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If you're concerned that the nutritional intake of your students is affecting their academic performance, classroom behavior, or overall health, I think that would be an appropriate thing to discuss individually and privately with their parents.
Is there a PTA? Can you reach out to them to share information about child nutrition?
I have my doubts about posting photos of their lunches on a semi-public forum, presumably without parental permission, even though no child is identifiable. Is the point to do something to cause change with your students specifically, educate people here that they shouldn't give their children lunches like this, amplify outrage about parents these days, or what?
Oh, I'm sure there is enough of the child's face and her distinctive shirt to make her identifiable by people who know her well.10 -
It makes me sad that children live on food like this.
It's poison.4 -
So sad that kids are being started in these habits so young. My school lunches were not perfect, but were much, much better than these. When I think of my struggles to maintain healthy habits as an adult, I can only imagine how much harder it would be if I was starting from habits like this.5
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Walkywalkerson wrote: »It makes me sad that children live on food like this.
It's poison.
Whilst the foods shown in the photos are not the most nutritious options - calling them poison is just silly hyperbole.26 -
I don't know if someone has pointed this out yet, but part of the proliferation of vending machines in schools was an attempt to address funding issues. Schools actually get to keep part of the money made from the vending machines so it's understandable that some schools would think about the programs that could benefit from additional funding and make the decision to install them.
I don't have kids, but I'm more concerned about the possibility of a teacher taking pictures of children and posting them online to "spur debate" or collect opinions on how their parents are doing than I am about a kid having some Kool Aid with their lunch. It doesn't seem respectful. I ask permission before posting a picture of my own nieces and nephews. I know the face wasn't included, but there's enough there that a family member could potentially identify their own child and know that the teacher was discussing them online.20 -
There's some drama in this thread, it seems like, from folks worried about the health future of these children. While that concern may be merited as a generality, I think it's more an issue of all-ages eating patterns across the population, not just kids' lunches.
Observation: I was an only child; my mom let me eat ice cream or Totino's pizza rolls for breakfast, if that's what I really wanted. I didn't always want those, my overall eating was pretty balanced and nutritious, and I'm a nutrition-conscious vegetarian these days. (Been veg for 47+ years . . . .) I'm pretty healthy now, at the advanced-ish age of 65, so the consequences of those breakfasts were minor, I'd say.
These are not necessarily optimal eating choices, but the ones pictured aren't what I'd consider to be inexpensive, so I suspect we're not looking at underprivileged children, and who knows what they eat the rest of the day?
Around here, some of us are inclined to the "there aren't bad individual foods, only overall bad ways of eating". I grant that a meal is a bigger slice than a single food, but still: We're not seeing the whole iceberg. Are you, OP?
P.S. In my childhood, the lunches kids brought were IIRC fairly reasonable, the classic sandwich, apple, maybe a small treat (cookie, say), some carrot sticks - that sort of thing. Most kids wanted to have a "normal lunch", i.e., similar to what other kids were eating.
The food in the school cafeteria was really pretty awful. As I've said here on MFP before, multiple times a week the entree would be *gravy* . . . beef gravy, hamburger gravy, pork gravy, chicken gravy, turkey gravy, etc. It was a generous ladle of gravy that I'd say was made with broth or bouillon and perhaps water (didn't look like milk in there), and a pitifully small number of shreds/crumbles of meat (maybe a quarter of a cup, if you'd packed the meat in a measuring cup?), on top of a large heap of instant mashed potatoes. That was in the large section of one of those three-section plates. In the small sections would be something like a small portion of canned veg (quarter cup or less) such as canned beans or corn or peas, similar amount of iceberg lettuce shreds with vinaigrette and sometimes multi-colored mini-marshmallows (?), maybe a roll or slice of bread. Milk in the tiny cartons on the side (I can't remember if the milk was extra cost.) AFAIK, the portion sizes were the same from elementary through high school - for sure one cafeteria served all the grades, but on staggered schedule. I'm mostly remembering portion sizes from high school, I think.
Maybe that explains the terrible conditions in the world today, that boomers in my neck of the woods had that nonsense for lunch. 🤷♀️ I'm not certain lunchables are materially worse.
