question about snacks

[HouseofWool]

DS is in 5K this year which is a full day program. We are required to provide 2 "healthy" snacks a day for him , candy and anything peanut is expressly prohibited. Most days he gets something like a serving of grapes and a couple of pieces of string cheese, or cheese and crackers, carrots and ranch dressing etc. Mostly healthy snacks for the kiddo who is long and lean (45th percentile for weight and 90th for height).

Over the weekend I made chocolate chip bar cookies and on Monday sent one along for snack along with a baggie of grapes. In talking with DS about his day he made the comment that his teacher told him that he should bring a healthier snack in the future.

This really pissed me off. The child normally eats pretty well, in fact this morning he requested grapes be sent for his snack instead of crackers. I don't see how it is this woman's business to criticize the fact that I want to sneak a few extra calories into his diet. Am I getting all bent out of shape over nothing? :huh: I have a feeling I am but it still bothers me.

[madeintaiwan]

Re: question about snacks

When J was in K in STL, only healthy snacks were allowed period. I didn't really have a problem with it. Our two older kids are tall and skinny, especially J. We give our kids slim fast shakes for extra protein versus empty calories.

Re: question about snacks

These snacks are just for him - not shared? I can see why a lot of refined sugars might be an issue, but calories & fat are NEEDED in some kids' diets. My kids are in the lower percentiles - way lower - and we do our best to add fats and even some extra sugars whenever we can. Obesity is such a problem in our culture that when people have the opposite problem, no one gets it.

[Vanquisher]

Re: question about snacks

Is this public school or private?

I ask because I find it hard to believe that in public school all children can afford to bring two healthy snacks every day. We did public school and snacks were provided by the classroom. Parents were encouraged to occassionally shore up the stock.

My feeling on this is that the teacher is probably more concerned about the other kids looking at your kid's cookie and whining about their celery sticks. "Why does HE get to have a cookie?" If it is a public school, I would talk to the teacher about it and tell her that you mostly provide healthy snacks, but that you feel that treats are fine in moderation, AND that is a healthy way to snack. Furthermore, your child is underweight, and it is your decision as his mother to give him a cookie. If she has a problem with this, tough. It is your child, and you can send a cookie if you want! This isn't a public safety issue like peanuts. If they insist on all children having a healthy snack all the time, then the school needs to provide it. If it were me, all his snacks from then on would be cookies. They can't throw him out! It's kindergarten!

If it is private school, I would talk to the teacher, and tell her your rationale for it, and if she further insists on healthy snacks only, I would talk to the headmaster or whoever is higher up and taking your tuition money.

Oh, and I am a rule follower, and my kids are too. Our public school has school uniforms which they insist are mandatory, but the compliance rate isn't all that spectacular, especially in the higher grades. My son wears a uniform to school everyday, but yeah, they ARE more expensive and less durable, so I definitely understand the rationale behind not having your kids in uniforms too, even though it is technically school policy. We are following the rules though, but if I had to include two healthy snacks every day and could never give MY child a cookie, it might make me a little pissed off, to say the least.

Re: question about snacks

We have gone through the EXACT same thing with DS1 and DS2....they got stickers on a chart for every healthy snack, but a big empty hole when they didn't! Their teacher was super tough about what was and what was not healthy too...(yogurt tubes were not!)
DS1 could care less about the stickers, but it used to crush DS2 when he didn't get one (becuase his mother sent a treat)
I sat down with his teacher and told her that we had met with everyone under the sun and that we were giving him ensure at home and adding calories wherever we could, but that we wanted to be able to send "treats" sometimes...her response was that not very many children are in the catagory where they are too thin and more importantly they are trying to teach the children how to make healthy responsible choices (Ummm, they STILL don't have anything to do with their lunch making in grades 6 and 7) fair enough and that lots of kids don't have parents at home who are educating them...soooo, she would continue to not give stickers but that if we wanted to send unhealthy choices it was our decision....ever since I send fruit for recess and snack and the "treat" (ie yogurt tube, cookies etc) as part of lunch.....welcome to school!

I agree that it might also have to do with the other kids not wanting thier carrots or celery and your son has yummier stuff....

Re: question about snacks

My feeling on this is that the teacher is probably more concerned about the other kids looking at your kid's cookie and whining about their celery sticks. "Why does HE get to have a cookie?"

I'm pretty sure that's where the comment came from.

Our school instituted a "fruit only" snack time this year. Fortunately dried fruit is allowed, and my kids love dried fruit, so while it's expensive - it works for us. I do find myself wishing I could send a cereal bar or graham sticks some days, but I also understand / appreciate the issue. I'm a healthy-snack mom myself (not saying you're not), having always had a weight problem of my own, and seeing that Jacob has not been blessed with the Indian metabolism. The new policy at the school has helped me, b/c LOTS of parents would send in things like single-serving Pringles, cookies, etc. -- and then Jacob would come home complaining that I didn't do the same.

Re: question about snacks

I can still remember when I was in the 5th grade we were allowed to bring in a mid-morning snack, but it had to be healthy. One girl got called out for bringing Cheese Nips and they weren't considered "healthy" by the teacher's standards. Snack time was a privilege and not a requirement on the teacher's terms. I agree with the above post that if one child sees another with a yummy chocolate chip cookie bar, their baby carrots or fruit is not going to look too appealing anymore and they're going to want the less healthier snacks. Heck, I would definitely choose a chocolate chip cookie bar over celery sticks anyday!

I do understand why you're upset, but maybe do higher calorie snacks after school with DS?

[HouseofWool]

Re: question about snacks

Thanks for the responses.

I hadn't thought of the jealousy issue until it was mentioned, but I can totally understand that perspective. (Says the woman who ate aproximately 40,000 calories because people brought in goodies.)

I guess my feeling is that since the kiddo eats a morning snack and afternoon snack at school, I will probably occasionally indulge him. At almost 6 he is 42 pounds soaking wet and most days he asks for fruit for his snacks... It can be a real struggle to get enough calories into him. He was lucky enough to inherit DH's fantastically high metabolism.

[HouseofWool]

Re: question about snacks

I just have no patience for this stuff (says the girl with a graduate degree in nutrition ) I'm fine with limited peanuts/peanut butter, especially when you have a child in the class with allergies. But please do not dictate what I can send with my child for a snack. And I don't care about the jealousy issue either. Plenty of times my kiddos have come home and said, "so and so had X, can I have them too?". If it is something we allow fine, if not the answer is no, that's life. :huh: All foods are fine in moderation, that is what we need to be teaching the children. Not bad foods vs good foods. Clearly I am in the minority in this issue.

Thanks Tara - there is a boy in his class with fairly severe peanut allergies, so the choices of what to send get whittled down very quickly. I try to be very careful of this because of the health concerns.

I guess I could understand the teacher's comment if every snack was a cookie or something similar, but most of the time at least one of the snacks is a fruit. :huh: I feel like it isn't her place to tell me what the child can eat. If the rules are so strick then they should be providing the food.

[Vanquisher]

Re: question about snacks

I just have no patience for this stuff (says the girl with a graduate degree in nutrition ) I'm fine with limited peanuts/peanut butter, especially when you have a child in the class with allergies. But please do not dictate what I can send with my child for a snack. And I don't care about the jealousy issue either. Plenty of times my kiddos have come home and said, "so and so had X, can I have them too?". If it is something we allow fine, if not the answer is no, that's life. :huh: All foods are fine in moderation, that is what we need to be teaching the children. Not bad foods vs good foods. Clearly I am in the minority in this issue.

Nope. I agree with you, Tara.