When should a school intervene? Never? (school lunch issue)

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Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    precinct13 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I would probably intervene if the child were up to 7th-8th grade. At that point i would acknowledge their own choices. I would be willing to assist them with making the right food choices, but if they are fat, get diabetes, and get picked on it's their own perogative at that point.


    Now if it's a child child (?) then i would absolutely intervene**. I would only do so by collective the offending item and replacing it with something else. For example, in the breakfast situation i would collect the redbull and cheetos and give them an apple and a milk. Or a banana and a yogurt. something to that effect.

    I would then send them home with the offending item and a handwritten note that they had received a healthier option instead. I would probably say something along the lines of... "XChild has had low energy lately" or "XChild seems to be having problems integrating and playing with the other students" or "XChild is having problems in PE/Recess" and it "may be because they didn't have a nutritious and healthy breakfast. So i bought them something that may be more beneficial to their studies/health".

    If the parents are ballsy enough to send the child to class with the items again i would write them a serious fat-hating/angry/shitlord letter.

    **Note: I would only intervene if the product was genuinely terrible for their health or completely lacking in any nutritional value. It'd have to be a meal of oreos, doritos/cheetos, and packaged donuts only for me to really step in. I dont presume to know their diet outside of school and i recognize that even in my own diet these things can be eaten in moderation. I wouldn't flip about one "bad" side or one "bad" portion. I'm saying if the entire meal was devoid of nutrition.

    Unless the child is your child, it's not your business.

    assuming it'd be my responsibility to discipline, teach, and shape the future of generations to come; i'd say it's my business.

    No. Your job is to teach. Taking away the child's food and passing judgment on his/her family's lifestyle is beyond the scope of your job description.

    So by this rationale if a child is unusually withdrawn, is too tired to participate, or has suspicious bruises, the teacher should ignore it because it's not their business.

    A bag of dorittos is not the same as "suspicious bruises" - pick the one you want to discuss.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
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  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I would probably intervene if the child were up to 7th-8th grade. At that point i would acknowledge their own choices. I would be willing to assist them with making the right food choices, but if they are fat, get diabetes, and get picked on it's their own perogative at that point.


    Now if it's a child child (?) then i would absolutely intervene**. I would only do so by collective the offending item and replacing it with something else. For example, in the breakfast situation i would collect the redbull and cheetos and give them an apple and a milk. Or a banana and a yogurt. something to that effect.

    I would then send them home with the offending item and a handwritten note that they had received a healthier option instead. I would probably say something along the lines of... "XChild has had low energy lately" or "XChild seems to be having problems integrating and playing with the other students" or "XChild is having problems in PE/Recess" and it "may be because they didn't have a nutritious and healthy breakfast. So i bought them something that may be more beneficial to their studies/health".

    If the parents are ballsy enough to send the child to class with the items again i would write them a serious fat-hating/angry/shitlord letter.

    **Note: I would only intervene if the product was genuinely terrible for their health or completely lacking in any nutritional value. It'd have to be a meal of oreos, doritos/cheetos, and packaged donuts only for me to really step in. I dont presume to know their diet outside of school and i recognize that even in my own diet these things can be eaten in moderation. I wouldn't flip about one "bad" side or one "bad" portion. I'm saying if the entire meal was devoid of nutrition.

    Wouldn't you get sued and fired for that nowadays? Not sure if you can do much but try to educate the class as a whole on eating healthier.

    I don't know. I personally think we are way too damn sensitive on the subject regarding weight. If you are abusing your child (I.E. not proving them with sustenance) i'd find it my moral obligation to do so.

    I guess it's a great thing i'm not a teacher though. Because the one thing i can't stand is a fat-f%%% parent who is pushing that lifestyle/deathstyle onto their children.

    I agree with you there. And I believe people shouldn't be allowed to have children unless the future parents are audited... But, that's not how our society is and unfortunately we have to play by the rules.

    rules can be changed if the mindset of society changes. And the only way that's going to happen is to make an impact and impart as much knowledge as possible. It's sure as hell not by having a "not my problem" mentality^ as suggested above.

    The best way to change the mindset of society is to educate. In this particular situation, you can do that without intervening with the parents by teaching and setting an example for the children as a whole.

    Intervening with the parents is just going to end poorly in this situation.
  • coraborealis80
    coraborealis80 Posts: 53 Member
    I don't know about your state, but in NY you are required to report neglect. Giving a second grader an energy drink isn't just neglect, it probably falls under child endangerment as well. Energy drinks have been tied to several adolescent and teen deaths in the last 5 years.

