[Mod-krislati]

Do you pack your kids a lunch or do they buy?

Do you think the school should be able to restrict the drinks you send your child?

[MidgeMadge]

I packed for Alexis all last year, and will do the same this year.
Her school lunches are kinda crappy (health wise) and she's also fussy. Her packed lunches are way better.

I don't think you should be allowed to pack soda with lunches- otherwise, no. What you feed your kid is up to you. I don't like seeing soda in elementary schools, though. Or any schools, for that matter. Just not needed.

[*Kiliki*]

it depends with all 3 of them in school i am giving them each 2 meals a week that they can eat the school lunch if they want so we will go through the menu each week and pick out what days they are gonna have lunch at school if any...and then there will be 3 days of packed lunches....i cannot budge on this cause its SO expensive...

the only restriction this school has is pop which i agree with anyways...i dont buy it often anyways and my kids only usually get it at special occasions like birthday parties

or if we go out to eat...like every other month LOL

[Mod-krislati]

I usually pack a lunch, Lily rarely drinks anything but water, she doesn't really like soda and I don't give it to her anyway. I agree with the no soda in school thing but I got a letter saying the only beverage we are allowed to send is water in a clear bottle, no other sports drinks or anything of the sort. I'm wondering if that mean juice boxes since they said only water in a clear bottle. I'm going to have to call them when the office opens next week.

[*Kiliki*]

okay no juice? thats just stupid LOL

[Mod-krislati]

I know! I rarely even send that but I thought it was a little ridiculous. The letter also said coffee and energy drinks, seriously, who would send their kids with that stuff anyway..crazy.

[MidgeMadge]

On another forum I'm on, their are some parents who are saying only milk- theyre forcing them to drink milk at school. That'd go over grand with my kid, who would have 1 sip (I pack water to bring).. she dislikes milk, she gets her dairy in other forms. Pffft. So glad my daughters school isn't crazy.

[Mod-krislati]

My daughter wouldn't drink it either, she only likes milk in her cereal..lol.

[acupofjoe]

Raleigh will only be going into K this year and I dont know if its half day or what at this new school district..If there will be lunch time at school then I will for sure be packing it every day. Raleigh also hates milk, she wont even touch it in cereal,lol. She likes water a lot so I hope there are no crazy rules here like that.

[*Kiliki*]

you know milk really isn't needed for older kids...thats why they say if they have milk have it be 2% or 1% or skim....i only ever buy 1% milk....but water or even juice is better for them than milk i think....you get dairy is so many other things..

[lapoema]

Do you pack your kids a lunch or do they buy?

In preschool, we packed. DH makes her lunch when he is making his own for work. But in the new school, not sure how it's going to work. They do serve fantastic hot lunches, so if she wants to eat at school I'll let her.

Do you think the school should be able to restrict the drinks you send your child?

Hm, tough one. If I felt strongly about giving my kid a certain beverage, for whatever reason, and it was banned, I might be upset. But it's the teachers that have to deal with the kids during the day. Kids don't generally function well on sugar and caffeine, so I can understand them saying no soda.

Yes, I do believe the school should be able to restrict drinks.

Our preschool was very strict about the lunches and snacks we sent. Everything had to be fresh, raw vegetables or fruits. No dried fruits (too much sugar). No cookies or sweets of course. The reason is, kids learn better when they are properly nourished.



ETA: Just went back and read the whole thread, lol. I'll bet the no juice thing is because kids can get a sugar crash from juice. I can't drink juice because it gives me an insulin spike (and I'm not diabetic, just sensitive to sugar.) After I crash, I get really cranky and tired and hungry. That's probably the reason for the no juice rule.

[TheOnlyPink]

We dont get an option, we have to pack.

Tbh, it took me a few days to make my mind up on this, but i do think the school has the responsibility to limit the drinks the kids can take in. Sports drinks and sodas are not appropriate for school imo and as the PP (i'm sorry, i dont know your name!) said, children do suffer from sugar crashes and that is not productive for learning.

Also there is the practicalities of soda, it can fizz up and spill very easily. My children will eat in their classroom, the school only has 120 students so there is no cafeteria. A spill in the classroom is a much bigger deal. And i know any drink can leak or spill, but it is far more likely with a can/bottle of soda and a 5 year old.
Our school has a fridge in the classroom so the children can bring milk, but they are also allowed water and juice. It is encouraged to use a reusable bottle because it is more environmentally friendly.

We did get a list of items that arent allowed in the lunchboxes. Breakfast bars, cereal bars, fruit roll-ups, cookies, chocolate bars and crisps are not allowed. there will be no exceptions, so your kid either eats whats allowed or goes hungry.

[MidgeMadge]

Originally Posted by lapoema

Our preschool was very strict about the lunches and snacks we sent. Everything had to be fresh, raw vegetables or fruits. No dried fruits (too much sugar). No cookies or sweets of course. The reason is, kids learn better when they are properly nourished.

.

