What Are These 'so called' Parents Doing!!

FatHuMan1

If you taught my child I'd be more concerned about your teaching skills than my child's nutrition.

lucystacy71

I was an elementary teacher. I have seen some bad snacks and lunches sent to school, but I would have never dreamed taking pictures to post for others to see. What my school did was to take the time to teach the children about better food choices. One day, when they were going to eat snacks, we made fruit pizzas. Afterwards, you would hear the students tell their parents about the kind of food they wanted for snacks and lunches. It was really rewarding.

noogie98

It is easier to pack a snack for their child by grabbing a prepackaged item from the cupboard rather than make something healthy. I see this every day with the Pre-K & Kinder students I teach in the afternoon. At my school, 3 days a week (MWF), the school provides a snack for every child in the building compliments of a grant program thru Wal-Mart. They give the children fruits or veggies. It is amazing to me to see how many children refuse or throw away the healthy choice & eat the processed crap instead. Their favorite are those Takei's or the Flaming Hot Cheeto's. No wonder our kids have health issues with all the chemicals that they put in their little bodies because their parents are too 'whatever' to prepare a healthy meal for them!

Okay, getting off the soap box now...

Myhaloslipped

HELLO! I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT PARENTS THESE DAYS. I'M FROM THE READING WRITING AND ARITHMETIC TAUGHT TO THE TUNE OF A HICKORY STICK ERA MYSELF.

AS A SUGGESTION I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU CHANGE THE WAY YOU EMPLOY SNEER QUOTES HOWEVER. YOU PROBABLY MEANT TO TITLE THIS POST "WHAT ARE THESE SO-CALLED 'PARENTS' DOING?" BUT INSTEAD YOU WROTE "WHAT ARE THESE 'SO CALLED' PARENTS DOING!!" THE USE OF PUNCTUATION THROUGHOUT THE TITLE IS CONFUSING TO ME.

:laugh:

dicoveringwhoIam

Food shaming?? Obviously you don't have kids of your own or you have lived in a perfect bubble work all of your own! We do a mixture of whole foods and processed foods for mu kids' lunches and they are way more healthy and filling than the schools over processed crap. As far as the comment about the school having acceptable snacks, really??!!! How dare they tell me what I can and can not feed MY child!

clactif

Ok, taking a picture of children's snacks is a shame, but the teacher is right, and i am happy to see that some people don't"mind their business", and instead take care of the others and worry about their health. Here in France teachers and directors fight to get parents chose appropriate snacks for their (is this one right?)children. Don't forget that in France and Switzerland we have the smallest percentage of overweight children. However, one should admit that healthy food is much more expensive than junk one, and here governements should react to provide affordable healthy food for everyone. And, by the way, healthy does'nt mean complicated, i am a working mother of three, i can testify. One last thing:sorry for the grammar, i am french mother tongue!

randomtai

Ok, taking a picture of children's snacks is a shame, but the teacher is right, and i am happy to see that some people don't"mind their business", and instead take care of the others and worry about their health. Here in France teachers and directors fight to get parents chose appropriate snacks for their (is this one right?)children. Don't forget that in France and Switzerland we have the smallest percentage of overweight children. However, one should admit that healthy food is much more expensive than junk one, and here governements should react to provide affordable healthy food for everyone. And, by the way, healthy does'nt mean complicated, i am a working mother of three, i can testify. One last thing:sorry for the grammar, i am french mother tongue!

Strong first post.

Cranquistador

NO

ChristineinMA

I'm guessing you're not a parent. It's always the non-parents that seem to know how to do it all right and feel quite free letting the world know exactly which way that is.

I don't see candy. I see cookies, crackers and fruit. It's a snack, not a nutrition exam.

Agreed - as a parent you learn to pick your battles - you may pack the perfectly balanced snacks and lunches - all locally-sourced, organic, no artificial anything - but if that snack or lunch isn't cool or your child doesn't like it, then it doesn't get eaten.

My son ate a bagel with cream cheese for lunch everyday of his elementary school career - he ate perfectly balanced meals the rest of the day. He gradually learned to expand the number of foods he would eat, but it wasn't worth it to fight over.

I bet if you brought healthy snacks in and ate them in front of the kids - with relish (the enthusiasm - not the condiment) you would get the kids interested in your snacks. Try leading by example instead of food shaming. Kids learn by what you do, not so much by what you say.