    "NCANDS defines neglect as “a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so” (USDHHS, 2007). Neglect is usually typified by an ongoing pattern of inadequate care and is readily observed by individuals in close contact with the child. Physicians, nurses, day care personnel, relatives and neighbors are frequently the ones to suspect and report neglect in infants, toddlers and preschoolaged children. Once children are in school, school personnel often notice indicators of child neglect such as poor hygiene, poor weight gain, inadequate medical care or frequent absences from school."

    http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-neglect.html

    You're asking because your gut says you should say something. Teacher to teacher, go with your gut. Ignore the people who say your job is just to teach. They don't know the laws, and they don't have the training.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I would probably intervene if the child were up to 7th-8th grade. At that point i would acknowledge their own choices. I would be willing to assist them with making the right food choices, but if they are fat, get diabetes, and get picked on it's their own perogative at that point.


    Now if it's a child child (?) then i would absolutely intervene**. I would only do so by collective the offending item and replacing it with something else. For example, in the breakfast situation i would collect the redbull and cheetos and give them an apple and a milk. Or a banana and a yogurt. something to that effect.

    I would then send them home with the offending item and a handwritten note that they had received a healthier option instead. I would probably say something along the lines of... "XChild has had low energy lately" or "XChild seems to be having problems integrating and playing with the other students" or "XChild is having problems in PE/Recess" and it "may be because they didn't have a nutritious and healthy breakfast. So i bought them something that may be more beneficial to their studies/health".

    If the parents are ballsy enough to send the child to class with the items again i would write them a serious fat-hating/angry/shitlord letter.

    **Note: I would only intervene if the product was genuinely terrible for their health or completely lacking in any nutritional value. It'd have to be a meal of oreos, doritos/cheetos, and packaged donuts only for me to really step in. I dont presume to know their diet outside of school and i recognize that even in my own diet these things can be eaten in moderation. I wouldn't flip about one "bad" side or one "bad" portion. I'm saying if the entire meal was devoid of nutrition.

    Wouldn't you get sued and fired for that nowadays? Not sure if you can do much but try to educate the class as a whole on eating healthier.

    I don't know. I personally think we are way too damn sensitive on the subject regarding weight. If you are abusing your child (I.E. not proving them with sustenance) i'd find it my moral obligation to do so.

    I guess it's a great thing i'm not a teacher though. Because the one thing i can't stand is a fat-f%%% parent who is pushing that lifestyle/deathstyle onto their children.

    I agree with you there. And I believe people shouldn't be allowed to have children unless the future parents are audited... But, that's not how our society is and unfortunately we have to play by the rules.

    rules can be changed if the mindset of society changes. And the only way that's going to happen is to make an impact and impart as much knowledge as possible. It's sure as hell not by having a "not my problem" mentality^ as suggested above.

    The best way to change the mindset of society is to educate. In this particular situation, you can do that without intervening with the parents by teaching and setting an example for the children as a whole.

    Intervening with the parents is just going to end poorly in this situation.

    I wish that were the case... but generally the parents of these children are obese individuals themselves. You can't expect the education of the child (who doesn't purchase or prepare their food) to make those choices them self. The responsibility falls on the parent. If they aren't having that brought to their attention, they have little motivation to make the changes.

    http://www.channel4.com/programmes/junk-food-kids-whos-to-blame

    I encourage you to watch some of these. Children as young as 12 years old are undergoing bariatric surgery (paid for by the government) because their parent's cant get their crap together. This doesn't include the children who have to have all kinds of dental procedures (and extractions) because of tooth decay from sugary/acid foods and non-hygiene.

    What's worse is this people ARE receiving nutritional counseling (some even by RDs for months) and they still cant stick to a diet. They just give up and go for surgery instead.

    I mean think about that...
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I would probably intervene if the child were up to 7th-8th grade. At that point i would acknowledge their own choices. I would be willing to assist them with making the right food choices, but if they are fat, get diabetes, and get picked on it's their own perogative at that point.


    Now if it's a child child (?) then i would absolutely intervene**. I would only do so by collective the offending item and replacing it with something else. For example, in the breakfast situation i would collect the redbull and cheetos and give them an apple and a milk. Or a banana and a yogurt. something to that effect.

    I would then send them home with the offending item and a handwritten note that they had received a healthier option instead. I would probably say something along the lines of... "XChild has had low energy lately" or "XChild seems to be having problems integrating and playing with the other students" or "XChild is having problems in PE/Recess" and it "may be because they didn't have a nutritious and healthy breakfast. So i bought them something that may be more beneficial to their studies/health".

    If the parents are ballsy enough to send the child to class with the items again i would write them a serious fat-hating/angry/shitlord letter.

