WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches

bethsmiles

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110411/us_yblog_thelookout/chicago-school-bans-homemade-lunches-the-latest-in-national-food-fight

What do you think about this? Personally, I think it's going way too far. I think schools do have a responsibility to provide the option of a healthy meal in the cafeteria, especially because that's the only meal some children are guaranteed for the day. But I don't think that the school should force children to eat school lunches and not allow parents to provide lunch for their own children.

heyimbren

While I think it's great that schools re-evaluate their menu for cafeteria lunches, I think it's ridiculous that parents aren't allowed to send lunch to school with their kid. I really don't see it as the place of the education system to parent children.

peekaboo2011

I know this is going to come across as American legal crazy, but you can danm well bet that if my child went to that school, I'd be all over the school board, the district and eventually take them to court.  You can NOT mandate that my child pay for lunch when I can do it cheaper (and healthier, I don't care what they say) at home.

luvdncn90

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:62e9adec-11ad-4ce9-801d-3b6211dae411">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]While I think it's great that schools re-evaluate their menu for cafeteria lunches, I think it's ridiculous that parents aren't allowed to send lunch to school with their kid. I really don't see it as the place of the education system to parent children.
Posted by heyimbren[/QUOTE]

Exactly what Bren said.

The school has no right to take away homemade lunches. It's almost like they're trying to step into the home, and that's crossing the line. Obviously there are some cases like child abuse and stuff where if the school sees this they should step in and call CPS but that's a whole different story.

tafft1

Just..NO. This is bullshit , plain and simple. First is the cost - when I was a kid I NEVER ate cafteria lunches , my mom always sent me to school with a lunch and even back in the 80's it was still better than what they serve now - and cheaper for my parents. In this day and age and economy so many people and fmailies are trying to do what is best for them - this means in many cases cutting corners financially. THose daily cafteria costs pile up very quicly - imagine if there is more than one child ? That is insane. It's a personal belief of myself and my husband that we will be the ones deeming what we see suitable for our children to eat. The reason food assistance programs and cafteria was established is to ensure everyone CAN eat , not so they can make money off the parents.

[Deleted User]

I agree with previous posters. I don't think eating a school-provided lunch should be mandatory. There are many reasons parents choose to provide their children's lunches themselves. Whether for financial, nutritional, ethnic or religious reasons...the school-provided lunch should not be mandatory for anyone.

ADTonk

I can understand banning high incidence allergy items from homemade lunches (i.e. peanuts and peanutbutter), and even monitoring homemade lunches to ensure they don't slip through, but NO homemade lunches?  That's ridiculous.  I don't see that lasting very long.  Schools shouldn't be able to mandate that a child eat their food all week long. 

AudgiePodge

I haven't read the article, but if it is a private school banning lunches from home, I am fine with it.  I am not okay with it if it is a public school.

bethsmiles

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:dfa18201-b441-412b-b3a7-2e329064a7ac">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]I haven't read the article, but if it is a private school banning lunches from home, I am fine with it.  I am not okay with it if it is a public school.
Posted by AudgiePodge[/QUOTE]

It's a public school in Chicago.

bethsmiles

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:aad7d41b-f749-4de0-a273-8da627563d25">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]I can understand banning high incidence allergy items from homemade lunches (i.e. peanuts and peanutbutter), and even monitoring homemade lunches to ensure they don't slip through, but NO homemade lunches?  That's ridiculous.  I don't see that lasting very long.  Schools shouldn't be able to mandate that a child eat their food all week long. 
Posted by ADTonk[/QUOTE]

The ban isn't about allergies. It's about the school deciding that they are the only ones who can provide children with a nutritious meal and that they know better than the children's parents.

deburnin

Audgie- It's a public school.

