Raspberry Lemon Cupcake from Cupcake originally uploaded by Aaron Landry
According to this article over at the Star Tribune reports that all birthday treats will be banned in 18 different Apple Valley/Eagan/Rosemount elementary schools across District 196 starting in Fall 2009. District elementary school principals gathered together to voice their opposition to treats in the classroom due to childhood obesity and allergy concerns as well as the fear that some parents who are barely making their way financially shouldn’t have to feel the pressure of competing with those that are more fortunate.
The restriction will grow from four schools currently banning the practice to include all other elementary schools has its fair share of support and opposition. One parent claimed that it used to be something as simple as providing lollipops to all the students in class but has grown to include pizza or even gift bags. Another said that to children birthdays are a big deal and that they should be able to have their day.
The Star Tribune comment section for this article, as always, is filled with more of the same. People on both sides of the equation voicing their support or concern for the change.
Supporter “lubug2″ says:
I tried to remember back the decades since I was in elementary school. And you know what? There were never any treats on birthdays. It just wasn’t done. And you know what else? We did OK.
But “mamazog” counters with:
I thought school was meant to prepare children for the adult world. At my office, birthdays are regularly recognized, usually with food. Then there’s Treat Friday, office potlucks and dilly bars for a job well done. Is this something to get bent out of shape about?
My parents did stuff for my birthdays growing up including pizza, cupcakes, bowling parties and even a huge batch of homemade cookies or dinner for the entire BGSU college swim team in my later years. I never really saw it as a problem and I don’t honestly believe that anyone should have felt pressure to compete. While I do see the childhood obesity issue I suppose, I don’t get the allergies thing. On that I stand firm with lubug2 when I mention that it just wasn’t a problem back then. If you were allergic to something you didn’t fucking eat it. Life isn’t fair and living with a disability, whatever it is, sucks. School is supposed to teach you to deal with the real world and the real world blows hard. We should start in elementary school by teaching kids that are overweight (I was a fatty in school which is why my parents forced me to participate in sports) or allergic that they better get used to it. I was picked on endlessly up through high school (shaving your legs for swimming made you a ‘faggot’). There was no one there to protect me from the daily ridicule and while administrators would get involved for physical altercations, I just had to deal with the rest of it and I ended up a much better adult because of my experience.
What do you think about this topic. Do you believe that the ban should stand due to the various issues raised or do you think that this is another example of school administrators being ridiculous? Whatever you feel comment on, I’d love to hear what you have to say!
Related posts:
Dakota Complaints Map
Dakota Inmate Dashboard
Loading ...
Lazy Lightning Gear
BPAC Financials Archive
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:31 am
My daughter’s dist. 196 school has been pushing this policy. It isn’t as harsh as it sounds. The birthday is still recognized, just instead of treats, the child is allowed to pick something special to do, whether that be extra time at recess for her class, or extra free reading time. They have several options for the child to make the day special. My daughter had the option of taking a treat to school this year. She did not want to. She wanted to get extra recess for he class. She did this and was happy. That is what counts.
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:33 am
I guess I can see both sides of it. Yeah, if you have allergies, you better buck up and deal with it…but at the same time, if you have allergies you do have some rights to have a relatively normal childhood experience including attending school.
We have one person in our area (cube farm) that has an extreme sensitivity to air. Yes, air. We aren’t supposed to run our fans, she sits next to the windows where all the ventilation in the building is run out of the vents along the outside wall of the building and she covers up all ove the vents (at least until it started screwing up the entire building’s heating and cooling, then she was told she couldn’t cover the vents). It has become this huge issue to try to make her work area “comfortable” for her…well, what about the rest of us? All Winter we were all dying of heat because she can’t have it cold in our area. It is completely crazy. Anyway, long rant to say someone is always going to be miserable, might as well learn that in elementary school so you don’t get your hopes up for the rest of your life.
As for the obesity issue, it is total bullshit. So the only time kids have access to shitty food is when someone has a birthday? Wrong. Does the district publish their lunch menu? I bet if we looked over the lunch menu we would see PLENTY of food options that will make Junior load up on fat calories.
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:33 am
Ugh, I read this article too. I commented even. I never comment on the strib because most of the comments are completely ridiculous and off topic.
I think this policy is ridiculous. I think people need to get a grip and focus on the real problems and issues affecting kids today. Birthday treats? Really? How about we try and make the lunch menus healthier, give the kids more outside time or gym class time. How about we teach our kids what is a healthy meal and also teach them what is a treat? It’s hard to convince kids that jelly beans or cupcakes aren’t a reasonable dinner item, but that’s your job.
I have fond memories of my mom making cookies or cupcakes for me to bring in on my birthday, which was at the beginning of the school year. It was fun to share with your friends. Now, you cant bring in anything homemade for fear of allergic reactions—but store bought, chemical laden items are just fine. huh? Oh well.
Ok, off my soapbox now. :)
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:43 am
sui, I would be very happy with those alternatives, too. My daughter would totally prefer more outside time or an extra trip to the library on her birthday. I guess my big issue isn’t really with banning the treats, but the fact that the school district felt it needed to ban it because they feel it attributes to obesity. That’s silly. I bet the sugar/fat content in the daily lunch menu is worse than any birthday treat, any day.