    **Note: I would only intervene if the product was genuinely terrible for their health or completely lacking in any nutritional value. It'd have to be a meal of oreos, doritos/cheetos, and packaged donuts only for me to really step in. I dont presume to know their diet outside of school and i recognize that even in my own diet these things can be eaten in moderation. I wouldn't flip about one "bad" side or one "bad" portion. I'm saying if the entire meal was devoid of nutrition.

    Unless the child is your child, it's not your business.

    assuming it'd be my responsibility to discipline, teach, and shape the future of generations to come; i'd say it's my business.

    No. Your job is to teach. Taking away the child's food and passing judgment on his/her family's lifestyle is beyond the scope of your job description.

    I have to wonder though, when 2/3rds of society is overweight and the future generations are now the first that will NOT outlive their parents/ancestors when it WILL be time to step in and make it everyone's business.

    When young children are now having to deal with lifelong diabetes, heart problems, the whole slew of health issues caused by obesity, and are having to undergo life-threatening surgeries to shrink their stomaches when society will decide as a whole that this detached, disinterested, not-my-job, only care about myself and screw everyone else- mentality will have to end.

    If their POS parents can't care about their children's future or lives, it's time to step in and do it. If a parent is beating their child i'd report it. If a child is being sexually assulted by a parent i'd report it. And if a child's parent is literally ruining their life-long health, i'd do the same.

    Any teacher who calls a person a "POS parent" because his or her child is eating Doritos needs to take a big step back and remove him- or herself from the situation. Objectivity has long since flown out the window and the teacher is at risk of creating a greater problem. A bag of Doritos is not the same thing as a beating or sexual assault--that's just a ridiculously flawed argument that is so full of fallacies I don't know where to begin.

    I said.... and i quote "It'd have to be a meal of oreos, doritos/cheetos, and packaged donuts only for me to really step in. I dont presume to know their diet outside of school and i recognize that even in my own diet these things can be eaten in moderation. I wouldn't flip about one "bad" side or one "bad" portion. I'm saying if the entire meal was devoid of nutrition."

    And my first recourse would be providing the child with actual sustenance.

    If you think for a second that only proving *kitten* junk for your child to eat isn't abuse then.... well, i'm so sorry.

    It's not abuse. It doesn't come close to meeting the standards of abuse. Do you realize that in this paragraph alone, you have a dozen logical fallacies? I can't even begin to tell you how glad you're not teaching my grandchildren.

    "
    If their POS parents can't care about their children's future or lives, it's time to step in and do it. If a parent is beating their child i'd report it. If a child is being sexually assulted by a parent i'd report it. And if a child's parent is literally ruining their life-long health, i'd do the same. "

    1. Ad hominem
    2. Appeal to emotion
    3. Appeal to probability
    4. False equivalency
    5. Straw man
    6. Unwarranted assumption
    7. Correlation proves causation
    8. Appeal to fear
    9. Appeal to consequences
    10. Slippery slope
    11. False dilemma
    12. Argument from pathos
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I would probably intervene if the child were up to 7th-8th grade. At that point i would acknowledge their own choices. I would be willing to assist them with making the right food choices, but if they are fat, get diabetes, and get picked on it's their own perogative at that point.


    Now if it's a child child (?) then i would absolutely intervene**. I would only do so by collective the offending item and replacing it with something else. For example, in the breakfast situation i would collect the redbull and cheetos and give them an apple and a milk. Or a banana and a yogurt. something to that effect.

    I would then send them home with the offending item and a handwritten note that they had received a healthier option instead. I would probably say something along the lines of... "XChild has had low energy lately" or "XChild seems to be having problems integrating and playing with the other students" or "XChild is having problems in PE/Recess" and it "may be because they didn't have a nutritious and healthy breakfast. So i bought them something that may be more beneficial to their studies/health".

    If the parents are ballsy enough to send the child to class with the items again i would write them a serious fat-hating/angry/shitlord letter.

    **Note: I would only intervene if the product was genuinely terrible for their health or completely lacking in any nutritional value. It'd have to be a meal of oreos, doritos/cheetos, and packaged donuts only for me to really step in. I dont presume to know their diet outside of school and i recognize that even in my own diet these things can be eaten in moderation. I wouldn't flip about one "bad" side or one "bad" portion. I'm saying if the entire meal was devoid of nutrition.

    Unless the child is your child, it's not your business.

    assuming it'd be my responsibility to discipline, teach, and shape the future of generations to come; i'd say it's my business.

