someone had a problem with it. If we can avoid certain things because of allergies (peanuts come to mind), I don't see the big deal of having alternatives to the junky snacks.

[writermommy]

My kids' teachers don't really use food as a reward. The main problem comes around the holidays, most recently Valentine's Day when parents send in treats. A classmate of my dd's in Kindergarten brought in red lollipops for the class. Since she can't have dye, her teacher gave her a piece of chocolate. I was actually glad she did that. I don't want her to feel left out when the class gets a treat because she can't have artificial colors. A piece of candy every now and then doesn't bother me. Her overall diet is very healthy and she always chooses apples and other healthy snacks after school.

[Virginia Mom]

candy from teachers?

I'm surprised that the school district allows the teacher to give out candy......I used to teach (before ds came along) and it was against the district policies to give out any food or candy to the students.......forget about sugar, what about food allergies? Kids with diabetes? ..........Give the teacher a roll of stickers to use as rewards...Good Luck.

[spero]

I'm dealing with this issue, too.

It didn't bother me much w/my older kids - it was a treat and they eat healthy enough at home - but now it is a real issue for my kindergartener, who was recently dx'd with diabetes.

Her teachers have tried to be accomodating - they wanted to do "sugar-free" candy, until I pointed out that even SF stuff has too many total carbs per serving and that DD can't have it. I suggested certain acceptable brands of SF gum and stickers instead.

The school nurses gave DD a mini puzzle for Valentine's Day. I really appreciated that!

[boongirl]

I would agree that going to the teacher and principal with concerns about giving out junkfood to kids. Childhood obesity and diabetes are at an all time high in this country and teachers need to stop adding to the problem. That being said, as a former elementary school teacher, it is really hard to try to be the only teacher or one of a few not giving out candy. So, the principal is really the best person to take your concern to and it would be even better if you could find some information about how unhealthy this is for kids in general. Make your focus the whole school instead of just your child and you will probably have better luck.

Also, I think you might find it interesting that supposedly there is research stating that it is not actually sugar that gets kids all excited and hyper. It is the activity they are doing, not the sugar they are eating. I just saw that on 20/20 last night. I am not a huge 20/20 fan, but that was interesting. Here is the link to the article The Raw Facts on Sugar.

But, whether it is making kids hyper or not, sugar is still not healthy to eat. It is wasted calories at best and a doorway to obesity and diabetes at worst.

[Threefold]

If you approach the principal, ask if you can speak to the school site council about your concerns. You could share the info to them and help set some healthy school wide policies in place!

[veganf]

Originally Posted by Virginia Mom

I'm surprised that the school district allows the teacher to give out candy......I used to teach (before ds came along) and it was against the district policies to give out any food or candy to the students.......forget about sugar, what about food allergies? Kids with diabetes? ..........Give the teacher a roll of stickers to use as rewards...Good Luck.

Not just allowed to, but encourage it, is what bothers me.
Before meeting my husband, the man I was dating taught 7th and 8th grade special ed. He brought bulk buckets of candy to school with him. And a large majority of the kids he taught were boys with ADHD. I just don't understand the shortsightedness of bribing them to finish a math lesson with hoards of candy.

On the other side of the picture, my niece with autism was bribed to learn certain behaviors with food (ie. potty training with chocolate chips). And it is quite common for even the best private schools for children with autism and PDD to use candy and junk food continuously throughout the day to reinforce behaviors. I was offered a job at a very "good" local school for children with autism, but ended up turning it down due to salary requirements; but I was already having personal issues with the amount of junk fed to the kids there.

Our 2 and 3 year olds will be starting preschool in the fall, and I will be the iron fist in making sure they are NOT fed junk by teachers or helping parents. The teachers actually don't worry me, as I was pretty nosey during the whole tour/interview process regarding the food issue. But other parents there might be the bigger problem.