My parents were school children in the 1920s (b. 1912, 1917). I don't know as much detail about my mom's daily childhood life, but my dad's family were subsistence farmers, poor ones, with 9 kids. By the end of Winter, he was sometimes going to school with a tin peanut butter pail with cooked dry beans in it, and that's all. There was no "school lunch". Other than among the well-off, I don't think there was some past paradise where most kids got balanced, nutritious meals, or if there was, it didn't last long. Humans are adaptive omnivores; we've survived so far.13 -
TakeTheLongWayHome wrote: »I have a 11year old and I can’t get him to be in the same room with vegetables. He just won’t eat them, and it’s not for a lack of trying.
None of my own kids ever ate vegetables willingly either. And I did an enormous amount of trying to hide them among other ideas. Thankfully they all eat lots of different foods now(probably more than me).paperpudding wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »It makes me sad that children live on food like this.
It's poison.
Ok, while technically not poison, it can act like poison to some children, making them hyperactive, prone to diabetes and heart disease at earlier ages, etc., etc.. I think one of the worst side affects though is I feel that's what they'll end up wanting or craving. I grew up during the Koolaid and Devil Dog era.
And even today, if I could have my way, I'd eat nothing but junk all the time.
Whilst the foods shown in the photos are not the most nutritious options - calling them poison is just silly hyperbole.
I've seen my share of 'you sent *THAT* in your child's lunchbox??' choices. It's really hard to keep your mouth shut when growing children are living on Pepperoni, potato chips and chocolate milk. Not only food choices make me SMH but when children get home from their day at school, they'll spend hours tuning into screens and tuning out of interaction or physical activity.
When I operated an in home daycare, we'd spend as much time as possible outside. What we fed them was determined by what the state told us if we wanted to be on the food program. It's a multiple set of needs to help keep children healthy. Nothing more than the basics as for all of us....sleep, healthy food and exercise.
But so many times tired, stressed out over-worked parents will do what's easy and quick.
3 -
I was a child of the 1980s and went to school in a small town with a strong German and Czech ancestry. The lunch ladies made lunches homemade virtually every day - homemade gravies, yeast rolls, cobbler, fresh vegetables, etc. I remember in high school a few of our lunch ladies grilled the burgers outside on a grill! As these ladies got older and retired, there were fewer and fewer cafeteria workers that cared about the food as those sweet lunch ladies. My junior and senior year of high school, I either brought my lunch every day or ate a large salad or stuffed baked potato from the snack bar. We all missed those homemade lunches ...
I think I raised my two boys (now 19 and 22) to be food snobs of a sort. They actually like grocery shopping and preparing food! They read food labels and do the tsk, tsk when they see something like hydrogenated anything, etc. While my youngest is not the best veggie and fruit eater, my oldest is adventurous. I can count on him to at least try new things.3 -
absolutely shocking
when did they bring back dunkaroos!6 -
more_oomph wrote: »absolutely shocking
when did they bring back dunkaroos!
I am not sure they ever went away.
That said? I am half tempted to purchase this stylish bag.
https://shop.dunkaroos.com/collections/merch/products/belt-bag4 -
I worked in food services at our school district (300 schools). We had a central kitchen/warehouse and nutritionists on staff. Before I retired they had already gotten all students on the free breakfast, regardless of income. They were working on getting all students on free lunches (free being paid for by the state). I rarely saw any kids bringing their own lunches.
The 2 meals, and snacks, provided by the school were all the food many of the students had all day. During the summer we also ran feeding programs at the local rec centers. We provided nutritious well balanced meals.
But those pics appear to be lunch from home. If that is what the parents are sending - it is none of my concern. I do not know their situation and certainly do not have enough information (or the inclination) to judge.15 -
These are typical lunches I see on my students consume everyday.
Curious if you are concerned or not at all?
Yes, I'm concerned.
If this is a photo of an actual student in your classroom or school and you posted it here without their guardian's consent you're likely breaching student confidentiality and violating their privacy ("redacting" some info/cropping out most of their face doesn't change that you took a photo of them and their belongings seemingly with the intent to share it online).
There are proper channels to go through if you are worried about abuse, neglect, malnourishment, etc. of students in your classroom or school community. Taking specific examples with images to social media to vent or seek validation would be inappropriate and unethical.