    No. Your job is to teach. Taking away the child's food and passing judgment on his/her family's lifestyle is beyond the scope of your job description.

    I have to wonder though, when 2/3rds of society is overweight and the future generations are now the first that will NOT outlive their parents/ancestors when it WILL be time to step in and make it everyone's business.

    When young children are now having to deal with lifelong diabetes, heart problems, the whole slew of health issues caused by obesity, and are having to undergo life-threatening surgeries to shrink their stomaches when society will decide as a whole that this detached, disinterested, not-my-job, only care about myself and screw everyone else- mentality will have to end.

    If their POS parents can't care about their children's future or lives, it's time to step in and do it. If a parent is beating their child i'd report it. If a child is being sexually assulted by a parent i'd report it. And if a child's parent is literally ruining their life-long health, i'd do the same.

    Any teacher who calls a person a "POS parent" because his or her child is eating Doritos needs to take a big step back and remove him- or herself from the situation. Objectivity has long since flown out the window and the teacher is at risk of creating a greater problem. A bag of Doritos is not the same thing as a beating or sexual assault--that's just a ridiculously flawed argument that is so full of fallacies I don't know where to begin.

    I said.... and i quote "It'd have to be a meal of oreos, doritos/cheetos, and packaged donuts only for me to really step in. I dont presume to know their diet outside of school and i recognize that even in my own diet these things can be eaten in moderation. I wouldn't flip about one "bad" side or one "bad" portion. I'm saying if the entire meal was devoid of nutrition."

    And my first recourse would be providing the child with actual sustenance.

    If you think for a second that only proving *kitten* junk for your child to eat isn't abuse then.... well, i'm so sorry.

    It's not abuse. It doesn't come close to meeting the standards of abuse. Do you realize that in this paragraph alone, you have a dozen logical fallacies? I can't even begin to tell you how glad you're not teaching my grandchildren.

    "
    If their POS parents can't care about their children's future or lives, it's time to step in and do it. If a parent is beating their child i'd report it. If a child is being sexually assulted by a parent i'd report it. And if a child's parent is literally ruining their life-long health, i'd do the same. "

    1. Ad hominem
    2. Appeal to emotion
    3. Appeal to probability
    4. False equivalency
    5. Straw man
    6. Unwarranted assumption
    7. Correlation proves causation
    8. Appeal to fear
    9. Appeal to consequences
    10. Slippery slope
    11. False dilemma
    12. Argument from pathos

    Aren't those the same?
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    I would call CPS...

    Society has enough issues without that kind of passive-aggressive posturing.

    If you don't have the courage to say it directly to the parents, you have no business sending the authorities after them.

    I realize that laws may be different in other countries, but I work in a profession that has a legal "duty to report" suspected child welfare issues to those authorities.

    So I'm in the "call CPS" camp. There may well be other serious issues in that home.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    edited May 2015
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I would probably intervene if the child were up to 7th-8th grade. At that point i would acknowledge their own choices. I would be willing to assist them with making the right food choices, but if they are fat, get diabetes, and get picked on it's their own perogative at that point.


    Now if it's a child child (?) then i would absolutely intervene**. I would only do so by collective the offending item and replacing it with something else. For example, in the breakfast situation i would collect the redbull and cheetos and give them an apple and a milk. Or a banana and a yogurt. something to that effect.

    I would then send them home with the offending item and a handwritten note that they had received a healthier option instead. I would probably say something along the lines of... "XChild has had low energy lately" or "XChild seems to be having problems integrating and playing with the other students" or "XChild is having problems in PE/Recess" and it "may be because they didn't have a nutritious and healthy breakfast. So i bought them something that may be more beneficial to their studies/health".

    If the parents are ballsy enough to send the child to class with the items again i would write them a serious fat-hating/angry/shitlord letter.

    **Note: I would only intervene if the product was genuinely terrible for their health or completely lacking in any nutritional value. It'd have to be a meal of oreos, doritos/cheetos, and packaged donuts only for me to really step in. I dont presume to know their diet outside of school and i recognize that even in my own diet these things can be eaten in moderation. I wouldn't flip about one "bad" side or one "bad" portion. I'm saying if the entire meal was devoid of nutrition.

    Unless the child is your child, it's not your business.

    assuming it'd be my responsibility to discipline, teach, and shape the future of generations to come; i'd say it's my business.

    No. Your job is to teach. Taking away the child's food and passing judgment on his/her family's lifestyle is beyond the scope of your job description.

    I have to wonder though, when 2/3rds of society is overweight and the future generations are now the first that will NOT outlive their parents/ancestors when it WILL be time to step in and make it everyone's business.