- Krista

[Rmeg]

Wow, I am really shocked that a teacher would give out that sort of crap in class. What kind of message does it give to children about healthy eating? If you are getting nowhere, maybe the best course of action is a letter to the Principal and/or School Board about adopting a healthy eating policy for all the children. Surely, in this age of blanket media coverage about the dangers of childhood obesity and Type II diabetes, it would be welcomed.

My kids' school has a healthy eating policy - no sugary snacks of any kind are allowed in lunch boxes, only fruit. I have asked about occasionally including a home-baked whole flour carrot muffin, and that was OK. Sweets or candy are never used as rewards.

The kids used to get a chocolate muffin once a week (distributed by the local council) and now this has been changed to fruit. The only time the kids are allowed sugary snacks is on the last day of term (if there is a party), or maybe a Halloween party or school trip. At these times, the School Principal writes home and asks parents not to include a lot of stuff. Plus, on these days, the kids are only allowed to eat the sugary stuff after they have had their healthy lunch. The teachers say that it is a lot easier on them - if the children eat well as they don't have to deal with challenging behaviour. Plus the children don't come home bouncing off the walls. So, everyone wins.

Edited to add: My kids go to an Educate Together school, which helps!

[trini]

As a kindergarten teacher, I am offended by that teacher's unwillingness to work with you. I do not give out candy treats or prizes for my students, but some of our in-class activities do sometimes involve food (that is not always very healthy). For instance, when learning about time, we usually make a "cookie clock." I have a student this year whose parents have him on a sugar-free diet so I do not do any of my activities involving sweets. I don't think it is fair to exclude him from a lesson, or have him do the activity and then not be able to eat the end product.

Junk food does sometimes show up in my classroom, though. Parents send in snacks for the whole class. I request "healthy snacks", but as a pp mentioned, sometimes the parents are the worst offenders. (I also request peanut-free snacks, as I have another student with a peanut allergy - parents are better at adhering to that request.) Anyway, if we have a snack that contains sugar (such as animal crackers), I offer him an alternative that I have on hand.

On days that we have birthday celebrations, he gets picked up before the snack (usually cupcakes and punch).

We do have two "schoolwide parties" during the year. I am fed up with the junk parents send in every year for those. We get DOZENS of cupcakes, cookies, packages of candy, sugary drinks, etc. This year I specifically requested only healthy food, and we had a party with apple slices, grapes, carrots, cheese cubes, pretzels, and no-sugar apple juice. The children had just as much fun.

Anyway, I think that teacher is acting unprofessionally. I would talk to her one more time and if she still refuses to comply, I would speak with the principal.

[spero]

Originally Posted by boongirl

...sugar is still not healthy to eat. It is wasted calories at best and a doorway to obesity and diabetes at worst.

* nevermind.

Realized that you must be referring to Type II diabetes.

[kahbo]

I am a pre-school teacher and I do not give out candy or any food as a treat or reward. Alot of the other teachers do, and I am suprised. Even if 5th and 6th graders don't like stickers, there is something they do like. There are so many dollar stores now and small things that a child would probably be happy to get. Folders, pencils...even a reward with a special task or craft. I use stickers with my pre-k and kind. children. I also have pencils and erasers...small flashlights that came in a bag of 30. But I would definitly talk to the teacher and just explain as she is food sensitive...or that you don't give her sugar, if that teacher can not respect that....yes I would talk to the principal.

[mama2silas]

I would speak with the principal to see if the school has implemented its Local Wellness Policy. All public schools who take part in the school lunch program must implement a Policy by July 2006, and some schools have already done so. If your school has not, perhaps you can be part of the committee formulating your school's policy.

I chair our nutrition committee, and although we are not initially banning food rewards, we are strongly encouraging teacher to avoid food rewards or to stick with healthier choices. Part of our policy is a list of alternative rewards. Of course, if this was a committee of one (me), there would be a ban, but.....

In your 100-day case, 100 goldfish crackers or 100 pieces of Life cereal would have been better. But, even then, that is a lot of food.