This is rather ridiculous. Offer the healthier lunches, yes. But don't force people into only being allowed that. Cafeteria food is expensive for one thing. My family qualified for reduced lunches, but most families don't. Add multiple kids and that's going to be a lot of extra money needed. And really? They're going to make a kid go hungry because they brought a meal from home? That's just absurd.

SeaTea02

I agree with everyone else...

But what about kids WITH allergies who can't bring food from home? There aren't going to be many option for kids with gluten, dairy, and nut allergies OR someone with all three (which I have met). 

This is going too far. 

heyimbren

From my understanding, the kids with allergies can have special permission to bring food from home.

Another thing that bothers me about this, similar to what Taffft said, is that it's guaranteed money for the school. Of course they (or their food provider) like it; the students have no other option but to buy lunch from them every day.

PaigeMcC

No one tells me what to feed my kid.  Period.  I understand wanting to provide healthier lunches, banning allergens, etc...but I don't want a school to try and tell me that I don't know how to give my child proper nutrition.

I think if they were really concerned about nutrition then they would be better served offering parents the resources (such as dieticians and nutritionists doing an evening workshop) to teach them about nutrition for their children's lunches.  This just seems control-freakish.

bourgehm

Dumb...

My little sister (she's seven) is so scared about ordering her lunch that my mom just makes her one. I seriuosly think she'd be way way too scared to even go to school if she HAD to eat hot lunch. For some reason it just freaks her out with needing to remember her PIN and enter it in and not having time to eat it since it takes so long to stand in line.

bethsmiles

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:3c5a6955-4363-4537-9543-0daee5e32b4a">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]Dumb... My little sister (she's seven) is so scared about ordering her lunch that my mom just makes her one. I seriuosly think she'd be way way too scared to even go to school if she HAD to eat hot lunch. For some reason it just freaks her out with needing to remember her PIN and enter it in and not having time to eat it since it takes so long to stand in line.
Posted by bourgehm[/QUOTE]

My younger brother was super shy when he was in elementary school. If he had been forced to talk to whoever was serving lunch, no matter how nice they were, he would not have been able to handle it. He took his lunch every single day through elementary and junior high school.

leia1979

I agree that this is dumb. We didn't have a lot of money growing up. Being able to buy lunch at school was an occasional treat.

Sorry, I didn't read the article, but what are they going to do about kids who don't have lunch money but don't qualify for free lunch?

peekaboo2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:6e11fdab-a822-4752-9812-923b7ca8fd41">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]I agree that this is dumb. We didn't have a lot of money growing up. Being able to buy lunch at school was an occasional treat. Sorry, I didn't read the article, but what are they going to do about kids who don't have lunch money but don't qualify for free lunch?
Posted by leia1979[/QUOTE]

Apparently they starve.

I think my biggest issue, aside from the obvious control issues, is the fact that kids have no option other than to eat the school food or starve, unless you have an allergy.  Seeing as it's elementary school, wouldn't that count as child abuse?  Shoes, other law students/lawyers, thoughts?  I think if this really counts as legal, I'd get a doctor to deem that my child had an allergy.  This is ridiculous.

sparkles88

Nonsense. I remember the food they fed us in the cafeteria. You can't convince me it was better than something my parents would have packed. Beef filled with gristle??? Yum, so healthy!

I also don't see how they're going to realistically lower the sodium content in a lot of the food they serve. It's common knowledge that those meals are pre-made or they are produced in large quantities, which typically means a lot of salt.

PaigeMcC

We didn't even have the option of school lunches at my school.  You brought lunch, went home, or went hungry.

The end.