    When young children are now having to deal with lifelong diabetes, heart problems, the whole slew of health issues caused by obesity, and are having to undergo life-threatening surgeries to shrink their stomaches when society will decide as a whole that this detached, disinterested, not-my-job, only care about myself and screw everyone else- mentality will have to end.

    If their POS parents can't care about their children's future or lives, it's time to step in and do it. If a parent is beating their child i'd report it. If a child is being sexually assulted by a parent i'd report it. And if a child's parent is literally ruining their life-long health, i'd do the same.

    Any teacher who calls a person a "POS parent" because his or her child is eating Doritos needs to take a big step back and remove him- or herself from the situation. Objectivity has long since flown out the window and the teacher is at risk of creating a greater problem. A bag of Doritos is not the same thing as a beating or sexual assault--that's just a ridiculously flawed argument that is so full of fallacies I don't know where to begin.

    I said.... and i quote "It'd have to be a meal of oreos, doritos/cheetos, and packaged donuts only for me to really step in. I dont presume to know their diet outside of school and i recognize that even in my own diet these things can be eaten in moderation. I wouldn't flip about one "bad" side or one "bad" portion. I'm saying if the entire meal was devoid of nutrition."

    And my first recourse would be providing the child with actual sustenance.

    If you think for a second that only proving *kitten* junk for your child to eat isn't abuse then.... well, i'm so sorry.

    It's not abuse. It doesn't come close to meeting the standards of abuse. Do you realize that in this paragraph alone, you have a dozen logical fallacies? I can't even begin to tell you how glad you're not teaching my grandchildren.

    "
    If their POS parents can't care about their children's future or lives, it's time to step in and do it. If a parent is beating their child i'd report it. If a child is being sexually assulted by a parent i'd report it. And if a child's parent is literally ruining their life-long health, i'd do the same. "

    1. Ad hominem
    2. Appeal to emotion
    3. Appeal to probability
    4. False equivalency
    5. Straw man
    6. Unwarranted assumption
    7. Correlation proves causation
    8. Appeal to fear
    9. Appeal to consequences
    10. Slippery slope
    11. False dilemma
    12. Argument from pathos

    Aren't those the same?

    Yes and no. The first is making the argument that the situation is true because Emotion. The second makes the claim that Something Must Be Done because Emotion. I'm just glad that Godwin's Law hasn't been applied yet.

    Edited to Add:

    Maybe we could call number 12 the "Sally Strothers fallacy" or the "Do it For the Children fallacy?" Even if you reject the last, 11 is still a pretty impressive list of fallacies in one small paragraph.
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
    edited May 2015

    What you can do is document, neglect, date, time, pictures, and when you have at least ten documented situations, maybe that merits an interview. Usually school social work will do intervention before CPS will lift a finger.

    The wrong food for lunch is nothing.
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
    A second grader drinking an energy drink??! Like red bull??!

    Yes.
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    How exactly would you "intervene"?
    Well, I could contact her mom and express my concern. But I haven't and don't intend to. I wanted to hear what other folks thought.

    Believe me, I wish the child had a better breakfast.
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
    Don't do it. And don't judge. At least this kid has food. She probably packs her own food, from what is in the home. I doubt anyone packs her lunch, or even pays much attention to her.

    Some kids just survive childhood.

    You hit the nail on the head. This little one is getting herself out the door in the morning -- her mom works nights and isn't up in the morning. She likes her breakfast the way it is and isn't on time for the school breakfast.

    So, I just welcome her to class and carry on. She does have lunch at school. And she's doing fine in class. :) She's a gem.

    I don't think it's the school's place to intervene on home nutrition. I just wondered what everyone thought since it's been in the news this week.
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
    I don't know about your state, but in NY you are required to report neglect. Giving a second grader an energy drink isn't just neglect, it probably falls under child endangerment as well. Energy drinks have been tied to several adolescent and teen deaths in the last 5 years.

    "NCANDS defines neglect as “a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so” (USDHHS, 2007). Neglect is usually typified by an ongoing pattern of inadequate care and is readily observed by individuals in close contact with the child. Physicians, nurses, day care personnel, relatives and neighbors are frequently the ones to suspect and report neglect in infants, toddlers and preschoolaged children. Once children are in school, school personnel often notice indicators of child neglect such as poor hygiene, poor weight gain, inadequate medical care or frequent absences from school."

    http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-neglect.html

    You're asking because your gut says you should say something. Teacher to teacher, go with your gut. Ignore the people who say your job is just to teach. They don't know the laws, and they don't have the training.