Yeah see, this is a bit over the top to ME. Alexis often had rather healthy lunches packed- a peanut butter sandwich, a bag of raw green peppers and raw broccoli, and an apple. Sometimes a "crunch" with it- some cheese its, crackers, etc. And I would ALWAYS stick in a treat, every day. 1 cookie, or 2 hershey kisses, etc. And water. I don't see the harm? *shrugs* my mom did the same when I was in school and she made my lunches- I always had a small treat to eat after my food. I do the same at home for Alexis. She eats- she's allowed a very small treat. I don't see how it should be a schools business to dictate that- unless they're having pizza and 5 cookies. To be honest, I think it's important to teach small children moderation... rather than banning. It's OK to have a cookie here and there, it's a treat. Not 10 of them. Isn't that a good lesson?

[Lady Lotus]

Last year he got on a program for discounted school meals and so did those.

This year he wants a particular lunch bag and wants me to pack his lunch. Thats ok by me as I think Im gonna cut gluten out of his diet and see if it helps his behavioral issues a bit.

I dont think anyone has a right to say what my child can and cannot have in their lunch...be it drinks or food items. I think people need to be allowed to actually parent their own children even if you dont agree with how they do it. Im a bit tired of hearing people try and make rules that THEY like concerning what MY family and such are allowed to do or not do or have,etc.

[TheOnlyPink]

i agree with you erika, and my natural choices would to include something exactly like you do. but i also see how the school is stuck. Where do they draw the line at "small?" What one parent thinks is a small treat and what another thinks is very different. So many parents are clueless as to what has nutrition and what doesnt.

I know in the schools here they do teach moderation in their healthy eating lessons. But they cannot allow moderation in school lunches because it is open to such wide variation. School is only one meal and a snack here, so i think that there is plenty of opportunity in the rest of the day for the parents to allow a treat. For me when i was at school, i had my healthy lunch and snack for the school day, and then i had a treat like a cookie or a homemade muffin when i got home.

I do agree that outright banning is unacceptable, but the literature that i got from the school assured me that the children will be taught that there are no good and bad foods, and that treats are fine as long as their meals are healthy. That makes me happy with their policy, but i do agree that schools have the responsibility to ensure that children dont have issues with food due to their policies.

[lapoema]

Originally Posted by MidgeMadge

Yeah see, this is a bit over the top to ME. Alexis often had rather healthy lunches packed- a peanut butter sandwich, a bag of raw green peppers and raw broccoli, and an apple. Sometimes a "crunch" with it- some cheese its, crackers, etc. And I would ALWAYS stick in a treat, every day. 1 cookie, or 2 hershey kisses, etc. And water. I don't see the harm? *shrugs* my mom did the same when I was in school and she made my lunches- I always had a small treat to eat after my food. I do the same at home for Alexis. She eats- she's allowed a very small treat. I don't see how it should be a schools business to dictate that- unless they're having pizza and 5 cookies. To be honest, I think it's important to teach small children moderation... rather than banning. It's OK to have a cookie here and there, it's a treat. Not 10 of them. Isn't that a good lesson?

Well, it was a private school so they could make those kinds of rules. I just happened to agree with the rules. I'm sure it wouldn't fly in a public school.

I understand parents that say "well it's my kid, I can feed them the way I want to", but the problem is, the school is responsible for the kids while they are on the premises. How the students perform has a lot to do with how they feel. If there weren't guidelines, many, many parents might send them to school with nothing to eat but chips and bug juice. It's easier for the school to tell parents what not to send, than to split hairs and say "you can have cookies but not only cookies, and not too many cookies, and no cookies with peanuts (which tons of kids are seriously allergic to)..." etc.

If you have a good reason to send a certain food that isn't approved by the school, you can always get a doctor to write a note.

[MidgeMadge]

I understand the point, I do. Because I'm sure not all parents are packing healthy lunches with the treat, like I do. It just seems like every year, parents in schools are making less choices on their own... things are being dictated more, and I don't always like that.

I also worry that banning foods and telling a kid they can't have this and that, can lead to other issues... but that's another topic. Moderation is important to me, and I guess I just have the common sense to understand what that means in MY childs lunch. Unfortunately, not everyone does. But it sucks to punish all for the lack of common sense some have, you know?

[stresswife]

when Audrey goes to school, I will most likely pack her lunch.
I think giving lists of what I'm allowed to feed my kid is a bit over the top, Audrey doesn't (right now) like chocolate but she does live ceral bars and if I want to give her one as a after lunch snack I think I should be allowed to.

[Mod-Lady Valkyrie]

My mum or I take turns to pack Daniel's lunches.

I think it's fair enough for schools to stipulate fruit juice or squash but not fizzy drinks, simply because of how fizzy drinks tend to impact on behaviour. But they shouldn't restrict it any more than that, my son is autistic and WILL only drink certain brands/types of squash, and I'm sure he's not the only child with that sort of issue.

[acupofjoe]

what is squash? here its a veggie,lol.