Cocoa Puffs?!?!
Warning, this will be a long, (and perhaps over-protective) parenting rant.
Today I dropped our little one off at her pre-school and she sat down for breakfast with a cup of the organic milk we bring in (needed a doctor's note to allow this) and what is she served with it? A banana (great!) and a handful of cocoa puffs! I couldn't believe it! I am still upset.
So, I marched down to the front desk, where the Director was talking on the phone and once she was done I made my complaint that I didn't think cocoa puffs (or any chocolate or artificial-colored food) was an appropriate breakfast offering for kids. She looked surprised and told me that the nutritionist approved it and no other parent ever complained. I explained that when I saw "cereal" on the menu, I assumed it would be a healthy choice like cheerios or corn flakes. She then told me that the only three cereals they ever offer are cocoa puffs, fruit loops and frosted flakes. What?!?! They feed these to my kid and she is not even 2! She never gets such things at home. I think it is outrageous that they think these are healthy choices. And I cannot believe that a school would stuff kids full of sugar and artificial color and flavor first thing in the morning -- not a great way to create a calm learning and playing environment for the kids and teachers.
I continued to complain that these are bad choices and I was told they tried other cereals, like cheerios, but the kids wouldn't eat them because they all get sugary cereal at home. First, really? I know a couple of the other moms and I cannot imagine that they give their kids this crap at home. Second, these are little kids, if you only offer them good options they will eventually get hungry and eat the good options. Third, as my loving and supportive husband pointed out, even if it is what the kids want it isn't what they need. Surely if schools are serving this 40% sugar stuff to little ones for breakfast a couple times each week (and they have a taste for it already) they are more likely to grow up to be obese and diabetic. Aren't we supposed to be doing better than this for our kids?
My outrage may be over-blown, but I don't like feeling out of control about my kid. At this age we as parents should still decide what she eats and try to teach her good choices, so when the school we entrust her to for hours each day is making choices that I vehemently disagree with, I am just floored. Our little one likes to go to school. She likes the teachers and the other kids and knows all their names and recognizes the parents, too ("so-and-so's Mommy"), so I hate to upset her life, but we are considering moving her to a different school. There is a pre-school that I have only heard great things about that starts taking kids at 2 and I put her on the waiting list today and we are going to schedule a tour of the place next week.
It may seem like over-reacting to switch schools over cocoa puffs, but this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. To be fair, they have said that we can opt to not have the cold cereal served to our little one, to which I immediately said yes please sign us up for the option. However, I think this shows the school's values are messed up and we have some other concerns.
BTW, when I called the other pre-school to ask about a tour, I also asked what cold cereals they serve for breakfast and they said rice chex, corn chex and cheerios, but that sometimes they may give the kids honeycomb as an afternoon snack. That just seems far more reasonable to me.
Anyway, I feel like an irresponsible parent for not insisting that I be better informed about what my kid has been eating for the last eight months. On the bright side, until the last couple weeks, she hasn't been going in early enough to get breakfast more than a couple times a week and when I have had a chance to see the breakfasts they have usually been bagels or waffles or english muffins.
I just can't believe that other parents think this is ok -- it is like I am a stranger in a strange land here sometimes. Thanks for reading.
Today I dropped our little one off at her pre-school and she sat down for breakfast with a cup of the organic milk we bring in (needed a doctor's note to allow this) and what is she served with it? A banana (great!) and a handful of cocoa puffs! I couldn't believe it! I am still upset.
So, I marched down to the front desk, where the Director was talking on the phone and once she was done I made my complaint that I didn't think cocoa puffs (or any chocolate or artificial-colored food) was an appropriate breakfast offering for kids. She looked surprised and told me that the nutritionist approved it and no other parent ever complained. I explained that when I saw "cereal" on the menu, I assumed it would be a healthy choice like cheerios or corn flakes. She then told me that the only three cereals they ever offer are cocoa puffs, fruit loops and frosted flakes. What?!?! They feed these to my kid and she is not even 2! She never gets such things at home. I think it is outrageous that they think these are healthy choices. And I cannot believe that a school would stuff kids full of sugar and artificial color and flavor first thing in the morning -- not a great way to create a calm learning and playing environment for the kids and teachers.
I continued to complain that these are bad choices and I was told they tried other cereals, like cheerios, but the kids wouldn't eat them because they all get sugary cereal at home. First, really? I know a couple of the other moms and I cannot imagine that they give their kids this crap at home. Second, these are little kids, if you only offer them good options they will eventually get hungry and eat the good options. Third, as my loving and supportive husband pointed out, even if it is what the kids want it isn't what they need. Surely if schools are serving this 40% sugar stuff to little ones for breakfast a couple times each week (and they have a taste for it already) they are more likely to grow up to be obese and diabetic. Aren't we supposed to be doing better than this for our kids?
My outrage may be over-blown, but I don't like feeling out of control about my kid. At this age we as parents should still decide what she eats and try to teach her good choices, so when the school we entrust her to for hours each day is making choices that I vehemently disagree with, I am just floored. Our little one likes to go to school. She likes the teachers and the other kids and knows all their names and recognizes the parents, too ("so-and-so's Mommy"), so I hate to upset her life, but we are considering moving her to a different school. There is a pre-school that I have only heard great things about that starts taking kids at 2 and I put her on the waiting list today and we are going to schedule a tour of the place next week.
It may seem like over-reacting to switch schools over cocoa puffs, but this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. To be fair, they have said that we can opt to not have the cold cereal served to our little one, to which I immediately said yes please sign us up for the option. However, I think this shows the school's values are messed up and we have some other concerns.
BTW, when I called the other pre-school to ask about a tour, I also asked what cold cereals they serve for breakfast and they said rice chex, corn chex and cheerios, but that sometimes they may give the kids honeycomb as an afternoon snack. That just seems far more reasonable to me.
Anyway, I feel like an irresponsible parent for not insisting that I be better informed about what my kid has been eating for the last eight months. On the bright side, until the last couple weeks, she hasn't been going in early enough to get breakfast more than a couple times a week and when I have had a chance to see the breakfasts they have usually been bagels or waffles or english muffins.
I just can't believe that other parents think this is ok -- it is like I am a stranger in a strange land here sometimes. Thanks for reading.