    The nurse and principal know. This little one is doing okay at school and we would not report this as endangerment.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    If the nurse and principal know, it is out of your hands. Good luck to the kid. I am glad to hear that she is doing fine in the class.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
    edited May 2015
    I don't know about your state, but in NY you are required to report neglect. Giving a second grader an energy drink isn't just neglect, it probably falls under child endangerment as well. Energy drinks have been tied to several adolescent and teen deaths in the last 5 years.

    "NCANDS defines neglect as “a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so” (USDHHS, 2007). Neglect is usually typified by an ongoing pattern of inadequate care and is readily observed by individuals in close contact with the child. Physicians, nurses, day care personnel, relatives and neighbors are frequently the ones to suspect and report neglect in infants, toddlers and preschoolaged children. Once children are in school, school personnel often notice indicators of child neglect such as poor hygiene, poor weight gain, inadequate medical care or frequent absences from school."

    http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-neglect.html

    You're asking because your gut says you should say something. Teacher to teacher, go with your gut. Ignore the people who say your job is just to teach. They don't know the laws, and they don't have the training.

    I find it interesting that most of the answers are avoiding that detail like the plague. Everyone is all about the Doritos, and nobody seems to be worried that Red Bull is in an 8 year old's hands.

    After consuming a single retail unit, 70% of the children and 40% of the teenagers who consumed caffeine were estimated to have exceeded the adverse-effect level of 3 mg/kg body weight per day beyond their baseline dietary exposure.

    The report concludes: On the basis of this review, we conclude that (1) energy drinks have no therapeutic benefit, and both the known and unknown pharmacology of various ingredients, combined with reports of toxicity, suggest that these drinks may put some children at risk for serious adverse health effects
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    JPW1990 wrote: »
    I don't know about your state, but in NY you are required to report neglect. Giving a second grader an energy drink isn't just neglect, it probably falls under child endangerment as well. Energy drinks have been tied to several adolescent and teen deaths in the last 5 years.

    "NCANDS defines neglect as “a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so” (USDHHS, 2007). Neglect is usually typified by an ongoing pattern of inadequate care and is readily observed by individuals in close contact with the child. Physicians, nurses, day care personnel, relatives and neighbors are frequently the ones to suspect and report neglect in infants, toddlers and preschoolaged children. Once children are in school, school personnel often notice indicators of child neglect such as poor hygiene, poor weight gain, inadequate medical care or frequent absences from school."

    http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-neglect.html

    You're asking because your gut says you should say something. Teacher to teacher, go with your gut. Ignore the people who say your job is just to teach. They don't know the laws, and they don't have the training.

    I find it interesting that most of the answers are avoiding that detail like the plague. Everyone is all about the Doritos, and nobody seems to be worried that Red Bull is in an 8 year old's hands.

    After consuming a single retail unit, 70% of the children and 40% of the teenagers who consumed caffeine were estimated to have exceeded the adverse-effect level of 3 mg/kg body weight per day beyond their baseline dietary exposure.

    The report concludes: On the basis of this review, we conclude that (1) energy drinks have no therapeutic benefit, and both the known and unknown pharmacology of various ingredients, combined with reports of toxicity, suggest that these drinks may put some children at risk for serious adverse health effects

    Still not your business.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    7elizamae wrote: »
    Don't do it. And don't judge. At least this kid has food. She probably packs her own food, from what is in the home. I doubt anyone packs her lunch, or even pays much attention to her.

    Some kids just survive childhood.

    You hit the nail on the head. This little one is getting herself out the door in the morning -- her mom works nights and isn't up in the morning. She likes her breakfast the way it is and isn't on time for the school breakfast.

    So, I just welcome her to class and carry on. She does have lunch at school. And she's doing fine in class. :) She's a gem.

    I don't think it's the school's place to intervene on home nutrition. I just wondered what everyone thought since it's been in the news this week.
    A quick note could be: If you're not aware, so and so has been having Doritos and Red Bull for breakfast. I just want to verify if this is okay with you.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    edited May 2015
    7elizamae wrote: »
    Don't do it. And don't judge. At least this kid has food. She probably packs her own food, from what is in the home. I doubt anyone packs her lunch, or even pays much attention to her.

    Some kids just survive childhood.

    You hit the nail on the head. This little one is getting herself out the door in the morning -- her mom works nights and isn't up in the morning. She likes her breakfast the way it is and isn't on time for the school breakfast.

    So, I just welcome her to class and carry on. She does have lunch at school. And she's doing fine in class. :) She's a gem.

