Yesterday was a pretty big day; Gabe got to wear his costume to school because yay, Hallowe'en! and then after school we did some trick or treating at the mall close to our house. It was packed with kids and their parents, lots of good costumes, and lots of candy. After that we went to the doctor's office for a quick check-up for him; his school was thinking he might be on the autism spectrum but his new doctor ruled that right out. He thinks Gabe is very independent, happy, and maybe above-average when it comes to intelligence. His behaviour troubles at school come mostly from the first, and a hefty dose of stubborn that comes from me and Ryan. So, I get to write his teacher a note about that.
Today we went sent him to school with one two-bite Aero bar and a small bag of popcorn because yay, Hallowe'en! and when I picked him up from daycare, he told me his teacher doesn't like candy and he wasn't allowed to eat that part of his lunch. Not pleased, I asked him to bring me his lunch bag and yup, there in the bottom was his Aero bar and the popcorn. He asked me if he could have his Aero bar now and I said sure, crack it open! So he ate it while we tidied up some toys and then came home. Now I get to write his teacher a note about that too.
I get that she probably doesn't want to be incharge of 20-some kids who've all had little candies in their lunch, but seriously? One two-bite Aero isn't going to make a difference to him, and popcorn? is air, covered in salt and artificial butter. Instead of saying "no candy!" right after Hallowe'en, if she feels the need, she could send a note home reminding moms and dads that kids need a balanced diet to keep up with their growing bodies, and of course that candies with peanuts or peanut butter are prohibited. Me? I'm going to keep sending Gabe with a few things every day-he's earned them.
Testing? Got an email saying that comments weren't being posted.
WTF?!? This instantly made me a bit grumpy faced. Who the hell is that teacher to tell a child that they can not eat something that the PARENT has packed for the child's lunch. Unless the parent's packed arsenic and peanut butter, then that teacher is WAY out of her range of authority. She is paid to teach the children, not to monitor what they eat for her convenience. GAH!
Letters are written, by the hubs no less! This is what he had to say "We're curious as to why Gabriel is not allowed to eat the candies we've sent in his lunch. We made sure to pack peanut free snacks. We would appreciate it if Gabriel was allowed to eat his candy as a part of his regular lunch." If she comes back with some bullshit about sugar making kids hyper I WILL THROW A SCIENCE TEXT BOOK in her general direction. >.>
I tried to comment last night (my time) but the comment wouldn't go through.
Good luck with the letter to the teacher re the candy. I know that here (Australia) most primary schools and daycare have a no candy and no 'junk food' policy. Basically you cannot send anything like cake, cookies, candy, fruit juice soda, anything chocolate or with chocolate in it (including Nutella which is a hazelnut spread). I have even heard of kids getting into trouble because they had honey or jam in their sandwiches.
If I get any flak my response will be "Let's pretend for a minute that I'M the parent and I get to make decisions that affect my kid's long term health, not you. Let's pretend for a minute that ultimately he's MY responsibility, not yours, and that you have no real say in what I put in his lunches or for snacks. Let's also pretend that I'm trying to teach him that there are no 'bad' foods, and that you seperating out his treats makes them especially appetizing. Let's pretend that, shall we?"