Kevin has a blog about “things my kids won’t know.” It is awesome and you should read it. Before I saw that, I received a form for nutrition guidelines for my kids school. I was so sad to see it. This is abbreviated, but here is a list of things that “may not be served, sold, or given out as a free promotion anywhere on school property at anytime before the end of the school day”:
Soda- Water Ices
- Chewing Gum
- Certain Candy (Hard Candy [fruit balls, candy sticks, sour balls lollipops, etc)
- Jellies/gums (Jelly beans, gumdrops, etc.)
- Marshmallow Candies
- Candy Corn/soft mints
- Licorice
- Spun Candy
- Candy Coated Popcorn
- All forms of candy (yes, this is after “certain candy”)
- Homemade baked goods such as cookies or cupcakes
- Home prepared items such as vegetable or fruit platters
- Food items not sealed by store or manufacturer
That’s a quick list. Eventually they just changed it to “no food policy.” Gift bags have things like pencils and erasers.
So, my kid will never know the glory of the cupcake on his birthday, the cup of sugar juice they gave you with it, or just about anything else fun and food oriented not in the cafeteria. It is sad.
BACKED goods?
Shut it, I was in a hurry. It’s fixed.
My district is a “peanut free zone”. It’s not offered anywhere and is not listed as a ingredient in any of the school lunch programs. Who knew that Mr. Peanut would be at the forefront of the “war on terror”?
JGN
I notice guns are not on this list. Give out guns, and they’ll change their minds about cupcakes soon enough…
or just put 50 super bounce balls in each treat bag. They will beg you to send in fruit platters.
BUT SERIOUSLY? FRUIT PLATTERS? Kids love fruit. Also it’s better than candy. I don’t understand.
Kids are significantly less active than they used to be. with the lack of activity, I can understand why 20 cupcake parties a year can be harmful to the health of some children.
I have a hard time supporting that 2 cupcakes a month is such a big harm to kids that we ban them altogether. It’s not like we’re feeding kids a cupcake every day (though we throw lots of crap at them in the school cafeteria). Let them celebrate and do something special.