Super Policy or Food Police Gone Wild?

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indunna
indunna Posts: 221 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Knowing my daughter will be turning 7 the day before school starts I sent her new teacher a note asking if it would be ok for me to send in cupcakes for her second grade class on the first Friday after school starts (as I have for the past 3 years). Surprise - she e-mailed me back saying that the new school "wellness policy" said no cake for birthdays. OK... So I replied asking if I could send in a "healthy" alternative such as grapes or strawberries. Nope. No food period. They could perhaps sing Happy Birthday to her...

I know some parents probably think this is great. My sister is diabetic and could never eat birthday cake growing up. My son was on a medical diet for a couple of years and couldn't eat birthday cake, strawberries or grapes. So I think I get where they are coming from. BUT, it still rubs me the wrong way.

What do you think? Super Policy or Food Police Gone Wild?
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Replies

  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,247 Member
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    I don't have an issue with it in the most general of senses. It makes sense, with all the food issues and allergies, that the school wouldn't want food sent to the school by individuals for a whole class.

    That said, the idea that cupcakes would not be okay due to a "wellness" program is a bit silly. Cupcakes can be part of a healthy and sustainable diet. No food should be demonized, especially when it comes to young children. A cupcake, in an overall healthy diet, is not going to make anyone obese or unhealthy.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    I really don't know how to feel about that. I think it's a bit over the top but at the same time, perhaps a good idea.

    What I find strange is school lunches being very unhealthy in most US schools, but then all of these programs to fight childhood obesity and increase kids' knowledge of nutrition. Obviously it's not as simple as all that...but I find it very contradictory!

    I don't believe schools in my area have such a policy, but I know a few of my friends with kids in school were really bothered by the policies that began several years ago here of no homemade food. So just store bought prepackaged treats. I think one school specifies individual size portions, too.
  • kaseysospacey
    kaseysospacey Posts: 499 Member
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    If every kid brings in cupcakes then theres like 25 days of extra cake. It ends up being a lot.
    My sons class last yr had a lotof restrictions. His school had all whole wheat,no fried food etc. Its not bad. You can have cupcakes at home.
  • cnadiger
    cnadiger Posts: 168 Member
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    I wonder if snacks brought in from home for childrens b-days have to be counted in the new "Healthy School Lunches" policy the fed gov rammed down our kids throats. Maybe that's why they say no outside food? IMO the whole thing has gone much too far and no longer is governed by common sense, just by-the-book non-sense! :grumble:
  • indunna
    indunna Posts: 221 Member
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    I guess I'm kind of sentimental - the idea of a child taking 10 minutes of the day to share a treat with friends and to let the spotlight shine on them seems a sad thing to say goodbye too. I was also shocked when I found out that the kids get 1 15 minute recess per 6 hour day (we had 3 when I was growing up in the 1970s). Perhaps if they would introduce more recess the kids would burn off the cals from the 20 cupcakes (1 per birthday) that they bring in each year...

    I guess the constructive thing to do would be to work with the school on some type of alternative birthday celebration.

    I just need to wrap my head around the fact that we no longer seat 6 unbelted 7 year olds in the back of mommy's station wagon - 1 per booster in her SUV. And we don't send in cupcakes anymore. Perhaps it isn't as bad as I initially thought.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    For a long time now schools in my area have had a no home made food policy. I haven't heard of a "wellness policy" before, but I don't have kids in school any more.
  • pobalita
    pobalita Posts: 741 Member
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    This is the policy at my kids' school, too. Honestly, I'm glad. While a few cupcakes aren't going to hurt anyone's health, the average class size at my kids' school is about 30. My kid get enough treats already without having 2 to 3 dozen cupcakes given to them by teachers over the course of the school year.

    I honestly believe that acknowledging a child's birthday and wishing them well is enough in the classroom and I don't see any purpose for everyone getting a "mini party". If parents want to serve birthday cake or cupcakes, they should have a party outside of the classroom.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    Food police gone wild for the win.

    How derpy.
  • Pupslice
    Pupslice Posts: 213 Member
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    they probably do it because of all the food restrictions these days and to avoid any potential lawsuits. lots of kids have allergies, then there are those who are on specific diets for medical or religious reasons, or aren't allowed certain things by their parents [think about things like refined sugar, soda pop, white flour, etc., that get a lot of flack on the MFP boards]. if someone got food poisoning the school might be held responsible, if someone allergic to peanuts accidentally ate something with peanuts in it and got sick the school might be liable, and so on.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    this has been going on for a while. about 10 years ago i heard of it as a way to keep things equal amongst kids .

    i guess now instead of doing it because some kids may be poor they are doing it because some kids might be fat
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,933 Member
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    Are you guys saying you're not allowed to send a home packed lunch with your kid anymore? They have to eat cafeteria food?

