Is teacher overstepping bounds here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd call the teacher and clear it up. She shouldn't have any say in your child's food (barring classroom allergy restrictions) period, even if you pack Fritos every single day.

Doesn't matter why you send what you send.

And she shouldn't have any say in your child's clothing either, right?

Not comparable.

Why not?

[Anonymous]

"I see Fritos being served at snack in the SACC classrooms within FCPS"

MCPS is very different than FCPS

[Anonymous]

It is a school rule where my kids go that morning nutrition break has to be a healthy snack. Fritos would be taken away. we were given a list at the beginning of the year of what constituted a healthy snack!

They can eat something less healthy at their second break (lunch).

[Anonymous]

Your kid, but the teacher's classroom.

Certain things are not allowed in her classroom, and the parents should respect that. It's always going to be a gray area, and there will always be disagreement, but saying no junk food allowed in the classroom is perfectly reasonable.

This is not coming from an anti-junk food, crazed organic person perspective--I actually do like Fritos.

[Anonymous]

My oldest is over 25 and once in (public) ES brought back a bag of cheese crackers home that I'd packed fo a snack and let me know it was against the rules to have them as a snack...so this is not new to me. I know cheese crackers aren't a good snack LOL but thought there was just a 'rule' about sugary stuff so I had let it go that day

[Anonymous]

Could be that it's not the teacher, but a school policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid, but the teacher's classroom.

Certain things are not allowed in her classroom, and the parents should respect that. It's always going to be a gray area, and there will always be disagreement, but saying no junk food allowed in the classroom is perfectly reasonable.

This is not coming from an anti-junk food, crazed organic person perspective--I actually do like Fritos.

The problem with any bans on food is how do you define good from bad? I can see if a school banned soda and candy but even that line can get blurry. Are 100% carbonated juice drinks allowed? Do yogurt covered pretzels count as candy? How do you define "junk food"? White bread often has more sugar than candy - is white bread OK? Are pretzels healthier than corn chips? What if those chips are they kind with lots of sprouted seeds and omega-3s? It starts to get a bit silly and judgmental.

Also, it is one thing if the school has a policy but I don't see why a teacher gets to make such a policy and gets to be food police. Maybe if that teacher is also a licensed nutritionist it would be a different story...

[Anonymous]

If it's a stated classroom or school policy, it's not overstepping. If she has not communicated the expectations/policy for snacks to parents, then yes, it's overstepping.

So which is it, OP?

[Anonymous]

Teachers don't have to allow snacks. Everytime one of my kids had a teacher who allowed snacks, there were rules about what was permitted. Teachers always had snacks in the classroom in case a kid was hungry and didn't have anything to eat. Snack rules were designed to facilitate classroom management.

In my DDs private, they have rules a out what can be brought for lunch. If you send something that is not allowed, it will be sent home untouched. It embarrasses the kids when this happens.

If the teacher should make an exception for your child for a week where does he/she draw the line. Just follow the rules and be happy the teacher allows snacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid, but the teacher's classroom.

Certain things are not allowed in her classroom, and the parents should respect that. It's always going to be a gray area, and there will always be disagreement, but saying no junk food allowed in the classroom is perfectly reasonable.

This is not coming from an anti-junk food, crazed organic person perspective--I actually do like Fritos.

The problem with any bans on food is how do you define good from bad? I can see if a school banned soda and candy but even that line can get blurry. Are 100% carbonated juice drinks allowed? Do yogurt covered pretzels count as candy? How do you define "junk food"? White bread often has more sugar than candy - is white bread OK? Are pretzels healthier than corn chips? What if those chips are they kind with lots of sprouted seeds and omega-3s? It starts to get a bit silly and judgmental.

Also, it is one thing if the school has a policy but I don't see why a teacher gets to make such a policy and gets to be food police. Maybe if that teacher is also a licensed nutritionist it would be a different story...

Right. Sometime I pack corn with a little butter and salt as my son's vegetable serving. How is that substantially different than Fritos, which are corn, corn oil, and salt? Is the teacher going to stop him from eating it?

[Anonymous]

Oh I would be SO pissed.

[Anonymous]

This has happened to me as well. I've learned no chips or cookies or anything like that. It gets taken away from them. Pretzels and goldfish are fine.

[Anonymous]

Your kitchen is in such bad shape that you don't have any fruit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid, but the teacher's classroom.

Certain things are not allowed in her classroom, and the parents should respect that. It's always going to be a gray area, and there will always be disagreement, but saying no junk food allowed in the classroom is perfectly reasonable.

This is not coming from an anti-junk food, crazed organic person perspective--I actually do like Fritos.

I agree. And, personally, I don't want my kid around that kinda food on a regular basis - so I'd appreciate a no junk food rule at school. It should have been communicated to you though. Talk to the teacher about the classroom rules, but know that there are many other parents in the classroom who will very much appreciate this policy.

[Anonymous]

Wow my dd's are in FCPS, and we have never had food taken away. I try to pack healthy stuff, but my dd in 2nd grade is an extremely picky eater. For lunch today, I packed cheddar cheese, fruit roll up, chocolate chip cookies and potato chips. Gross right? If I pack healthy stuff like apples and oranges, she doesn't eat them. If she doesn't like what I send, she goes and buys a soft pretzel and a container of ice cream from the cafeteria. I guess the food police in Mont Co would have a problem with my dd. She would just sit there and not eat.