    I don't think it's the school's place to intervene on home nutrition. I just wondered what everyone thought since it's been in the news this week.
    A quick note could be: If you're not aware, so and so has been having Doritos and Red Bull for breakfast. I just want to verify if this is okay with you.
    If answer is no, then it will be taken care of. If answer is yes, then it's taken care of.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • mfp2014mfp
    mfp2014mfp Posts: 689 Member
    God I hope this post was just to look at people's responses and not to actually look for advice. The only thing any teacher should do would be dictated by that particular schools rules and regulations. As for all the people freaking out about her food, for goodness sake get some perspective! Lots of lazy outrage here as per usual.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Personally I'd send a note first highlighting that she's doing well, is a gem, and mentioning your concern.

    I get notes from the teachers all the time (we have a system called "cahier de correspondance", in France) which is intended to keep channels open. Mostly I get notes about "talking in class", "late hw" when it happens. I have had an ongoing discussion about one daughter and her food pickiness. It's ok when it isn't set up as a conflict between parents and outsiders.

    Takes a village ....

    I'd rather have teachers engaged in children's welfare through open discussion with parents than curriculum-only or cps calling. IMHO, the role of public education isn't just teaching a skill base but part of a Social Contract.
  • bunsen_honeydew
    bunsen_honeydew Posts: 230 Member
    Is it causing behavioural problems ?
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    7elizamae wrote: »
    I have a student (2nd grader) who usually comes to school eating from a gigantic bag of Doritos and drinking a brightly colored energy drink. That's her breakfast. Sometimes she has Cheetos instead.

    I don't intervene. Would you?

    Nope, not your place.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
    JPW1990 wrote: »
    I don't know about your state, but in NY you are required to report neglect. Giving a second grader an energy drink isn't just neglect, it probably falls under child endangerment as well. Energy drinks have been tied to several adolescent and teen deaths in the last 5 years.

    "NCANDS defines neglect as “a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so” (USDHHS, 2007). Neglect is usually typified by an ongoing pattern of inadequate care and is readily observed by individuals in close contact with the child. Physicians, nurses, day care personnel, relatives and neighbors are frequently the ones to suspect and report neglect in infants, toddlers and preschoolaged children. Once children are in school, school personnel often notice indicators of child neglect such as poor hygiene, poor weight gain, inadequate medical care or frequent absences from school."

    http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-neglect.html

    You're asking because your gut says you should say something. Teacher to teacher, go with your gut. Ignore the people who say your job is just to teach. They don't know the laws, and they don't have the training.

    I find it interesting that most of the answers are avoiding that detail like the plague. Everyone is all about the Doritos, and nobody seems to be worried that Red Bull is in an 8 year old's hands.

    After consuming a single retail unit, 70% of the children and 40% of the teenagers who consumed caffeine were estimated to have exceeded the adverse-effect level of 3 mg/kg body weight per day beyond their baseline dietary exposure.

    The report concludes: On the basis of this review, we conclude that (1) energy drinks have no therapeutic benefit, and both the known and unknown pharmacology of various ingredients, combined with reports of toxicity, suggest that these drinks may put some children at risk for serious adverse health effects

    Still not your business.

    A teacher has a different legal level of responsibility than a random stranger.
  • kramrn77
    kramrn77 Posts: 375 Member
    Yes, teachers are mandatory reporters. However, Doritos isn't exactly abuse. And it isn't the teacher's job to raise someone else's kids. Nor do you really know what's going on in the kid's family or home. So if you don't want her to have energy drinks, ask the school to make a policy. And if you want the government to stop subsidizing junk food and make healthy food affordable, stop voting for people who are making the policies. Hell, more acutely, START voting! Either way, it isn't appropriate to interfere with the child just because you are holier then thou. CPS is massively underfunded and overworked. I've worked with both CPS and APS extensively in my years as a nurse and they don't have time to be running down a mother because of Doritos for breakfast.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I would probably intervene if the child were up to 7th-8th grade. At that point i would acknowledge their own choices. I would be willing to assist them with making the right food choices, but if they are fat, get diabetes, and get picked on it's their own perogative at that point.


    Now if it's a child child (?) then i would absolutely intervene**. I would only do so by collective the offending item and replacing it with something else. For example, in the breakfast situation i would collect the redbull and cheetos and give them an apple and a milk. Or a banana and a yogurt. something to that effect.

    I would then send them home with the offending item and a handwritten note that they had received a healthier option instead. I would probably say something along the lines of... "XChild has had low energy lately" or "XChild seems to be having problems integrating and playing with the other students" or "XChild is having problems in PE/Recess" and it "may be because they didn't have a nutritious and healthy breakfast. So i bought them something that may be more beneficial to their studies/health".

