So irritated by health nut who does PTA fundraising that is taking over food in our school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was in a class with her daughter. At first I thought she really cool, funny and an interesting person, then the subject of food came up..; she was very health food fanatical. Talk about controlling with her kid! The more I had her child around the more I saw how unhealthy this mother's psychological anxieties about food played out on her child. I eventually steered my daughter away from her daughter because the child was so weird and every time the mother was around she was on top of her child for every move her daughter made was so exaggerated that it was just embarrassing and unhealthy for my child.

Now she's gotten involved in the PTA, and I recently received an email on our school list serve about juice at class parties, how she buys an alternative product at CostCo and a whole lecture on sugar, like we are all idiots! This is an elementary school, the kids don't drink juice anymore, and if some parent brings juice for a twice a year party I think our children will survive.

I have a friend that is on the PTA with her and she tells me that she is leading a drive to ban the PITA chips and ice creams the kids can purchase ONE day a week in the lunchroom. She is also starting a crusade to eliminate all snacks during the MSA tests, because they are not healthy enough,

I know I am just complaining but I really dread what is going to come next and I hate to know one health nut can have so much power in a school. I've spoken to her in person she is fanatical, I have a job and can't spend my days fighting her... probably nothing to be done, just venting about how creepy and uncomfortable I am about her.

This makes no sense. You need to tell her if she is anti-juice, then there is no good alternative but milk or water. We don't do juice. We prefer to spend the money on fresh fruit. I don't like the added sugar. I don't agree with kids needing sweets at school. We only do a very limited amount and I want to know what my child is eating. I also do not like homemade goods. I used to do many home visits and there was no way I was eating at most of those homes. Even some of my friends homes I would never eat out of. I don't want my child eating food I don't know where it came from. (we also have some food allergies so that is a big issue too). Tell her if she doesn't like the snacks, feel free to provide all of them herself at her cost. But, with the expectation she meet every food allergy possibly in the school.

[Anonymous]

Obesity

[Anonymous]

I know I am just complaining but I really dread what is going to come next and I hate to know one health nut can have so much power in a school. I've spoken to her in person she is fanatical, I have a job and can't spend my days fighting her... probably nothing to be done, just venting about how creepy and uncomfortable I am about her.

If you can't be bothered to participate then you lose the right to bitch about the outcome. You don't need to spend days fighting anyone. Just go to one of the meetings that probably don't happen more than once a month and say something or send email to the PTA group list serve.

My suggestion would be to separate your "she's a health food nut" from what she is advocating. I don't like health food people either BUT I'm smart enough to be able to separate the individual from the position that is being advocated. The issue is should juice be provided at parties or whatever. Respond to this not some over aching fear that she will come to your house and take away your juice.

On the bigger issue of health food vs junk in school, I'm actually surprised that the schools don't self regulate better. We're as far from health food crazed as you can get but even I am surprised at how much sugar is given to kids who get no physical activity during school. I'm just surprised that teachers haven't been objecting as they bear the brunt of hopped up on sugar kids trying to sit in chairs all day. I also get annoyed at the school newsletters that come home lecturing parents not to give/send sugary snacks and make sure kids get exercise when the school is pumping them full of sugar and not giving them the opportunity to get physical activity.

[Anonymous]

What is the juice alternative from costco ? Is it that vitamin drink they are always sampling next to the pharmacy section?

[Anonymous]

Offering juice twice a year at the school Halloween and valentines day parties shouldn't be a big deal. If the mom doesn't want her kid to drink juice, then she should teach her kid to decline juice. Period. But the mom enters lunatic territory by launching an attack on juice for the entire school. That's crossing a line.

[Anonymous]

Are the food bullies at Westbrook?

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

I'm a room mom and we wonder every year why we are giving them candy and cupcakes/ice cream for Halloween. The kids all get a huge amount of candy trick treating hours later. We only do it because we don't bother to think up something else.

I think the parents think that since the parties only happen twice a year what is the problem with treats twice a year? There isn't a problem with treats twice a year but that isn't what is happening. Parents don't realize how much sugar the kids get at school. Teachers give out candy in class. They sell chocolate milk everyday. Aftercare gives treats. Sports activities give treats. They sell extra treats once a week.

Any PTA sponsored event is either candy and booked goods sold at ridiculously cheap amounts or free flowing baked goods free of charge. The parties have a baked good treat (cupcake, Krispy Kreme or Duncan Ds, ice cream with loads of toppings), candy hand outs, and juice. This is a pretty big bang of sugar. This is all on top of the other sugary treats they get in school as standard operating procedure.

[Anonymous]

We offer Capri sun and bottled water. Kids can choose. And we offer cupcakes and fruit (my toddler was the only kid who ate the fruit at his older brothers halloween party...lots of fruit was wasted).

Our teachers don't hand out candy, and we don't have bake sales. I'm fine with sugar at the Halloween and valentines parties. Not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

On a tour of the one of the independent schools this year, our tour guide told us two of the particularly healthy moms had taken over the lunch menu a few years before. Apparently, the result was such a failure that they went back to what they had been doing previously. Balance is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a room mom and we wonder every year why we are giving them candy and cupcakes/ice cream for Halloween. The kids all get a huge amount of candy trick treating hours later. We only do it because we don't bother to think up something else.

I think the parents think that since the parties only happen twice a year what is the problem with treats twice a year? There isn't a problem with treats twice a year but that isn't what is happening. Parents don't realize how much sugar the kids get at school. Teachers give out candy in class. They sell chocolate milk everyday. Aftercare gives treats. Sports activities give treats. They sell extra treats once a week.

Any PTA sponsored event is either candy and booked goods sold at ridiculously cheap amounts or free flowing baked goods free of charge. The parties have a baked good treat (cupcake, Krispy Kreme or Duncan Ds, ice cream with loads of toppings), candy hand outs, and juice. This is a pretty big bang of sugar. This is all on top of the other sugary treats they get in school as standard operating procedure.

Where is this? Where do teachers give out candy in class?

Personally, I am teaching my kids to live the way I live -- enjoy life and be healthy. Health comes first. I teach my kids that dessert is part of eating a healthy diet. They don't get it every night but at a party they certainly do. Abstaining from sweets -- even at special events -- is not our lifestyle. Do these adults never eat dessert, ever? Why would they raise their children that way? This is not about feeding animals on a farm, it's about teaching children to grow up and leave the house and live in a world where they will live a normal life. For most people, that includes sweets in moderation -- and most certainly at special events -- and juice in moderation, etc. Do you go to the break room at work or a work party and say to a colleague, "sorry, I'm not eating even a bite of your birthday cake because I don't believe in eating cake." ?? Of course not. You would be considered a freak. And yet your kids are not supposed to have Valentine's candy at a Valentines Day party or Halloween cupcakes at a halloween party. Just teach them this is part of life.

[Anonymous]

Good point, PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good point, PP!

Yes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look around. The kids in this area simply are not obese or even fat.

Do you spend much time in the parts of this area that are not affluent?

If my kids don't go to those schools, then how's it relevant to whether they can have treats at their schools? If my kid's school doesn't have overweight kids, then there isn't an obesity issue at their school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look around. The kids in this area simply are not obese or even fat.

Do you spend much time in the parts of this area that are not affluent?

If my kids don't go to those schools, then how's it relevant to whether they can have treats at their schools? If my kid's school doesn't have overweight kids, then there isn't an obesity issue at their school

It's not relevant to whether they can have treats at their schools. It is relevant to whether there are kids in the area who are fat.

(Assuming that, by "the area", you meant the DC metropolitan area, and not "my kids' school".)