schools monitoring home-brought lunches, part deux

[sio]

you have a pre-K child. she comes home from school one day with the lunch you packed for her entirely uneaten. when you question her, the answer you get is that a state agent was at the school, inspecting all kids' lunchboxes or bags, and this state agent told your child her lunch was "not healthy enough by USDA guidelines" and she was forbidden

Comments

[wolfden]

I would be not very happy. I have a fussy eater and the entire reason I pack her lunch everyday is that she won't eat cafeteria food. If they took her lunch away and made her go without food, I would have a lot to say.

[schexyschteve]

That's hardly the least healthy thing I've ever seen at a preschool/daycare (let me tell you about the young toddler [>15 months] that came in with a few slices of cake and a fruit cup in syrup for her entire lunch one time, or the 4 year old who only had processed crap like a Lunchable, two different kinds of fruit snacks, a pudding cup, and a Fruit Roll Up, and then Dad wonders why he has behavior problems). That's a regular old lunch. And I doubt school-provided food is any healthier than what a parent could pack their child.

I would be pissed. I would let them know that if I pack my child a lunch, that's what they are going to eat (you know, unless the child actually refused it).

[kitashla]

Heh, that's a good point. I've gone to eat lunch with my kids before and I've seen kids pull out a bag of fruit loops and a can of soda. First graders. Seriously. And while I might be inclined to worry about cost issues and I'm sure that's a factor in some cases, I know through talking to parents that a lot of the times it comes down to "it's the only thing they'll eat". I get picky eater, but a can of soda?

What's funny is that they've banned soda in my kid's middle school. The teachers will take it away if they see it in your lunch box. But in my other kids' elementary school, it's quite alright. /boggle

[ceilidh]

These "inspectors"are idiots. These rules are to make sure that kids whose parents send them to school with a coke and a bag of Doritos get something better to eat so they aren't miserable. (I have seen lunches that bad or worse). If this fool can't tell the difference between a coke and Doritos lunch and a turkey sandwich lunch I'd be happy to enlighten him.

[sio]

i know, right? i was like WTF, i've brownbagged it worse than that as an (older) kid.

this seriously reminds me of this scenario i brought up last year, except it was the cafeteria monitor regulating that which was none of her fucking business and no one was forbidden to eat what they brought.

[papertigers]

at my school, we had twins whose parents invariably sent them to school with that super-sugary kids' yogurt, a piece of fruit, juice boxes, and potato chips for lunch. they were 2.5.

[pyxiwulf]

That's what my kids' school offers as one of the vegetarian options. Frankly, I don't see how that is any worse than the mainstream meals which are 90% deep fried and simple carbs. And all government approved!

[mahsox_mahsox]

I'd want the $1.25 waived. I'd be obnoxious until it was.

And I so understand about sending lunches that aren't perfectly balanced because you send what the kid will actually eat unsupervised. My youngest hates most sandwich fillings so most days when I don't have suitable leftovers her protein is from wholemeal buttered bread and a milk drink. I'd be so pissed if someone fed her nuggets because they didn't think milk and wholemeal bread added up to enough protein for one meal.

[sio]

yes she was forbidden--she was told it was not "healthy enough" and therefore brought home the home-packed lunch untouched, and all she got to eat were three chicken nuggets because she didn't like anything else on the plate.

[revelininsanity]

Actually, no. She was given a cafeteria lunch and all she would eat from that were chicken nuggets. She had to take the packed lunch home.