VelvetMorning

My parents got the teacher AND principal who made fun of my lunch fired, by the way. But anyway, all I hear on this forum is "eat what you want in moderation" - how are kids that different? You go pay for and pack their lunches if you're such a goddess of nutrition and the authority of choices.

neandermagnon

I love how people on this thread talk about "shaming" in regards to food choices. When did we get to the point where any time someone points out that something is likely a bad choice (random sex, morbid obesity, unhealthy food) its "shaming."

But OP is not pointing out to the children ( in a positive encouraging way) which foods are healthy snacks- she has taken photos of their food and mocked them and their parents without their knowledge.

Very unprofessional behaviour OP .

Btw,am struggling to see what on earth is unhealthy about 2 fresh oranges????

In a previous thread op mentions cutting out ALL sugar... apparently bananas are sweet like candy too.

Quick! better go warn all the other primates not to eat fruit.... because if it's bad for humans it's bad for them too....

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1123553-should-i-stop-eating-fruit

and OP - taking pictures of anything happening within the school and posting them on a forum like this without permission from the parents and the senior teachers of the school is highly unprofessional, and probably a disciplinary offence in many schools. Hope the pics aren't geotagged, because someone might be able to find what school they were taken in.... you might think you're anonymous but you're probably not.... most phones automatically geotag images without you realising it, unless you've gone into the phone's setting and switched the geotag function off.

JillianMarieSoto

I am going to go out on a limb and assume each of those photo's was an individual child's snack choices for the day. If that is the case, the original poster completely had a valid point. These were appalling not only because the lack of effort as shown by the abundance of processed foods but just how many calories and sugar each set contained. Children do not require that much excess food in between meals. A little forethought and effort on the parents' part could ensure these children are receiving age appropriate nutrition.

No, I am not a parent but as someone who had similar stuff shoveled at me since near birth, I feel I have a bit of insight as to what terrible eating habits these "convenient" snacks instill in children.

FrankiesSaysRelax

I find it odd you're criticizing other people (parents) for their choice of snacks to send and yet you haven't lost a single pound either.. apparently 100 calorie pack cookies and goldfish appeal to us all.

peacemongernc

Our schools have a list of approved snacks. So even if my child traded a snack , it would hopefully be a healthier snack!

My children's school does, too. In middle school they stop enforcing it quite as well, and by high school no one says anything to them. But in the elementary school the teachers walk around the room during snack and lunch and monitor what the children have. But it amazes me what passes for okay, given the rules that they have. Kids bring in Trix yogurt and granola bars that are full of candy... stuff my kids have never been allowed to have.

My kids only got called down for their food options one time. I made organic oatmeal raisin cookies that were organic, only lightly sweetened, and whole grain with added chia and flax. BUT they were a "cookie" so my kids had to eat them after school. It just made me laugh.

I used to make the yogurt that my kids took to school and one day a child asked my son why he had homemade yogurt instead of the blue and green and pink yogurt all the other kids had. He started to explain about dairy cow animal treatment, artificial colors, GMOs and the like, as he had done before, but he just said, "It's a LOOOONG story." ROFL!!

My poor kids.

But I'm really glad our school has some rules about foods at school. I think it matters.

MyChocolateDiet

Holy invasion of privacy batman....I hope you have another job lined up. I know you're not mentioning any names. Except maybe yours. Lemme go check out your profile.

TX_Rhon

In......

because I need another cup of coffee for such an interesting morning read :drinker:


Edited to say great read! Admittedly, I was a single parent who did not always have the time to pack snacks or lunches to your standards. However, we did eat well at home and always ate as a family - just as important as eating healthy in my opinion. Today, my 15 yr old 5'11", 172lb defensive tackle son eats healthier than I do! His 2 daily PB&Js are on whole grain bread by his choice. But he still eats them with Cheez-Its!!!

hookilau

Just curious OP, what does the '15 weeks after treatment' mean?

Obviously something to do with ED Treatment, looking through her posts and profile, those who judge shall be judged themselves!

yeah, I figured that out after reading some of her old posts but without the 'subtext' was confused by the pic. Knowing that she might have issues such as these, makes me feel more sympathetic to her :ohwell:

randomtai

No, I am not a parent

Stop... just stop. :noway:

Inshape13

so you are taking pictures - surreptitiously, I assume? - to mock them and post them on a website where any parent could see? And then you casually throw out "sorry if you are one of those parents?"

