Here’s One for Jamie Oliver
At the beginning of the school year, Olivia’s teacher requested we send in snacks every day in addition to sending lunch so the kids could have an afternoon snack. I typically send a granola bar or specifically Clif bars and a gatorade or bottle of water. Being the often absent-minded mom, I occasionally forget to throw the snack into the backpack at 7:00am. To overcome my shortfall a few weeks ago, I purchased a large box of Clif bars and a couple clusters of Gatorade bottles and took them to Olivia’s teacher to keep in Olivia’s cubby.
Yesterday, I went to pick up Olivia and the teacher walked out, handed over the large grocery bag containing the Clif bars and Gatorade and asked “can’t she ever have chips or something?”
I was baffled and speechless! (another shortfall of mine is to stand stunned when people surprise me with stupidity.) She said Olivia won’t eat the Clif bars because all the other kids have chips “and stuff”. I responded that Olivia wasn’t forbidden from having chips but that I preferred she did not eat things like that on a daily basis. As the teacher stood looking at me with her smug facial expression, I just walked away terribly confused.
There are times when I’ll shift what I offer my kid just because I want them to eat it, though I’ll provide a healthier version. It stinks that peers can influence them so early.
I should probably do that myself.