SeaTea02

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:b64afaf7-860a-4261-ae72-d67bafe5bd44">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]From my understanding, the kids with allergies can have special permission to bring food from home. Another thing that bothers me about this, similar to what Taffft said, is that it's guaranteed money for the school. Of course they (or their food provider) like it; the students have no other option but to buy lunch from them every day.
Posted by heyimbren[/QUOTE]

<div>That is what happens when I don't read the article. So I just did. </div><div>
</div><div>I hope that picture isn't an example of a healthy lunch.... </div>

bethsmiles

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:bf49dcbd-8847-4329-9e55-cdfe2e2895d7">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]  I hope that picture isn't an example of a healthy lunch.... 
Posted by SeaTea02[/QUOTE]

Ugh...I hope so too. It barely looks edible.

sparkles88

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:bf49dcbd-8847-4329-9e55-cdfe2e2895d7">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches : That is what happens when I don't read the article. So I just did.  <strong>I hope that picture isn't an example of a healthy lunch.... </strong>
Posted by SeaTea02[/QUOTE]


I'm not sure it has enough calories for a growing child!

SassyFlats

So, what about religious or ethical diet restrictions? Lent, for one. Vegetarian/vegan for another... How about Kosher?

I mean... come on, this is just ridiculous. If I had kids and their school pulled this stuff, you can bet I'd be one loud-mouthed PTA mom.

SeaTea02

Home school sounds more and more appealing all the time. 

I can't have an only child who is also home schooled. I think a social disorder and the inability to play well with others would be inevitable. 

meamolly

Ok so the BF and I have looked over the so called healthy lunch picture. Processed cheese product aka American cheese (not healthy, does it have any dairy in it?) six carrots, (really?) peaches that look they they may be from a can (which probably was in syrup) strawberry milk, tots with a very weird looking sauce and processed turkey product on process hot dog bun? HOW IS THAT A HEALTHY LUNCH?

Sparrow87

It won't last...  Parent's will put up a stink...  As I think they should. 

bethsmiles

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:5b58981d-79c4-4967-a4b4-7768146d9424">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]Home school sounds more and more appealing all the time.  I can't have an only child who is also home schooled. I think a social disorder and the inability to play well with others would be inevitable. 
Posted by SeaTea02[/QUOTE]

I had friends who were home schooled but were very active in sports and activities outside of the home so they still got tons of interaction with other children.

SeaTea02

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:40f7bb70-df46-4e75-8e7f-2e53dbf324d8">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches : I had friends who were home schooled but were very active in sports and activities outside of the home so they still got tons of interaction with other children.
Posted by bethsmiles[/QUOTE]

<div>Did they have siblings? I think sometimes it is hard enough to properly socialize an only child. Home school is a double wammy. </div><div>
</div><div>One of my very best friends was in and out of home school. But she had siblings, you know? So she had someone else sharing her toys and such. </div><div>
</div><div>I'm not saying it can't work, it is just hard. </div>

bethsmiles

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wddyt-school-bans-homemade-lunches?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:c0961078-353b-4738-873f-d35c7834025dPost:6ec72b22-90d1-488b-9a6d-3b383dd5874d">Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: WDDYT? School bans Homemade Lunches : Did they have siblings? I think sometimes it is hard enough to properly socialize an only child. Home school is a double wammy.  One of my very best friends was in and out of home school. But she had siblings, you know? So she had someone else sharing her toys and such.  I'm not saying it can't work, it is just hard. 
Posted by SeaTea02[/QUOTE]

One girl was an only child. She had a lot of family though - lots of cousins she grew up with.  I agree with you though, it can work but it's harder.

AbigailMS

personally I think it depends on the school.

  I went to a VERY rural oklahoma school. there was honestly no time to make lunch in the mornings, and if you paid the whole year in advance at the school, you got a discount. 

We would've starved without school lunches, and nobody EVER brought one from home. The kids that lived in town were mostly all on free lunches. Us farm kids would've had to pack leftovers.

 I got on the bus at 6 am. before that I had chores not to mention getting a shower and getting dressed. and our school lunches were pretty good...but not good for us. I think it was $1 per lunch full priced? and .60 for breakfast. .05 for extra milk or ice cream. 

When we got into high school we had off campus lunch, but there are NO restaurants whatsoever in that town, therefore we went home and ate leftovers.