As I see it, you aren't sorry. What you are is a bully and shame on you. You don't know these parents circumstances. You don't know how hard it is to pack a lunch for a kid who may have food challenges. You don't know these families' circumstances. It's so easy to judge from your high horse, isn't it? How is the view up there, looking down on the peons?

Could not have said it better myself. You do not know how these kids are raised and what their parents can and cannot afford. I am really hoping that you do not teach in a lower income area where processed foods are bought due to financial situations. Buying all organic and whole foods while in theory is best, it is not always an option for everyone out there. Mocking your students choices and then standing on your moral high ground is not helping them....maybe you should bring up nutrition education and go from there by teaching them better habits rather than taking pics behind their backs and talking junk online.

ElizabethFuller

When my children were at primary school and had packed lunches they had a sandwich, a piece of cheese, a small packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a small piece of home made cake, usually an iced traybake sponge. If someone had taken photographs it may well have looked junk-heavy but my problem was keeping weight on my boys, they were active, slim kids if the fat/sugar content of their food had been reduced they would have been skinny. They've grown up into tall, slim young men entirely capable of making healthy food choices. I don't think that it's as simple as saying all crisps, cakes and biscuits are the enemy.

skylark94

I'm having to censor myself here. What I would like to say to the OP would surely earn me a strike.

ShapenerFiterrati

Okay seriously, these foods aren't so "bad". I see croissants and oranges and cookies. It's really hard for parents to get food (lunch and snacks) ready for their kids and themselves in the mornings.
Maybe you want to understand their situation before judging them as "so called" parents.

taunto

OMG!!! How DARE they gave kids some cookies etc.

You better call child protection agency because THAT is abuse right there! Giving kids Oreos and stuff. Stupid parents.

Next thing you know they'll be giving kids chocolate milk and banana shakes!

MyChocolateDiet

You dodged a bullet today OP. You're figure as posted did not resemble anyone at my kid's school and I did not recognize any of my kids snacks on that pictorial. Consider yourself lucky.

I'm gonna go on record to wonder when people get to that confusion point where they think this is a slam on kids and their parents website rather than a fitness tools for adults site. Does the asking if we are over 18 question just fly over some people's heads?

DeputySox

OP is entitled to voice her opinion, No matter how asinine it may be.

bunnybutler29

Heres a little judgement coming from me. Shame on you:( You in my opinion are a horrible teacher. Judging others as if u are high and mighty. Then off to teach our children. Make snacks and lunches for the kids urself if it bothers u so. How dare u talk about other parents like that. Grow a pair and show the parents not talk trash on the Internet. I agree u must be a non parent and its not like school lunch is any better. It still looks like slop. Fried and greasy slop. Get off ur high horse and learn some grammar. U r a teacher and ur gonna criticize others. SHAME on u. All I can say is I will sum this up the way my daddy would and thats "opinions are like @$$holes, everyones got one."

devil_in_a_blue_dress

OP is entitled to voice her opinion, No matter how asinine it may be.

Who said she wasn't?

Veganbambina

I wish My children's teachers cared what was in their lunches! I constantly cringe when the teachers offer lollipops as rewards. My kids get made fun of at school for having healthy lunches. I'm with the op on this one. Real Food!

DeputySox

OP is entitled to voice her opinion, No matter how asinine it may be.

Who said she wasn't?

Asinine or entitled?

Akimajuktuq

In my school, no nuts (there's a peanut allergy, but no one knows that peanuts are a legume!), oranges or fish are allowed. But yeah, that looks like what's considered "healthy" food. Except that they would also include artificially sweetened crap too. It is sad. And we are all scratching our heads why people are so sick. Cuz it's not at all possible that what we eat determines health. (sarcasm)

As an educator you have every right to be concerned about the "food" the children are bringing into the school. Perhaps you should work with the administration and parent/teacher groups to effect change? BUT please don't go anti-fat. Fat from animals, avocado, nuts, etc are healthy and necessary.

The complete lack of effort put into those snacks speaks louder than words. But if the majority of MFPers are any indication, there is a complete disconnect with understanding that food affects health. People will justify and excuse what they are doing because it is too hard to acknowledge that they are doing something wrong. If they acknowledged it, then they might be tempted to do something different. That would take more time away from the tv, or whatever else it is that is more important than the health of their children.

(You won't get much agreement from most MFPers, because IIFYM, then nothing else matters.)