Diet Peach Snapple and chocolate IS a good breakfast, right? As I was sipping and nibbling my chocolate and Snapple this morning, I thought of all the changes happening in the school lunch programs. And I wondered if my mother would have been chastized by the powers that be had she sent me to school with Diet Peach Snapple and chocolate in my lunch? Would the gestapo have called her into the principal's office and lectured her on proper and nutritious lunches? I think not. Back then parents were allowed to be the parents.
The other day I read about a high school in Utah that was fined $17,000 by the feds (yes, the federal government). Wanna know why? Because they forgot to turn off their soda machines during the students' lunch periods. Yes. You read right. The soda machine. So, because the machines were left on during the lunch periods, students dropped their dollar into the machine and bought soda. And for that . . . $17,000 fine (which probably goes right into the fed's party coffer). The soda machines are allowed to be on all day long - - except the lunch hour. I don't know about you, but that doesn't make much sense to me. Students can buy soda in the morning and in the afternoon, after lunch. But not at lunch. Now, if a student were smart (and I think a lot of them are), they would just buy a soda in the morning and save it for lunch. Because they're not forbidden to DRINK soda at lunch, just forbidden to BUY soda at lunch. Stupid stupid stupid.
I am so glad that my husband and I were able to parent our children without interference . . . without being told what to feed them, how to discipline them, how to raise them. Honestly, people, it DOES NOT TAKE A VILLAGE . . . just one or two loving parents.
Yep...daughter got ragged out after school for sending a small pack of potato chips with her son for lunch. The kid is such a picky eater she figured as long as it was something he would put in his mouth it would be a bonus. Teacher took it away from him and gave him an apple which he promptly threw in the trash and then went hungry. You are correct...the right to be a parent has been taken away.
ReplyDeleteI feel kind of bad for the teachers - - they are put in a food policing role that I'm sure most of them don't want.
Deleteamen and AMEN!!!
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for the schools all around. They have had so many budget cuts for all kinds of reasons. They get paid money to have soda machines in the buildings by the soda companies. Soda isn't the best thing to drink and I can see a concern selling it any time during the day, but revenue is revenue.
ReplyDeleteI'd get hauled in by the food cops for sure, if there are any around here. My son will ONLY drink lemon lime soda or sugar free grape koolaid. I send the koolaid in his lunch. So far so good.
Alright, well, if you get arrested by the food police, Tammy, I'll come bail you out!
DeleteThat's ridiculous! I dread having to deal with this kind of stuff when my son starts school next year. Gah!
ReplyDeleteDana, you will have a terrific time when your son starts school! Seriously, it is so much fun, and hopefully the fun and good times will far outweigh all the crummy stuff :)
DeleteWow, that makes no sense to me at all! But, I have to admit, unfortunately, that I was one of those students who used to get sodas out of the machine during classes and snuck them into the classes where I could get away with it. Bad, Nain, bad! Won't be teaching my daughter that habit! I'm such a rule breaker :-)
ReplyDeleteNain, I tell my children all the time to just take the "good" they learned from me and try to forgive me for the "bad." haha!
DeleteOh my goodness! I wonde if there was any chance the district could've found a better use for that money....so, so very disturbing!
ReplyDeleteThey have soda machines in schools now? No wonder the kids are getting fat. We had 3 options: Water fountain, regular milk, chocolate milk. In the winter, before classes started the cafeteria made hot chocolate available. Possibly tea.
ReplyDeleteSoda probably is one of many factors in the obesity problem :)
DeleteI totally think it DOES take a village, a village of kind and loving individuals chosen by parents to be included in my kids' lives--it just doesn't take a GOVERNMENT! Sheesh! That's ridiculous! By the way, you and Blake and the kids are in our village...:)
ReplyDeleteNo, not a village to raise my children - maybe some good role models and good friends. But not to raise them - just to influence them - there's a difference in my mind :). But you and Shilloh have def been great influences!!
DeleteI'm so glad I decided not to have children. I wouldn't be able to handle the craziness of the school systems. Down here, they are trying to pass uniforms in public school...PUBLIC school!!!
ReplyDeleteDo they want little swastikas sewn on the sleeves?
DeleteAmen Sistah!! We have 6 kids and all of them have turned out beautifully under our guidance :)
ReplyDeleteLet's Dance!!!
Love,
LuLu~*xoxo
Ridiculous fine indeed!! And you are right, the kids could have purchased it any other time of the day and saved it for lunch. Makes no sense at all. And now "good" money that could have been used for teaching supplies, teacher's salary, etc is going to that stupid fine.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad my kids are out of the school system.
betty
Me too - although one day my children will have children.
DeleteThey can't sell pop at the schools here anymore. Powerade and water is it. But, the kids can take pop. I send lunch with my daughter and they don't care what it is since she brought it. I don't send pop, but I could. With all the crap that goes into school lunches anymore, it's pretty sad the government worries about soda pop.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather they focus on the economy and unemployment than Pepsi :)
ReplyDeleteI, of course, disagree .. it does take a village .. that village includes you, your extended family, friends, clergy, librarians, teachers ... everyone your child comes in contact with - hopefully - has a positive influence on your child's growth. I see no point in turning off soda machines and I wonder how this is a FEDERAL mandate vs a local one .. nevertheless soda is a huge factor in childhood obesity. Yes a kid can buy a soda before lunch and save it to have with lunch .. I would get the machines removed completely .. juice, water, milk are all a lot healthier.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shocker, Daryl - we disagree :) Absolutely my children have been influenced by a ton of people - but put me on a desert island (and, believe me, I have practically lived on one), my husband and I are solely responsible to raise our children to be the best they can be. Nobody else's responsibility, or obligation, or privilege. Love you!!!
Deletehum lots and lots of FOOD (!) for thought..
ReplyDeleteI have read that some countries plans tan extra tax on anything containing sugar !
i agree that it is the parents responsibility AND privilege to raise their kids!
i know many parents who can't sleep from worrying how to keep the kids away from candy and from soda machines.. they would probably welcome interference from the higher echelons ...
the discussion of what the state, the federal, the world is responsible for is another one..
we should organize a bloggers panel, Judy !
great job to put your the topic and your thoughts out there !
anni
Amen. The Village needs to get out of the way.
ReplyDeleteI understand what the government and schools think they are doing, but come on. At some point we have to trust that parents are teaching their kids how to make good decisions on their own. I know that's a hard one, and unfortunately there's often evidence that parents aren't doing a great job, but if we don't let kids make these sort of decisions when they are in school, how are they going to learn to make the bigger ones outside of school.
ReplyDelete