Its frustrating to see parents repetitively make poor food choices for their children. But none us here know or are in a place to know how repetitive this behavior is, what the child eats at home, if they routinely share those large quantity of snack items with classmates, how active this child is overall, what their parents budget and work hours look like, etc.16 -
These are typical lunches I see on my students consume everyday.
Curious if you are concerned or not at all?
Yes, I'm concerned.
If this is a photo of an actual student in your classroom or school and you posted it here without their guardian's consent you're likely breaching student confidentiality and violating their privacy ("redacting" some info/cropping out most of their face doesn't change that you took a photo of them and their belongings seemingly with the intent to share it online).
There are proper channels to go through if you are worried about abuse, neglect, malnourishment, etc. of students in your classroom or school community. Taking specific examples with images to social media to vent or seek validation would be inappropriate and unethical.
Its frustrating to see parents repetitively make poor food choices for their children. But none us here know or are in a place to know how repetitive this behavior is, what the child eats at home, if they routinely share those large quantity of snack items with classmates, how active this child is overall, what their parents budget and work hours look like, etc.
Thank you! I got disagrees when I and some others posted similar thoughts about posting pictures of students on a semi-public forum, which boggles my mind. I can pretty much guarantee that if the person who posted this is their teacher and his/her school found out, he/she would be reprimanded by administration in some way.11 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »
I have done years of child care. And gone through actual child abuse cases. Involving the stuff of nightmares.
Yes. This diet, if it is daily fare, is sub-optimal.
No. It is not even close to abusive.
22 -
The more I look at that pic, the more I think it's about product placement.
What happened to the op? It's not like she's a hit and run poster.7 -
I have no idea what they are eating the rest of the day, so I have no business evaluating their lunch choices.
I have no idea about the larger family situation/dynamic, so I have no business judging their food choices.
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »
I have done years of child care. And gone through actual child abuse cases. Involving the stuff of nightmares.
Yes. This diet, if it is daily fare, is sub-optimal.
No. It is not even close to abusive.
My wife has a long career in education so I am familiar with the "official" definition of child abuse.
Of course there isn't immediate physical/psychological damage from eating this stuff occasionally.
If a habit, this will most likely lead to a lifetime of obesity and poor health, i.e., long term impact.
I was with you until you chose the words "most likely"...8 -
You know, I'm a very easygoing guy, even to a fault.
But if I found out that a school staff member had done the following:
- Posted a photo of one of my children on an internet discussion forum
- Without my permission
- Even with said child's face excluded
- With the express purpose of shaming me for how I feed my child
I would be livid, and would be demanding to meet with the principal and potentially the school board.22 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »
I have done years of child care. And gone through actual child abuse cases. Involving the stuff of nightmares.
Yes. This diet, if it is daily fare, is sub-optimal.
No. It is not even close to abusive.
My wife has a long career in education so I am familiar with the "official" definition of child abuse.
Of course there isn't immediate physical/psychological damage from eating this stuff occasionally.
If a habit, this will most likely lead to a lifetime of obesity and poor health, i.e., long term impact.
And of course online posting of a child's photo for the purpose of shaming them and their family will "most likely" have no negative impact at all?7 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »
I have done years of child care. And gone through actual child abuse cases. Involving the stuff of nightmares.
Yes. This diet, if it is daily fare, is sub-optimal.
No. It is not even close to abusive.
My wife has a long career in education so I am familiar with the "official" definition of child abuse.
Of course there isn't immediate physical/psychological damage from eating this stuff occasionally.
If a habit, this will most likely lead to a lifetime of obesity and poor health, i.e., long term impact.
If one doesn't like the term child abuse for this substitute child neglect.
If leaving your infant in their car seat all weekend and not changing their diaper - resulting in a combination diaper rash and bedsore - (from one of the actual cases I testified in) doesn’t constitute neglect, then feeding your child a hot dog and some sugary yoghurt definitely doesn’t.
(the parents did lose custody a year later, after even worse…)9 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »
I have done years of child care. And gone through actual child abuse cases. Involving the stuff of nightmares.