    I never want to be a teacher but I honestly might consider homeschooling my future kids if that's the case. With my province being rated the dumbest province in Canada multiple years running... I might have to.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    As someone with a summer birthday who never got to bring treats to school and always felt left out I can see value in this policy. I wouldn't call it a wellness policy - that's ridiculous, but have you seen some people's kitchens? Homemade treats can be a serious health hazard.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Are you guys saying you're not allowed to send a home packed lunch with your kid anymore? They have to eat cafeteria food?

    I never want to be a teacher but I honestly might consider homeschooling my future kids if that's the case. With my province being rated the dumbest province in Canada multiple years running... I might have to.

    No, it is a policy where you cannot bring in home made food for the entire class (like cupcakes on their birthday). Your own kids can eat their own home packed lunches.
  • Catter_05
    Catter_05 Posts: 155 Member
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    At my son's school they have a minimum nutritional value rules during school hours. Basically, you can send whatever you want in your child's lunch, but neither you nor anyone else is allowed to give anyone else's child something that doesn't meet these requirements. (Juice box ok, Capri sun not ok). There are a few days a year when those rules do not apply. The day before summer break and the day before winter break are the party days and the parents are responsible for the party. To make it worse, if you do anything for one classroom, it must be done the same way for every class in the grade level! If class A gets a tropical skittles for a bingo game, classes B, C, D, etc. must have tropical skittles. If your child wants to pass out invitations to his/her party they have to mail them out or invite the entire grade level! I'm not sure if the other schools in the district don't have the same rules or just don't enforce them. I've worked at other schools and they have class cupcakes etc.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    One of my acquaintances is a 4th grade teacher. I remember several years ago she was telling me what she does for her student's birthdays. On the first day of school, she had each of them fill out an index card with their name, birthday, favorite color, favorite candy, and a few other details. On each student's birthday (or half birthday for summer/holiday b-days), she would give them a small birthday card in their favorite color with their favorite candy attached. A lot of the kids would be SO shocked and ask "But how did you KNOW?!" especially when it was harder to find things, like Haribo gummi peaches or a Zero bar. I thought that was impossibly cute. I guess no more of that, though...ugh
  • Catter_05
    Catter_05 Posts: 155 Member
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    As someone with a summer birthday who never got to bring treats to school and always felt left out I can see value in this policy. I wouldn't call it a wellness policy - that's ridiculous, but have you seen some people's kitchens? Homemade treats can be a serious health hazard.
    :laugh: how true!
  • tracie_minus100
    tracie_minus100 Posts: 465 Member
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    The school my friend's son attends (my daughter will be going there next year) has a strict food policy. She is not allowed to send anything deemed "unhealthy" (chocolate, candy, anything like that) for her son for lunch. If there is "contraband" in his lunch, they send a note telling her to ensure that he has only healthy food from now on.
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
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    I dreaded my birthday when I was in grade school because my mom had neither the time nor the money to make or buy cupcakes or what have you for an entire class. It was just one more way I felt left out. I have therefore never understood the need to share food for a child's birthday at school because I was never on that side of it.

    I think it's ok to have that policy but maybe the reasons behind it are a little weird/ But again, it's too hard to know what kids have what restrictions and I know a lot of mom's who flip out when they find out their kid ate something from someone else. There's a myriad of reasons for that.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    As someone with a summer birthday who never got to bring treats to school and always felt left out I can see value in this policy. I wouldn't call it a wellness policy - that's ridiculous, but have you seen some people's kitchens? Homemade treats can be a serious health hazard.

    This.

    I'd be delighted if my kids' school had that policy, lol!
  • Shalaurise
    Shalaurise Posts: 707 Member
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    I vote Food Police Gone Wild.

    I have found that the restrictions were worse when we were at the rich kid's school. The rules on what I am and am not allowed to feed my child are INSANE. Please keep in mind that there is nowhere for them to store said snack that is cold but with all the other restrictions we have put in place we may as well have a huge no preservatives rule too. I had to find a snack that doesn't need refrigeration, has no contact with the idea of a nut at all (because a couple of kids have a legume allergy), is designated as healthy by our standards (which we are not going to provide you), that doesn't take too long to eat because they get upset if they don't have time to play AND that your child will actually eat... because if they don't have a snack they get grumpy and then have behavior issues. Go! So, needless to say, we had a lot of behavior issues.

    Now that we have put her is a school in a lower income area she is allowed to have cashews again. I specifically asked if there were restrictions and I was given a look like I was a crazy lady (and boy was that comforting) and then told that they take a different approach and simply protect the children who need it rather than restrict the entire school based on two kids. Treats are okay in class, it is simply requested that we check to assure that there are no allergies in that class first. Kids are taught not to share their food. It is like a school that teaches individual responsibility and I am soooo happy to be there. It is such a relief.

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