Friday, October 14, 2011

•poison apple•

They're baa-aack! And just in time for Halloween! To my utter dismay and horror, Otterpops and Skippy Peanut Butter have returned to Penn's preschool. So now, since I'm no longer on Prozac, do the gloves come off? Do I merely protest by making all of Penn's snacks again, or do I pull him from school? Do I get all the parents to sign a petition, entitled For The Love Of Common Sense, Please Don't Feed Our Children Poison And Tell Then It's Snack?

I asked an afternoon teacher today, point-blank: does she feed them Otterpops. Occasionally, she said. I clarified: Instead of snack? I mean, as snack? She hesitated. Yes... as a treat. When it's hot.

We live at the mouth of the Central Valley in California. It's hot. A lot. You're telling me when the temperature spikes, instead of the usual afternoon offering of water, milk, plus green beans or cheese, they're substituting a 25-calorie frozen stick of high fructose corn syrup and chemically-derived food coloring? What about vodka? Would they feed them vodka, if I put that in the snack-donation box?

I'm seriously heartsick over this. I don't know what to do. Are my only options to remove Penn from the school, or alienate him by Penn-only snacks, or take money I don't have and buy all the right snacks, crowding as best I can everyone else out of that damn snack-donation box? Just the idea of having to have another conversation with the director about why this is important, or even why I won't let Penn eat that garbage, makes me want to crawl into bed, cover my head, and sob for my son's future. How on earth is a child to learn healthy habits, if school teaches you that brightly-colored water is food? Unschooling should not be the only sane option. xox

9 comments:

  1. Do you think you would be OK if the teachers also offered some fresh fruit or veggies to go with the Otter Pop? Not only are Otter Pops full of sugar, it's just liquid and won't fill up those little bellies. Hooray empty calories, hyper kids, and empty bellies!

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  2. Most schools rely on cheap, easy snacks. There are other reasons to have Penn at this school. So he has different snacks. I did - milk allergy. I never had the fun group snacks, and as an adult I know that just because everyone else is eating something doesn't make it tasty or good for me. There are many times when being different is good - like being healthy. You can't be responsible for every parent, provide for every child. Providing a snack for Penn is a do-able solution. This won't be the last time in his life he's not doing the same thing as the other kids. It's a safe introduction to different being okay. Love and snacks, md

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  3. Zero tolerance for junk food at Waldorf...don't know if you consider that to be a sane option, though. Snacks are things like fruit, quinoa, oatmeal, and bread/crackers (with GF options for those who need them).

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  4. Well, I've already said to Lis that it *boggles* my mind that anyone living in this community (or frankly, sending their kids to a Montessori school) feeds children Otter Pops. I think I'm living in a rarefied Co-op bubble...but I like it in here.

    Though what's really boggling my mind right now (in the happiest of ways) is finding out that Brad and MD read our blog! Yay!

    And I love(LOVE)that the Waldorf kids get quinoa and oatmeal at snack time. I think that's delightful. I'll also say that I agree with Lis--making a child eat a snack that's different from everyone else's is tricky. Clearly, it works out fine for some kids (MD!), but I think it probably depends on the particular child. I can see a child being really uncomfortable with it, and I can absolutely see why they would be. Unless there's an actual allergy or food sensitivity, I do think it's a tough call.

    Lis, is snack always provided randomly by parents? I'm guessing this ground has been covered, but I'm throwing it out there anyway: Do you think there's any way to rally some concerned parents into a more structured group of volunteers who think about snack options more carefully, and perhaps gather funds to put toward stocking the pantry with better quality stuff? And, say, even take turns preparing things such as homemade popsicles during the summer months, made from diluted juice or something? Or baking some whole-grain mini muffins to store in the freezer? Etc.? With money from parents who are pressed for time, and labor from parents who have a little time to give, would that work?

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  5. Or you could organize a team of parents to do midnight raids on the freezer, poking holes in the pops. Kids who eat them will return home with telltale stains on their clothing. All the other parents will demand and end to the pops. You could call yourselves the "Otter Poppers".

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  6. Hi Lis! I looked around last night searching for some Montessori policy on snacks. There is an NAMC website called motessoritrainingblogspot.com that might be helpful to you. If you search for "snacks" or "healthy snacks" there is an article about what snacks are recommended. It suggests that schools should have a policy about food that is in the parent handbook. Seems to me that if such a policy does not exist at Redbud, it is certainly a solid issue to bring to the attention of your board of directors. Alternatively, I recently dreamtd that Troy operates a seedy video arcade under which he has hidden a fully stocked department store(a la Target style). You could probably shop there for snacks at a great discount(good publicity for your store). Or just use all the amazing profits you must be making to shop at the Coop. Love, Jenny

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  7. Brad and Jenny, I *heart* you.

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  8. Thanks, guys. I'm surprised to find myself genuinely depressed over this. Like, having a hard time getting stuff done. How to bridge the gap here? We apparently did not succeed in addressing these issues in the Spring with the school. How to convey that each time the kids are offered food, it is a lesson? xox

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  9. Otter Pops are NOT the only popsicle option. I know for a fact that the Co-op sells frozen fruit juice pops and frozen fruit pops which could replace OtterPops in a heartbeat. I know because my kid has a milk allergy and I always bring frozen fruit pops to events where ice cream will be served.....

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