I Have To Vent!

[ptkds]

So my 9 yr old dd has been on the diet since the beginning of December. I have talked to her teacher and given her all the lists and instructions about how my dd can't even come in contact w/ gluten and all of this. So I got this letter today that was sent out to all the parents from her teacher. They are preparing for the TAKS test, and the teacher wants to encourage the kids everyday with little "treats." She is planning on serving the kids things like cinnamon rolls, goldfish, animal crackers, chips, and cheerios. My dd is already so sensitive about this diet, and she really hates not being able to eat the same foods as the other kids. There is no way I can send foods similar to all of these things! I havne't even attempted to make real cinnamon rolls yet. I am just so upset that her teacher is gonna "torture" my dd w/ all these foods that she can't even have! And then my dd always feels embarrased if she isn't doing the same as the other kids.

I just had to vent. I am just so upset right now that I am in tears! I feel so bad for my dd.

ptkds

[skipper30]

I am so sorry that your sweet daughter has to go through something like this especially while taking tests!! Brain fog induced by teacher's ignorance. That is lovely!!

Maybe you could gently remind her of the situation and ask if she could provide alternitive to all those gluten filled snacks. Remind her of how sensitive she is and how all these crumbs around could prevent her from taking the tests should she get any cc. Maybe ask if she could offer a special treat on one day(maybe the last testing day) and then you would have time to make /get something WAY BETTER for your daughter.

I hope that things will work out for ALL of you!!

Dallas

[Nancym]

Why are teachers feeding kids junk food anyway? We didn't do this when I was in grade school. Some how I managed to get through college without teachers shoveling me full of junk food!

[Guhlia]

Just a quick note on cinnamon rolls, I highly recommend the ones from Kinnikinnick. They're awesome. All of your daughter's classmates will be jealous.

Poor little thing... It makes no sense to me why they think they need to reward kids with food. Stickers, erasers, pencils, and the like make MUCH better rewards in my opinion. Perhaps you could offer to purchase some of those types of things instead of the food idea??? Oriental Trading Company sells these things in bulk for VERY cheap.

[blueeyedmanda]

Couldn't they encourage the kids with stickers or fruit something healthy...All the across the country you see stories of how unhealthy school lunches are and how they are supposed to be offering healthy meals, well it is not helping when the teacher are serving sugary junky snacks in the classroom as rewards.

[hez]

I am so sorry you are having to go through this. Nothing is worse than watching your child feel rejected, pained or wronged in some way.

I also hate that everything is about food! We are not the only ones with issues. There are those that have food allergies! I just hate how everything has become about food

Hez

[Jestgar]

I agree with nancym. Why not grapes or strawberries or even fruit leather?

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I would go to the principal about this. The teachers should NOT be handing out food to the class--that is not their job, and they could be opening themselves up to a whole lot of liability issues if one kid has an allergic reaction.

As was pointed out above, the teachers should be able to do their job (teach) without resorting to junk food.

Heck, you could even get the media involved!

[celiacgirls]

I would send her with her own treat every day and make it something really good so she doesn't feel deprived. I wouldn't try to match what the teacher does at this point but just send something she likes and maybe doesn't always get. Skittles, popcorn, gluten-free brownie, potato chips, etc.

I do agree that there is a huge emphasis on junky food in the schools but there's not much we can do about that.

[FeedIndy]

Our school did this during testing too, but they specified healthy snacks! They had things like granola bars, raisins, fruit and trail mix-all of which would be easy to make gluten free! The kids loved having a treat during the test period, but it was something good for them rather than junk that will do nothing to benefit their bodies or their minds. Perhaps you could raise your concerns as a parent in general, and not as a parent of a gluten free child-mention that the things she suggested are not healthy choices and you feel as a school they should be promoting better choices.

[Phyllis28]

There are times when a parent needs to step in and be a child's avocate. You will have to decide for yourself if this is one of them. My son has Aspergers (a form of autism) and when he was in elementary school I had to step in an be his avocate on a regular basis. I was a squeeky wheel again and again and again.

