Forgive me for the length of this post...I'm at a loss, and am looking for some advice.
DD5 started Kindergarten this year. The teacher sent home a note yesterday with a schedule for each child to bring in snacks for the whole class for snack time. (Once every four weeks.) One of the kids in the class has a peanut allergy, so she attached a sheet with "approved" snacks on it, including brand names.
I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, until I looked at the approved list. Marshmallows, Skittles, Oreos, Doritos/Lays Potato Chips/Pringles/Sun Chips/Ruffles, three different types of gum, Blow Pops, Fruit Loops....I couldn't believe it. The only thing on the list that I would even consider to be a "healthy snack" was graham crackers.
We are vegetarian, leaning toward the vegan side, but not completely. I also seriously limit processed foods (with the exception of some 'veganized' things like chik'n nuggets and vegan 'lunchmeat') and foods with artificial coloring. I talked it over with my boyfriend, and we decided that I'd just write a note to the teacher explaining how we eat, and asking that the snacks be in line with that. I wasn't so much going for VEGAN as I was for REMOTELY HEALTHY. (I wasn't going for rabbit food here - we even looked up all of the ingredients in all of the crap foods listed and I made her a list of the ones that could be considered vegan. I also offered to buy an air popper for popcorn for the classroom, since one of the things mentioned was microwave popcorn, and said that I obviously didn't expect that parents be required to buy the vegan version of Cheez-Its or anything like that.)
But really, not one fruit or vegetable on the ENTIRE list. I was floored. I teach my kids that foods like that are very occasional treats, and they are apparently going to eat snacks like this every day. I mean, how hard is it to buy a bag of apples?
I sent the note with her to school, and the teacher called me during lunch time. She said that I should send DD with her own snack every day, since all of the snacks that are sent in go into a big box, and the kids get to choose what they want from the box.
Again, how hard would it be to get a big bowl and fill it with fruit? I have no issues sending in raisins, or celery sticks filled with sunbutter or carrot sticks with some kind of dip, or whatever.
In theory, I understand where she's coming from. But the child with the peanut allergy isn't being told to bring in his own snacks. (Yes, I get that he can't be around peanuts at all, and I don't have ANY problem working around an allergy. But I don't consider Twizzlers and Oreos working around an allergy.) How am I supposed to explain to my 5 year old that she can't eat the Skittles and M&Ms that all of her friends get to eat, and they get to choose from the magic box of junk food every day?
I'm thinking about going to the principal (isn't the whole new "fad" to get this junk out of schools anyway?), but don't want to be a troublemaker the first week of school. Although I'm sure the teacher already has me pegged as "that mom", and I don't really care about that, honestly. If I say/do nothing, I feel like I'm teaching my 5 year old that chips and candy are every day snacks, not to mention the fact that I am the one that has to put up with the behavior that comes after she eats things loaded with sugar and artificial coloring.
Thoughts/advice?
DD5 started Kindergarten this year. The teacher sent home a note yesterday with a schedule for each child to bring in snacks for the whole class for snack time. (Once every four weeks.) One of the kids in the class has a peanut allergy, so she attached a sheet with "approved" snacks on it, including brand names.
I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, until I looked at the approved list. Marshmallows, Skittles, Oreos, Doritos/Lays Potato Chips/Pringles/Sun Chips/Ruffles, three different types of gum, Blow Pops, Fruit Loops....I couldn't believe it. The only thing on the list that I would even consider to be a "healthy snack" was graham crackers.
We are vegetarian, leaning toward the vegan side, but not completely. I also seriously limit processed foods (with the exception of some 'veganized' things like chik'n nuggets and vegan 'lunchmeat') and foods with artificial coloring. I talked it over with my boyfriend, and we decided that I'd just write a note to the teacher explaining how we eat, and asking that the snacks be in line with that. I wasn't so much going for VEGAN as I was for REMOTELY HEALTHY. (I wasn't going for rabbit food here - we even looked up all of the ingredients in all of the crap foods listed and I made her a list of the ones that could be considered vegan. I also offered to buy an air popper for popcorn for the classroom, since one of the things mentioned was microwave popcorn, and said that I obviously didn't expect that parents be required to buy the vegan version of Cheez-Its or anything like that.)
But really, not one fruit or vegetable on the ENTIRE list. I was floored. I teach my kids that foods like that are very occasional treats, and they are apparently going to eat snacks like this every day. I mean, how hard is it to buy a bag of apples?
I sent the note with her to school, and the teacher called me during lunch time. She said that I should send DD with her own snack every day, since all of the snacks that are sent in go into a big box, and the kids get to choose what they want from the box.
Again, how hard would it be to get a big bowl and fill it with fruit? I have no issues sending in raisins, or celery sticks filled with sunbutter or carrot sticks with some kind of dip, or whatever.
In theory, I understand where she's coming from. But the child with the peanut allergy isn't being told to bring in his own snacks. (Yes, I get that he can't be around peanuts at all, and I don't have ANY problem working around an allergy. But I don't consider Twizzlers and Oreos working around an allergy.) How am I supposed to explain to my 5 year old that she can't eat the Skittles and M&Ms that all of her friends get to eat, and they get to choose from the magic box of junk food every day?
I'm thinking about going to the principal (isn't the whole new "fad" to get this junk out of schools anyway?), but don't want to be a troublemaker the first week of school. Although I'm sure the teacher already has me pegged as "that mom", and I don't really care about that, honestly. If I say/do nothing, I feel like I'm teaching my 5 year old that chips and candy are every day snacks, not to mention the fact that I am the one that has to put up with the behavior that comes after she eats things loaded with sugar and artificial coloring.
Thoughts/advice?