I am so infuriated at this note my friend Linda’s son came home from school with. I am livid! It’s taken me an hour to form any type of intelligent post because all I want to scream is, “How dare they?!?”
Okay, I’ll say it. How dare they?!? Seriously.
I dare to bet that even the best school lunches are sure to be full of fillers, sodium, preservatives, and not-really-food additives. Sure, that might be better than Doritos and Coke, but it’s not better than what some parents can send. What gives them the right to tell parents that they know what’s better for their children?
There have been news report after news report about how these “exciting changes” from the government have left an unsavory taste in the mouth of many. Literally. The food doesn’t taste good. Personally, unless Jamie Oliver has been to the school I wouldn’t want my kids eating those lunches.
From the note I see that they’re so gracious in allowing a bag lunch for medical exceptions {way to make the kid stand out!} but I’m curious what they’ll do about religious exceptions. Have they not thought about that?
What are your thoughts? Is it possible they could actually have tasty and nutritious meals? Do you like that they are forcing kids to eat school lunches?
I assume this is fear-of-allergies related. We can’t bring in anything homemade, it has to be store bought with clear list of ingredients.
Are there that many with airborne allergies that you couldn’t just ask patents not to pack x, x, and x? I understand allergies are a serious matter but this seems a bit much.
I don’t like this, but to answer about allergies- most people don’t realize how many processed foods have at least one of the top ten food allergens in them. I know someone personally who almost lost a child because another child in the class touched her after eating a food that contained soy and she went into anaphylactic shock.. they didn’t even know soy products were in it. my son is allergic to soy, so this hit close to home. still – the government should NOT be forcing us into anything when it comes to our children. they are OUR kids. WE carried them for 9 months and gave birth to them. when the government does that part for us, we’ll talk.
Nope They just don’t want to deal with diff lunches and kids wanting what other have. My childs class sent the same letter with NO allergies in the class!
I do not feel like they should be allowed to do this, parents should have the right to send their child to school with lunch, they should not be forced into a school lunch program. Most of the parents that I know, do organic foods, or gluten free, or vegan, or vegetarian, etc with their children and would be none to happy to receive a note like this. The parents should be making the decisions for what their children are eating, that is the right of a parent. Parents have the children, raise the children, are ultimately responsible for the children…then it should be their choice what to feed them. Most schools have a basic…no allergen foods policy so that shouldnt be the issue, because those policies have been in place for sometime now.
That’s my thinking! If you happen to have a kid in the school who is allergic to say, popped corn (as I’ve heard some are) just add that to the list.
I saw this on another blog and I am floored. It makes no sense. These are children and because adults can’t get their political views in order….
Yes, I saw Trisha’s post too! I’m still beside myself.
This is ridiculous. They just want to control everything and it makes me angry. Is it because of allergy issues with other kids? Maybe then it would be a little easier to understand.
Even then, couldn’t you just restrict those certain items? It might be a bit of a hassle but an understandable one at least!
its because the schools buy the items and don’t get reimbursed if you send them with a lunch. The school would of had parents sign a paper in the beginning of the year explaining all of this and enrolling them. they just require a drs note to unenroll them from the program so you can provide all their meals.. but note you cant do both its either they eat the lunch school provides or you will have to provide breakfast, snack and lunch.
My son’s old daycare had this rule because they didn’t want children with allergies exposed to anything from lunches.
I know that I just commented, but I was thinking more about this… they really should give a valid reason on the note for why they have this rule!
I understand prohibiting peanuts/nut products in lunches but are there many more airborne food allergies?
Yes. My friend’s child is deathly allergic to milk and milk products. I also know of several kids who have a severe apple allergy (airborne!). However, I doubt this has to do with allergies. I’m from 2 thoughts. Either there is a high number of children who aren’t eating properly (overweight/underweight/teachers caught them eating all junk/kids complaining about no food for dinner/etc) or the new food changes require a set amount of students purchasing the food for whatever funding (if it’s funded?). I’m in Canada and there are lots of things my son’s school does but only when they have a set amount of children partaking in it.
the point is to provide meals for every child. because I think its something like 1 out of 3 kids go hungry. and a lot of those kids will be from families who just don’t fill out the paperwork or don’t send the reduced amount money, so to try to simplify this they are trying to make it free for all kids. so that no child goes hungry and they do run this program during summer too.
if this is for real, please provide a County/City and State where it is being required. Thank you.
She lives in central, VA. but for more information you can contact her directly via the link above. Click on “my friend Linda’s” above to be directed to her page where you can contact her.
thanks Ashley . . .im in Virginia too, actually. . .
they do it in upstate ny too.. and honestly my son is the pickiest eater there is.. wont eat anything red, rarely will touch meat, wont eat anything seasoned (cuz it’s dirty). which the school offers a variety and his daycare tries to work around it.