You could call or e-mail to the teacher explaining nicely that a room full of gluten food along with the resulting crumbs is putting your child's health at risk. Then suggest alternatives. In addition to the stickers, pencils and erasers already listed by other posters you could offer to provide gluten free snacks like gluten free cereal, gluten free chips etc. You might want to consider making individual portions in ZipLock bags to be passed out instead of a common bowl.

You might also request a 504 plan. A 504 plan would put in writting the requirements to accomodate your daughter's diet. I had to do this in writting with a doctor's letter, for my son. The school has to follow a 504 plan.

I wish you the best.

[gf4life]

Last year we had an issue at the school, but it was slightly different. The Principal at the school for 4th and 5th grades was handing out candy bars (Kit Kats) to all of the kids who scored high on the STAR tests when they were in 3rd grade (a completely different school!). Not only did my son's teacher get mad that they were giving then candy in school when they are supposed to be trying to teach them about eating healthy, but they gave it for a test they did the year before, also it made all the kids who didn't score high enough feel stupid and left out. Now my son got 2 darn Kit Kat bars and he couldn't even eat them! Instead he gave them away and then came home and asked me to buy him replacements that he could eat. I felt bad for him and bought him 1 (NOT 2). Then they did it again later that year for another round of testing! This time I told my son to just give them back and he got a single piece of candy, not a whole candy bar and certainly not 2.

As for testing, the schools around here are required to provide a snack after the testing, but they are supposed to be a healthy snack. I've noticed they tend to be cookie bars similar to fruit newton cookies, animal crackers, and things like that. They also give them a juice box. I just have my kids pick a snack from their gluten free snack box that they keep in their classrooms. My oldest is in Jr. High and they have him keep his snack box in the nurses office since he is in so many different classrooms. It works out really well and I try to keep it stocked with foods the other kids would love to eat as well, so my kids end up feeling like they are getting the special treats and every one else has to eat the regular stuff!

[num1habsfan]

Awww...Well I may not be that young, but I sure have to deal with presentations or whatever giving out cookies, or classmates bringing donuts/timbits and "forgetting" about me. And its tough, I definitely know how she feels. Did you talk to the principal or some of the parents??? I would.

~ lisa ~

[Mtndog]

As a former teacher (middle school and high school) in my pre-celiac years, I did occasionally treat my kids to something during testing (cuz, frankly, it's so brutal on them; testing now isn't your average testing. It's like 5 days straight for three to four hours at a time because of all the state and federal requirements).

I had a student with a peanut allergy (we were always clearly made aware of any allergies) so I stayed away from chocolate etc. I did things ike potato chips, gummy bears, and popcorn and come to think of it, we took walks as a reward. How's that for a novel idea? Play a game, go for a walk.

The principal should definitely be involved if the teacher doesn't address your concerns.

[pinktulip]

THose children are lucky. When I was in elementary school we got celery, carrots, apples, bananas, raisins. The last day of testing as a "treat" we had a mini watermelon party right after lunch.

[Yenni]

Oh, that is just bad. How unsensitive of that teacher.

I am not a child but I have to deal with constatnt treats laying around this house (we live with my husbands family right now). To me that is very hard, I can imagine how much more difficult it would be for a child. Makes me angry just to think about!!

Hope you will figure something good out for your daughter.

[Kibbie]

So my 9 yr old dd has been on the diet since the beginning of December. I have talked to her teacher and given her all the lists and instructions about how my dd can't even come in contact w/ gluten and all of this. So I got this letter today that was sent out to all the parents from her teacher. They are preparing for the TAKS test, and the teacher wants to encourage the kids everyday with little "treats." She is planning on serving the kids things like cinnamon rolls, goldfish, animal crackers, chips, and cheerios. My dd is already so sensitive about this diet, and she really hates not being able to eat the same foods as the other kids. There is no way I can send foods similar to all of these things! I havne't even attempted to make real cinnamon rolls yet. I am just so upset that her teacher is gonna "torture" my dd w/ all these foods that she can't even have! And then my dd always feels embarrased if she isn't doing the same as the other kids.

