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I grew up on Little Debbie cakes. Also, I'm pretty sure that I drank a Pepsi everyday of 10th grade. We had a soda machine at school.
And while I admit to having some body image issues, I think that I turned out okay. Honestly, I did. I drink spinach smoothies. I eat Greek yogurt. I work out 5-6 days a week. I rarely eat out. I don't drink soda at all anymore.
As a teacher, I've seen my students eat everything from organic apples and quinoa to Lunchables at lunch time. I've taken away soda that parents have sent for their child to drink at lunch. I've witnessed moms drop off McDonald's for their child's lunch...on more than one occasion. I've taken away those sodas too (No soda at lunch is the rule in most elementary schools). Because yeah, the soda comes with the meal and, heaven forbid we don't get our money's worth at McDonald's, right?
I can look over the group of kids and tell who has healthy habits taught to them at home and who doesn't.
And I'll be the first to admit: I give out candy as prizes. Not in vast quantities*. Not every day. But yeah, bribery works. So sue me. If the parents out there didn't bribe their kids with everything under the sun, instead of expecting them to have an intrinsic desire to succeed, then maybe I wouldn't have to give out jelly beans to the kids who do their math homework. You can bet that if I do that on a Thursday, on Friday every single kid will have their math homework done.
I recently read a post at Happy Healthy Mama (love that blog!) about teaching your kids to stay away from processed foods.
I get it. I really do. I wish, these days, that I hadn't had near constant access to junk food at a young age. As I said, I do not blame my parents. In the 90s, only the "crunchy" people cared about avoiding processed food. I was provided with tons of healthy food. I just didn't eat it. Vegetables and I will always have a hate/love/hate relationship. Emphasis on the hate.
But if you're not teaching your kid what healthy food is, why in the world would you assume that I, as a school employee, would do such a thing? It's not my job! It's my job to reinforce your child's love for learning. Sometimes it's much harder than you would think. I try to honest with my students. I try to be a role model. But please, do not blame the teachers for over-processed foods in schools. I have no control over the dozens of cupcakes that come into the classroom for birthdays. No one even asks me! Sometimes, randomly, a parent will just show up at the door with balloons and cake. In the middle of math class. True story.
My mom knows how I've struggled with healthy eating over the years. In fact, when I had some blood work done (for the first time ever) a few weeks ago, everything came back perfectly normal. I was expecting low iron and high blood sugar. I had high iron and perfect blood sugar. I told my mom, "I was not expecting THAT. You know how I eat. There's no way my blood sugar is normal. Something must be wrong with their machines." She just laughed....and I'm sure she also told me to go eat some protein. (She and Scott both think that "more protein" is the answer to every possible ailment.)
What do you guys think? Do you blame schools for unhealthy eating habits?
I've actually spent a lot of my own money to buy healthier snacks (when snacks are needed), when junk food would've been cheaper. I, personally, feel like our society's problem with junk food starts in the home...schools aren't completely innocent, but they're definitely the scapegoats in this situation.
*If you're thinking of the mass quantities of jelly beans I've been giving away lately, I split them between several students OR I consult the parent before sending their child home with jelly beans.