Yes. This diet, if it is daily fare, is sub-optimal.
No. It is not even close to abusive.
My wife has a long career in education so I am familiar with the "official" definition of child abuse.
Of course there isn't immediate physical/psychological damage from eating this stuff occasionally.
If a habit, this will most likely lead to a lifetime of obesity and poor health, i.e., long term impact.
If one doesn't like the term child abuse for this substitute child neglect.
If leaving your infant in their car seat all weekend and not changing their diaper - resulting in a combination diaper rash and bedsore - (from one of the actual cases I testified in) doesn’t constitute neglect, then feeding your child a hot dog and some sugary yoghurt definitely doesn’t.
(the parents did lose custody a year later, after even worse…)
Don't really give a *kitten* what the court calls neglect. Feeding a child that crap on a regular basis is neglect in my book and the book of anyone that has any common sense.
::shrug::
Personal opinion that this food is unhealthy doesn’t make it neglect.
As has been pointed out here already:
1) We don’t know what these children eat at home.
2) Posting this picture without parental permission is a big problem.
3) It’s food. And enough of it.
4) Shaming parents who are very likely doing their best under very difficult circumstances is really not OK.
13 -
I ate like that as a child. My kids eat school lunch like that now. Most kids move enough that eating like that isn't a problem.
If you're really sitting here judging other parents that you don't know for how they feed their children that you also don't know, you need a new hobby. If you take and post a picture of one of my children in this manner then your prime concern just became me.
19 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »
I have done years of child care. And gone through actual child abuse cases. Involving the stuff of nightmares.
Yes. This diet, if it is daily fare, is sub-optimal.
No. It is not even close to abusive.
My wife has a long career in education so I am familiar with the "official" definition of child abuse.
Of course there isn't immediate physical/psychological damage from eating this stuff occasionally.
If a habit, this will most likely lead to a lifetime of obesity and poor health, i.e., long term impact.
If one doesn't like the term child abuse for this substitute child neglect.
If leaving your infant in their car seat all weekend and not changing their diaper - resulting in a combination diaper rash and bedsore - (from one of the actual cases I testified in) doesn’t constitute neglect, then feeding your child a hot dog and some sugary yoghurt definitely doesn’t.
(the parents did lose custody a year later, after even worse…)
Don't really give a *kitten* what the court calls neglect. Feeding a child that crap on a regular basis is neglect in my book and the book of anyone that has any common sense.
::shrug::
Personal opinion that this food is unhealthy doesn’t make it neglect.
As has been pointed out here already:
1) We don’t know what these children eat at home.
2) Posting this picture without parental permission is a big problem.
3) It’s food. And enough of it.
4) Shaming parents who are very likely doing their best under very difficult circumstances is really not OK.
Check what the CDC and USDA has to say about this type of food on a regular basis.
The scientists working for those organizations are smarter than anyone posting on here about nutrition. No knock to anyone on here, just fact.
But nobody claimed it was the best nutritious choice. You don't need to appeal to the authority of any organisation for that.
Not optimal nutrition, sure - and even then, depending what else is in the child's diet elsewhere
Do they say it is child abuse??
I doubt it.
6 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »
I have done years of child care. And gone through actual child abuse cases. Involving the stuff of nightmares.
Yes. This diet, if it is daily fare, is sub-optimal.
No. It is not even close to abusive.
My wife has a long career in education so I am familiar with the "official" definition of child abuse.
Of course there isn't immediate physical/psychological damage from eating this stuff occasionally.
If a habit, this will most likely lead to a lifetime of obesity and poor health, i.e., long term impact.
If one doesn't like the term child abuse for this substitute child neglect.
If leaving your infant in their car seat all weekend and not changing their diaper - resulting in a combination diaper rash and bedsore - (from one of the actual cases I testified in) doesn’t constitute neglect, then feeding your child a hot dog and some sugary yoghurt definitely doesn’t.
(the parents did lose custody a year later, after even worse…)
Don't really give a *kitten* what the court calls neglect. Feeding a child that crap on a regular basis is neglect in my book and the book of anyone that has any common sense.
::shrug::
Personal opinion that this food is unhealthy doesn’t make it neglect.