Ladies: I know some people might think I am crazy, but AMERICANS , please, please WAKE UP!! While this alone might seem like a tiny, insignificant thing to most and some may say it’s not even enough to worry about, please consider this in addition to: the government control of public monuments, lands in just the last few days; the control the government is seeking to exert over our healthcare; the fact that virtually everyone in the USA has a loan on their home that is—you guessed it–backed by the Government (so guess who owns it if you are forced into default) and (forgive me) but the control of the government over ammunition production and privately owned guns not to mention the anti-Christian sentiment in America and aggressiveness toward Christians trying to even run “their” own business in accordance with their religious beliefs (aka Chic-Fil-A). . .
And now, we have schools trying to say that we cannot feed our own children unless they say so? Please read Daniel 1 and compare notes. . .
People, we need to be on our knees and faces before God. We need Him desperately. . . I know this is a rant over a school lunch note, but please AMERICA wake U.P.
I agree with you completely!
I would be upset too. Many kids like mine are picky and will go without eating rather than eat something they don’t like. I
I have never heard of this before, I would love to hear the reasoning behind it. It seems SO extreme.
WOW… I would be furiated as well… What in the world?? My kids don’t like school lunch, if I give them the choice they pick home lunch; if they have to eat school lunch 90% of the food will go in the trash.. WOW.. this is.. WOW.. I just can’t get over it… Plus it’s cheaper for me to make their own lunch with coupons and deals I can get them more food and stuff they like for less.. Our school lunch is like $2.50 I think.. with 3 kids that’s $7.50 a day… WOW..
your kids would receive free lunches if their school switched to this.
It is bull. I would rip my school apart if they forced my kids to eat school lunches. I’m the mom and will allow my child to eat what they want but they will never force me to have my child buy school lunches. The changes in our district are the main meal (preservatives, salt, fat, etc such as chicken nuggets, fish sandwich, stuffed shells, pizza, tacos). We all know these are frozen, not fresh so yeah my point exactly. And, yeah they’ve added fruit and veg but still no way would they make my child eat a shcool lunch. I’d be mad.
Whoa! NO WAY!?! How is this possible?!? I would be so so mad… not sure what I would do but I totally disagree with this.
I do agree that this is a bad choice on the school’s part, and I’m not really trying to play devil’s advocate, but maybe they’re doing it because of allergies?
I have a friend who’s son has a severe peanut allergy, and I know that there have been stories of children who died because someone else’s snack had been processed in the same factory as peanuts,
I’m not saying that this is the ideal solution, but maybe they are doing it for a good reason.
Most schools in my area are either peanut free… OR have a sep. area for kids who have brought lunches that contain it so they can eat safely away from those who have it. I know that allergy is no joke, so caution has to be taken. But to say I can’t fee my child is another ballgame.. I would be the first one asking them for the whole break down of their lunches, sodium, fillers, where the meat and veggies came from because I do not buy anything out of the US.. which is hard! and you know they aren’t going to spend a fortune on “organic” I think that’s a great fight, and one that the school will lose. We are not in Old Russia, big brother does not tell us what we HAVE to feed our kids, and what we can’t.. Ugh, I would flip out!!!
why flip out.. just get a drs note..
because other than allergies.. No dr will write a note, lying and put his medical license on the line just because of one’s beliefs. And especially when or if your children already had medical paperwork filled out saying they have no medical conditions, one.. well MOST people wouldn’t lie about it. I would never lie about my child being ill, allergic or anything else because I am a firm believer that you jinx them. But it’s not a flipping out, it’s a right to be able to chose for your children. I moved my child out of public school because all they care about over here is how well they do on the state tests so THEY can look good, mandatory school uniforms, and a lot of other “little” things that they feel is best. Meanwhile, my 10,000 a yr in taxes give me the perks of that and 30 kids in a classroom! I pay to send my child to Catholic school, yes he wears a uniform, but that’s MY choice.. I didn’t have to send him there because that’s their rule. If some people took a gander into the laws of what public schools can do they would be shocked. Once your child is behind that door, you lost a TON of your parental rights!! Making them eat their lunch is nothing compared to other more serious things! There were a few lawsuits that were lost by the parents because you are turning over your child to the “state funded” school, they are their children until school is out. A quick search of google of “parents lose parental rights in public school” should bring up a ton of horror stories, ones you wouldn’t believe.
I do understand your point, really (although I personally avoid all issues like this by homeschooling).
But there have been cases where Child A is severely allergic to peanuts & Child B brings a snack into the classroom that CONTAINS NO PEANUTS but was merely processed in a plant with peanuts, and Child A has died, or come very close to dying. While a peanut-free school is nice in theory, it doesn’t guarantee that this situation won’t happen.
I see your point, and I agree that the schools shouldn’t be able to say that you can’t send a lunch with your child, but I do see how this would prevent a lot of problems. Because I know for a fact that not all parents of non-allergic children will check their foods that closely. And unfortunately, running a school today is a very difficult task, with trying to balance everyone’s needs.