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:46 am
All of the stupid “give everyone their day” bullshit is just that. My elementary school never did anaything like this. We had holiday classroom parties for halloween and valentine’s day and those waned by 5th grade because it just wasn’t “cool”. As far as children with allergies, buck up. I’m sure that some kids I went to school with had food allergies but they seem more prominent currently and they get special treatment because of it. I never saw that when I was in school nor did I see those kids, scared of eggs, wheat, peanuts or whatever crap could make them keel over or convulse cowering in the far corner of the classroom.
Nobody brought me a cupcake today for my birthday dammit and now I want two to make up for it. ANd an impromtu party with hats, noisemakers and a miniature fucking pony.
And if this makes me the world’s youngest curmudgeon, oh well.
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:48 am
Happy Birthday Sornie! Here’s your pony:
, })`-=--. }/ ._.-' _.-=-...-' / {{| , | {{\ | \ /_ }} \ ,'---'\___\ { )/\\ \\ >\ // >\ >\`- `- `- `-April 23rd, 2009 at 11:51 am
Wow, Bill, you type fast. Good work. Nice pony.
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:52 am
sm, I can Google even faster than I can type ;-)
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:10 pm
As someone who has a summer birthday and never got to celebrate in school (and whose half-birthday, which is only important to those under 17, falls on Christmas break), big whoop-de-doo. We don’t celebrate birthdays at my work, either, because there’s no money in the budget for things like that. In my opinion, in the “real world,” birthdays are just another day, and you usually have to go to work and no one treats you special unless you live with them.
And as far as allergies go, there are those kids who are severely allergic to things like peanuts, where bringing in treats can become a life-and-death situation. I also want to point out that first graders are unlikely to be able to “follow the rules” and not eat a treat that they’re allergic to, because darn it those cupcakes look yummy.
I’m just saying that the “other side” of the issue isn’t completely irrational.
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Kids trying to follow the rules may also fall victim. Some kids can have the peanut reaction from simply being in the vicinity of nuts. Others can have it if the people who have the nuts don’t clean up after themselves thoroughly. Here’s a situation… 1st grader is responsible and knows she is allergic to peanuts. She doesn’t see peanuts, but she wants to be responsible and knows peanuts are bad for her, so she asks: “Does that have peanuts?” The other kid says “nope, there are no peanuts”. She eats it. There are no peanuts. There is, however, peanut oil in the product. She has a reaction. Now what? The kid did everything possible in her first grade mind to be responsible. The teacher shouldn’t be put in the position of trying to guess what is in food products, etc.
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
The teacher will know that this student is allergic to peanuts. They ARE in a position to not permit a student to eat items that were brought into the classroom. If a child has an allergy then it is the parent’s responsibility to alert the school of that fact (and they do I’m certain) and during that alert they should state that their child is only to eat items provided by the parent.
This is a non-issue.
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Bullshit. The teacher can also say “I don’t want the responsibility of making sure only the correct people are eating what they are supposed to on treat day, so no treat day.” Now it is a non-issue.
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:42 pm
A friend of mine works at a school that allows NO outside food (due to food allergy concerns, go figure) and makes all kids eat the school lunch/snacks provided. But even those kids get cake on their birthdays.
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Let’s just ban schools and food. And children.
Problem solved.
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:58 pm
MSPD,
Sometimes it is like you are inside my head, stealing all my thoughts!
Lets ban PEPSI too!
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
The whole thing is a non issue. Who cares either way.
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I just got home from teaching in a classroom with a birthday today. There was no treat, and the kids didn’t care.
But I echo whoever said that the obesity issue is not the reason. Today for lunch the kids in my classroom had nachos. wth? Nachos as in just a bag of chips with a tub of processed “nacho” cheese. That is not a meal. At least at a restaurant yo uget lettuce, tomatoes, beef or chicken, and a little substance to your meal instead of a bag of carbs and a tub of fat. (The other days I’ve been in this school, it has twice been stuffed crust pizza, and other fattening things like breaded popcorn chicken)
Here is the link to 196′s lunch menu: http://district196.org/District/Departments/FoodNutrition/Menus/ElementaryLunch.pdf
So District 196 is blowing air if they think birthday treats are the problem behind childhood obesity.
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:23 pm
The schools serve chemical crap. My kid took his own lunch for most of his K-12 life.
Peanut allergies are just a side effect of a chemically confused population, which is a result of crappy processed food and a dependance on prescription and OTC drugs.
I recall that we took candy bars or some such to pass around on our birthdays.
To allow it or not is not the question. To be a bunch of self-congratulating control freak school administrators who have no idea that they are poisoning our children every day…now THAT’S a problem.
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:30 pm
sandy, thanks for the heads up about the comment not showing up. I have been checking it more often than I used to but I still don’t do it enough. It might be better for you all to just e-mail me directly when one disappears because if your message goes to the spam filter again I might not see it :)
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:34 pm
thanks
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Whadya call cheese that doesn’t belong to you???
Nacho Cheese!
Cheers
Irving
April 30th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
I think a no treats policy is fine. The teacher is in the classroom to teach, not to be a food intake monitor and make sure that little Susie doesn’t eat the cupcakes because they were made with peanut oil. Parents, if you want to celebrate your child’s birthday, distribute invitations to the parents of the invited children outside of school. Then have your own private party. School is for learning!
May 11th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Good thing we have “BIG BROTHER” looking out for all of us or we might all be dead! None of us can make our own choices or decision…..we need the government to do the “big thinking” for us. This is just another case of government stepping in where they don’t need to.