As has been pointed out here already:
1) We don’t know what these children eat at home.
2) Posting this picture without parental permission is a big problem.
3) It’s food. And enough of it.
4) Shaming parents who are very likely doing their best under very difficult circumstances is really not OK.
Check what the CDC and USDA has to say about this type of food on a regular basis.
The scientists working for those organizations are smarter than anyone posting on here about nutrition. No knock to anyone on here, just fact.
At no point has anyone here said this was a perfect nutritious lunch.
What I am saying is is that it is neither abusive, nor neglectful.
10 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »
I have done years of child care. And gone through actual child abuse cases. Involving the stuff of nightmares.
Yes. This diet, if it is daily fare, is sub-optimal.
No. It is not even close to abusive.
My wife has a long career in education so I am familiar with the "official" definition of child abuse.
Of course there isn't immediate physical/psychological damage from eating this stuff occasionally.
If a habit, this will most likely lead to a lifetime of obesity and poor health, i.e., long term impact.
If one doesn't like the term child abuse for this substitute child neglect.
OK, but what else do you consider neglect? How about parents who are attached their screens most of the time or give their kids tablets and phones to "play on" for a very young age unsupervised, provide inconsistent or too-harsh discipline (or too lenient), and/or give inconsistent affection and discipline? Those things also can have an impact on a child's development and mental health.4 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »MargaretYakoda wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »
I have done years of child care. And gone through actual child abuse cases. Involving the stuff of nightmares.
Yes. This diet, if it is daily fare, is sub-optimal.
No. It is not even close to abusive.
My wife has a long career in education so I am familiar with the "official" definition of child abuse.
Of course there isn't immediate physical/psychological damage from eating this stuff occasionally.
If a habit, this will most likely lead to a lifetime of obesity and poor health, i.e., long term impact.
If one doesn't like the term child abuse for this substitute child neglect.
If leaving your infant in their car seat all weekend and not changing their diaper - resulting in a combination diaper rash and bedsore - (from one of the actual cases I testified in) doesn’t constitute neglect, then feeding your child a hot dog and some sugary yoghurt definitely doesn’t.
(the parents did lose custody a year later, after even worse…)
Don't really give a *kitten* what the court calls neglect. Feeding a child that crap on a regular basis is neglect in my book and the book of anyone that has any common sense.
Didn't realize your book was scientific-backed research valid in a heath and fitness debate forum. How do I get my book validated?11 -
Strictly speaking, if the OP is an employee, contractor or agent of the school, posting the photo of the student (if identifiable) is probably technically a FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a.k.a. Buckley Act) violation, though I doubt whether it would be taken very seriously by a court.
This is an oversimplification, but basically any personally identifiable educational record held by the school or its employees (etc.), including photos, is privacy protected, cannot be released without parental permission (or permission of the student if of age) except for directory information (which needs to be specifically and formally defined by the school) and personal notes of an individual (such as teacher or administrator) that are shared with no one else. I doubt that the school has formally defined "photo of student with their nutrient-poor lunch" as directory information. Clearly, this has been shared with others, so doesn't fall under the personal notes exemption.
Next time (heh), I'd suggest leaving out any parts of any kiddo in such a photo. . . not because of legal sanctions, but because there's no reason to include kid parts, and including them is at least mildly icky. JMO - or mine and a few others' - though. I admit I spent decades in an educational institution (university) that took FERPA quite seriously as an ethical standard even beyond legal risk, so I may be biased.
https://nces.ed.gov/pubs97/web/97859.asp
To call a photo of some lunches an example of "abuse" or "neglect" with no further information or context than given? Please.
12 -
Hi all
Wowza...I actually forgot about this post! And just so you know, these aren't my own pictures. When I saw them, they sure reminded me of what my own students bring to school each day.
I posted these to hear various view points regarding these items - so many view points. All very interesting for sure!5 -
They are somebody's pictures though and the child is somebody's child.
And you were still the one who posted them.
Not sure why we needed photos at all, really.
9 -
paperpudding wrote: »They are somebody's pictures though and the child is somebody's child.
And you were still the one who posted them.
Not sure why we needed photos at all, really.
You are absolutely right - My bad...shouldn't have posted pics including a child.8
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