My son’s preschool is the same way and they have NO food allergies in the class. They are just doing what is easy for them. I am forced to PAY for a lunch and breakfest that my child will not even eat! He comes home starving!
if they are going through the government reimbursement program which is why schools are doing this you should not be paying for the food your child does/doesn’t eat at daycare. If your daycare is requiring you to pay extra for food then report them.
All schools/daycares that run under the free for all food program that is government funded are required to provide certain meals. the schools pay for the food up front and only get reimbursed if its served to the child. The city I live in runs this program for every school within the city. And yes “some” parents may be able to provide better meals but honestly most don’t. Most parent’s don’t even know what a nutritious meal is. The city my kids go to actually provide special meals for students with medical/religious needs. But that is because they have 1000’s to feed, smaller schools may not do this. My daughter is one of the special meals as she was lactose intolerant (was as in she eventually grew out of it) but she loved that she got special milk and special yogurt. their school gave her everything the other children got only lactose free versions. they also always HAVE to provide a vegan option. My kids school provides special meals for religious beliefs including for holidays but again unless your kids school does a city wide program you probably will not get this from the school. and since your school is requesting a drs note i’ll assume that they are not trying to go beyond the basic requirements. But at the same time you can easily get a dr note to allow you to send your child with their food. but you will have to provide all food, breakfast, snack, lunch, if your school will not provide your childs diatary needs they wont allow him/her to eat anything at the school, not to mention you would be unenrolling the child from the program so they wouldn’t prepare food for him/her. and if there is a child with a peanut or any other food allergy in your kids class you will not be able to bring anything that may contain peanuts or w.e food the other kid is allergic too. this is a good program. I’m surprised so many people are mad over it. btw 90% of food in america is not real food. unless you live on a farm and grow/kill your own food their is some kind of unhealthy in there.
are you kidding me???????????? I had no idea that there are now laws in place requiring you to make your kids eat school food. Wow…I am so absolutely disappointed and horrified at the power our government has now. My sincere sadness to all of you that have to live in a society where the government now “owns” your children and your parental rights are no more. My oh my….)-:
My children went to a Montessori for preschool and were not allowed to bring in lunches…They also ate breakfast after school had started so they was required to eat breakfast there. This did not bother me at all. They ate balanced meals that offered a variety that was OK with me. My children eats very healthy at home and have no allergies. The state food program here in California has improved so much since I was in school. The kids have a balanced protein, fresh veggie and carbohydrate meal for both breakfast and lunch at the preschool and elementary school. Being able to use the food program makes it easier for the schools who are working with limited funding as it is. There are children at home that don’t get healthy meals or who’s parent would send the same junk they eat at home in a packed lunch….this program allows these children to get 2 healthy balanced meals 5 days a week…and even if my child hates carrot sticks and skips part of lunch that day he is not going to starve or become malnourished but I go to bed happy that some of his classmates had the opportunity to fill their bellies with fresh healthy foods. So I am absolutely not against this. This rule actually made my crazy life easier.
its probly mainly because preschools are federally funded for school lunch programs. if i dont call my son off by 8:30am they charge me a $2.75 fee for the thrown out lunch… yes this is absolutely obsurd! let them tell me that my three year old son has to eat the garbage that they serve at school and they will have one ticked off mamma in there going postal over it. anyway children are too picky to want to eat tuna on wheat bread or carrott sticks.and as far as the bag lunch goes the mother can always tell the school kitchenwhat the child is alergic to if there are religious beliefs or any other problem with food that the child may have such as gluten intolerance.. but im not defending the school in any way the parent should be able to send the child to school with a bagged lunch if he or she wants to. sorry for all the typos and i know this makes no sense and is all jumbled around but theyve got my mad about this and im running my mouth about it as i type..lol have a great day all!
We have been having issues with my 3 1/2 yr olds 4 day a week school. The only let the child eat food that is served there. No packed lunches, or snacks, no birthday treats, nothing. My little one has started randomly throwing up and having diarrhea, the doctor thinks it may be an allergy and wants us to change her eating habits to “simple” foods with a few ingredients but the school won’t allow her to bring in any food, even with a doctor’s note. Their reasoning is that they are a private school, so it is not manditory that she has to go to school there, she can go to the public one up the road if we don’t like their food policy.
Not all children will eat the food and some people are concerned with what is in the food and who handles it etc.
In our case, we are Jewish and keep kosher (Jewish dietary laws) so will I need a note from my Rabbi??? or will the government now tell me I can’t practice my religion? The government cannot handle their own jobs but they want to tell parents how to handle their job as parents?
EXACTLY!
Check out the parents rights amendment at http://www.parentsrights.org This is only the beginning if the UN convention on the Rights of the Child gets passed.