I just had to vent. I am just so upset right now that I am in tears! I feel so bad for my dd.

ptkds

Wow! I was a teacher before (and I live in Texas too) I had my daughter and I can tell you she just wasn't thinking. I would contact her and ask her if she would reconsider her choices of snacks. Point out that if you daughter feels left out that she will most likely not do her best on the TAKS test! Let see some snacks that I can think of that everyone could eat:

Fresh Fruit

Craisins/Raisins

Popcorn

Enviro kids vanilla animal cookies

Petes Veggie Booty

Petes Pirate Booty

Petes Fruity Booty

I'd offer her those suggestions and remind her all are more cost effective, healthier, and most likely leave no kids out of "normal" treats on the day of the test.

Hope that helps!

[blueeyedmanda]

Honestly, whenever I go to a party and there are children there, they seem to go for the veggie/fruit trays. Raw veggies seem to be a hit, ask if maybe you could provide the dip (so its gluten free). Its a healthy option everyone can enjoy!

[2kids4me]

I agree with everyone here - erasers, stickers, etc - if they need to provide an incentive...healthy snacks if they wnat to go the "food route" as listed by many.

My son is diabetic and celiac so I hate the food reward thing..whatever happened to internal rewards - being proud of doing your best and getting a sticker to show off that you did your best. I know teachers that reward the kids with extra gym time or outside games....

In the day and age where it being stressed that many kids are sedentary and not eating healthy - WHY do the schools use food rewards - and cinamom buns/rolls are high carbs!

Sandy

PS -I also agree that you have to advocate often. My daughter has Aspergers and apparently they were "unaware" that she had an auditory processing problem...even though the audiology report was sent to the school and had been in her file for 4 years.

Ok, I digress...

Think of yourself as advocating for healthy food choices for your daughter and all the other kids in that class....

[tarnalberry]

I hope you get a chance to talk to the teacher and improve the situation, because their current track is just silly.

[chrissy]

when our schools do testing we are requested to send healthy snacks with our children. the snacks are not a reward for testing, they are to make sure that the kids have plenty of "brain food".

[blueeyedmanda]

You would also think that with the rise in children with food allergies, that food rewards would not be allowed unless everyone can enjoy them. If you look around there are a lot of children with allergy to dyes in food and other allergies that don't really come up as often. There are so many other alternatives to this than food. I like what others have said about outdoor/gym time. That is something kids would really enjoy and also could use after sitting and taking those long tests. They need to let out that energy.

[Mtndog]

You would also think that with the rise in children with food allergies, that food rewards would not be allowed unless everyone can enjoy them. If you look around there are a lot of children with allergy to dyes in food and other allergies that don't really come up as often. There are so many other alternatives to this than food. I like what others have said about outdoor/gym time. That is something kids would really enjoy and also could use after sitting and taking those long tests. They need to let out that energy.

I honestly have to say that I don't know if the teacher was being insesnsitive or just doesn't get it. A lot of people REALLY just don't get it.

I LOVE the idea of a watermelon party. We liked the walk, play a game thing.

And honestly, the students have no incentive to do well on these tests because A. they're too young to be tested the way they're being tested now B. the scores mean nothing to them- they have more of a bearing on the school than anything else. It's not like a math test where you WANT to get a good grade for the sake of doing well.

Sorry, I'm biased about all this testing It already makes kids feel inferior and then to have the teacher hand out snacks that will single your daughter out even more is not OK.

[Nancym]

when our schools do testing we are requested to send healthy snacks with our children. the snacks are not a reward for testing, they are to make sure that the kids have plenty of "brain food".

Brain food? Starchy, sugary junk food is called brain food these days? Holy cow. No wonder kids are getting fatty liver disease and Type 2 diabetes.

[2Boys4Me]

THose children are lucky. When I was in elementary school we got celery, carrots, apples, bananas, raisins. The last day of testing as a "treat" we had a mini watermelon party right after lunch.

I'll say. When I was in elementary, when we finished tests we got to either read a book quietly or twiddle our thumbs. Oh the horror of the '70's!

I'm sure not getting candy after a test was a violation of my Charter rights! (If we had a Charter then. In hindsight, perhaps I should have studied more. )