    If the parents are ballsy enough to send the child to class with the items again i would write them a serious fat-hating/angry/shitlord letter.

    **Note: I would only intervene if the product was genuinely terrible for their health or completely lacking in any nutritional value. It'd have to be a meal of oreos, doritos/cheetos, and packaged donuts only for me to really step in. I dont presume to know their diet outside of school and i recognize that even in my own diet these things can be eaten in moderation. I wouldn't flip about one "bad" side or one "bad" portion. I'm saying if the entire meal was devoid of nutrition.

    Wouldn't you get sued and fired for that nowadays? Not sure if you can do much but try to educate the class as a whole on eating healthier.

    I don't know. I personally think we are way too damn sensitive on the subject regarding weight. If you are abusing your child (I.E. not proving them with sustenance) i'd find it my moral obligation to do so.

    I guess it's a great thing i'm not a teacher though. Because the one thing i can't stand is a fat-f%%% parent who is pushing that lifestyle/deathstyle onto their children.


    I've read a lot of awful viewpoints on MFP-but this one is the worst. It really is a good thing you're not a teacher-Jeez.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    JPW1990 wrote: »
    JPW1990 wrote: »
    I don't know about your state, but in NY you are required to report neglect. Giving a second grader an energy drink isn't just neglect, it probably falls under child endangerment as well. Energy drinks have been tied to several adolescent and teen deaths in the last 5 years.

    "NCANDS defines neglect as “a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so” (USDHHS, 2007). Neglect is usually typified by an ongoing pattern of inadequate care and is readily observed by individuals in close contact with the child. Physicians, nurses, day care personnel, relatives and neighbors are frequently the ones to suspect and report neglect in infants, toddlers and preschoolaged children. Once children are in school, school personnel often notice indicators of child neglect such as poor hygiene, poor weight gain, inadequate medical care or frequent absences from school."

    http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-neglect.html

    You're asking because your gut says you should say something. Teacher to teacher, go with your gut. Ignore the people who say your job is just to teach. They don't know the laws, and they don't have the training.

    I find it interesting that most of the answers are avoiding that detail like the plague. Everyone is all about the Doritos, and nobody seems to be worried that Red Bull is in an 8 year old's hands.

    After consuming a single retail unit, 70% of the children and 40% of the teenagers who consumed caffeine were estimated to have exceeded the adverse-effect level of 3 mg/kg body weight per day beyond their baseline dietary exposure.

    The report concludes: On the basis of this review, we conclude that (1) energy drinks have no therapeutic benefit, and both the known and unknown pharmacology of various ingredients, combined with reports of toxicity, suggest that these drinks may put some children at risk for serious adverse health effects

    Still not your business.

    A teacher has a different legal level of responsibility than a random stranger.

    I will grant you that. But the child is not being abused or neglected, apparently, or being treated in such a way that would cause her immediate harm. There are probably plenty of children who actually have a need for teacher intervention in their lives. Passing judgment on what the child is eating for breakfast and intervening in that consumption goes beyond the scope of that responsibility. At least the child is coming to school and is eating. There are a lot of children who don't even manage those two things.

  • kristydi
    kristydi Posts: 781 Member
    edited May 2015
    I was a teacher when energy drinks like red bull and monster first started getting popular. There started to be an trend of kids, elementary and middle school, bringing them for lunch and breakfast. The school sent home a note politely telling parents we preferred they not send these drinks to school and explaining why (it was a school for kids with learning disabilities and many had attention issues anyway and the drinks were not helping) and providing suggestions for alternatives.

    Many parents stopped sending them, some didn't.

  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    edited May 2015
    As a parent and a former childcare provider, I like @ninerbuff's idea to send a quick note that says, "If you're not aware, Kid is having chips and Red Bull every morning for breakfast. I know you're a busy family with an unusual schedule and I just wanted to be sure this was okay with you." Then leave it alone.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited May 2015
    avskk wrote: »
    As a parent and a former childcare provider, I like @ninerbuff's idea to send a quick note that says, "If you're not aware, Kid is having chips and Red Bull every morning for breakfast. I know you're a busy family with an unusual schedule and I just wanted to be sure this was okay with you." Then leave it alone.

    Thing is-if a teacher decides to do this without first running it by the school admin then it could become a big mess. Just look what happened with the whole Oreo thing last week. I doubt that teacher will still have a job after it's all sorted out. Teachers can't just decide to impose their ideas of what's 'good' or 'bad' and try to enforce them on a kid/parent, if there's no school policy in place to support their stance. There's steps that need to be followed, and the first step would be for the OP/teacher to talk to her boss.
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