Guest guest Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 Hi! I'm new to the group and a fairly new veg mom (that is, I've been vegetarian for 19 years, but am new to parenting veggie kids). My dd, age 3 1/2, has just begun preschool. I am wondering how other parents have handled the snack at school issue. Obviously, they're not going to be eating meat at school, but when kids have birthdays, moms bring in a treat, which could include marshmallows, gummy worms, etc. Do you educate your child on these items and leave it up to them to decide whether to eat them or not? Or do you talk to the teacher and prohibit it? I can see pluses and minuses to both approaches. Any input is appreciated! Dana mommy to 2 dds, ages 3 1/2 and 11 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Dana, My daughter just started school. She will be five this month, but Florida has a September first cut-off date to start kindergarten. Therefore she's going to VPK (Voluntary pre-kindergarten, which is free and like a preschool) and I'm homeschooling her for kindergarten. I did both - she knows what she can and can't eat. I also spoke with her teacher and gave her a list of what she can't eat. Kayla is very in tune with things like gelatin. If you offer her candy and she is unfamiliar with it she will ask if it is vegetarian, she will also ask you if it has gelatin. I think you have to educate both the teacher and your child. You also should try, whenever possible, to be involved in the parties. That is something I worry about as well and will be trying to be involved in. I'm curious to see how others handle this as well. We need all the help we can get! :-) Jacqueline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 I don't approve of things like packaged foods, candy and other junky foods, but they have a place in children's lives whether we like it or not. I think you can continue to offer foods you find acceptable to your child and help her make decisions when she's away from you. My nine year old son has always gone for the fresh and dried fruit, whole grain crackers, cheese (when he ate that), and instinctively stayed away from rolled up ham, bologna, buttery crackers, etc. My kids are 13, 9 and 5 and my middle one is definitely the best eater. My youngest would take gummy worms over dried prunes and almonds for snack any day, much to my dismay. You can only do what you do at home with any real success, eventually the children will make their own decisions. On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 2:44 PM, dpmuggle <dpmurphy wrote: > > > Hi! > > I'm new to the group and a fairly new veg mom (that is, I've been > vegetarian for 19 years, but am new to parenting veggie kids). My dd, age 3 > 1/2, has just begun preschool. I am wondering how other parents have handled > the snack at school issue. Obviously, they're not going to be eating meat at > school, but when kids have birthdays, moms bring in a treat, which could > include marshmallows, gummy worms, etc. > > Do you educate your child on these items and leave it up to them to decide > whether to eat them or not? Or do you talk to the teacher and prohibit it? I > can see pluses and minuses to both approaches. > > Any input is appreciated! > > Dana > mommy to 2 dds, ages 3 1/2 and 11 months > > > -- Regards, Vibeke Putting vegetables back in vegetarian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Ugh, this is something I have a hard time dealing with too. I really hate for my boys to eat the junk food (candy, cookies, cupcakes, etc) at school parties and friend's birthday parties but at the same time I don't want them to be the oddball not enjoying them with their classmates. I don't want them to feel different or deprived so I allow it only on those special occasions. At home we have absolutely no candy, cake, etc. And we definitely do talk about the junk food so they know and understand it's not healthy and only a special treat. I spend a lot of time telling them about healthy foods. So even though I HATE for them to eat the junk I allow it on the special occasions so they can be normal kids. God knows I LOVED candy when I was a kid! Good luck!! PS Their teacher and our family/friends know they don't eat meat though under NO circumstances! --- On Wed, 9/16/09, Jacqueline Bodnar <jb wrote: Jacqueline Bodnar <jb RE: Preschool snacks: how to handle? Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 9:12 AM Dana, My daughter just started school. She will be five this month, but Florida has a September first cut-off date to start kindergarten. Therefore she's going to VPK (Voluntary pre-kindergarten, which is free and like a preschool) and I'm homeschooling her for kindergarten. I did both - she knows what she can and can't eat. I also spoke with her teacher and gave her a list of what she can't eat. Kayla is very in tune with things like gelatin. If you offer her candy and she is unfamiliar with it she will ask if it is vegetarian, she will also ask you if it has gelatin. I think you have to educate both the teacher and your child. You also should try, whenever possible, to be involved in the parties. That is something I worry about as well and will be trying to be involved in. I'm curious to see how others handle this as well. We need all the help we can get! :-) Jacqueline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 Depending on the schools rules you may be able to leave a little package of gelitin free gummy bears and/or a Sweet & Sarah marshmellow treat in the office or her bag just incase and inform her teacher that she cannot have gelitin so you are willing to provide a substitute. I would maybe send a little list of common snacks children eat that contain gelitin so that the school is a little more educated about it. I know we discussed the whole alergy thing a while back, but it is a good option to say she has an alergy to it. That way there would be no question that they would be vigilent in helping her to avoid the things you don't want her to have. Amity , " dpmuggle " <dpmurphy wrote: > > Hi! > > I'm new to the group and a fairly new veg mom (that is, I've been vegetarian for 19 years, but am new to parenting veggie kids). My dd, age 3 1/2, has just begun preschool. I am wondering how other parents have handled the snack at school issue. Obviously, they're not going to be eating meat at school, but when kids have birthdays, moms bring in a treat, which could include marshmallows, gummy worms, etc. > > Do you educate your child on these items and leave it up to them to decide whether to eat them or not? Or do you talk to the teacher and prohibit it? I can see pluses and minuses to both approaches. > > Any input is appreciated! > > Dana > mommy to 2 dds, ages 3 1/2 and 11 months > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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