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Not everybody who needs and qualifies for free breakfast will sign up because they are embarrassed. This will remove the stigma.
Students who eat a better breakfast do better both in academics and behavior.
The nutrition department of most schools are a separate budget from the school budget. They are not taking money away from teachers. According to this article, this county even had a budget savings last year through smart purchasing.
Too many parents do not/cannot meet the needs of their children. Feeding breakfast is just one more example. Yes, all parents should make sure their children have a healthy breakfast, but many don't even when they can. We need to address the problem through educating the parents, but in the mean time, why not feed the children and reap the benefits!
As far as educating the parents, the school should be telling them, "if you can't feed your kids perhaps you shouldn't be raising them." Sounds more like CPS needs to intervene. Stop having children, if you can't fill their basic needs.
Lumbollo I couldn't open your links. It was a problem on my end.
I'm wondering how they can provide a good breakfast to the children & also accomodate all the kids with different food allergies. I don't know much about preparing food for kids with allergies but I'm thinking that cross contamination might be a problem. Kids sharing their food & not knowing that their friends could get sick would also be a problem too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anifani821
The best thing for a kid's breakfast would be a menu with old fashioned oatmeal, plain yogurt, fresh cherries, almonds - that sort of combo. I raised my family that way and my son still eats that way and has never had a problem with his weight/BMI. But that takes a a mommy who plans ahead or a lunchroom w/ actual cooks in it to stand over big pots, stirring for a while, lol.
Cross contamination can be avoided by not providing food that contains major allergy contaminants. In addition, the child being educated can assist if food is brought in from home.
Anifan, most of those items sound perfect, but as a mother of a tree nut allergic child, those almods would kill her. Fruit, outmeal, yogurt and toast is quite balanced, with milk of course or juice.
Barkingbowl, many schools are peanut and tree nut free. I know my daughter has been taught what nuts looks like, what foods may contain nuts, and I am confident she wouldnt eat something with them in it, and shes only 4.
On topic though, I think its atrocious that parents dont have to be responsible to feed their children breakfast. My daughters school provides breakfast and lunch, but you know what? I wake up early enough to make her breakfast every day and pack her lunch. It is so sad that even if parents could make them breakfast they rather wake the child up later and have the school provide it to them.
Let me chime in... I have to disagree with Lincoln County about income does not matter. Free meals or reduced meals should be given to those within a certain income level. Those who can afford need to pay. This way some of that money can be recouped. It may not be much. But every little bit helps. The recouped funds can be directed toward school supplies teachers have to pay for out of pocket.
Let me chime in... I have to disagree with Lincoln County about income does not matter. Free meals or reduced meals should be given to those within a certain income level. Those who can afford need to pay. This way some of that money can be recouped. It may not be much. But every little bit helps. The recouped funds can be directed toward school supplies teachers have to pay for out of pocket.
I agree with you Princess. My children go to school here. We do not take advantage of this program, but then again my kids don't buy lunch at school. I really like our school and one of the reasons I am glad we chose this school, other then the very good education, is how the children always come first. They always strive to do what is best for the kids. I have never seen a school so devoted to the kids. With that being said, I much rather see the money go towards supplies.
Even if a school is nut free you can't control what people eat at home. My kids eat pb and toast often along with granola and other things...I hate to say it but I am not going to stop feeding them those things. They do know to wash hands etc. but a young child if they had a truly life threatening allergy depending on circumstance would not be in a public setting.
Resident, as long as my daughter is in a nut free school lunch program, and does not share food- which she is highly aware not to do, there is no reason she should not be in a public school. Thats no different than a child bringing in pb and j to a private school. and then what? Home school because she has a nut allergy? We carry an epi-pen and benadryl to avoid any life threatening situation. But she can live as normal a life as anyone else. and nowhere in my post did I say other children shouldn't bring in the foods they normally eat. I said she knows not to eat it and share.
My personal opinion about allergies is that it's just another drug company/doctor money making scheme. Parents think they need to take their kids to an allergist to have them tested for every known substance in the universe, and the allergist will diagnose them with 8000 allergies, an epi pen, and follow up visits. Most of these kids have never even had a nut, soy milk, etc to have an actual reaction, but the doctor says they are allergic, so they must be. I have a good friend whose child tested positive for peanut, tree nut, milk, wheat, soy, etc etc etc, and she didn't change his diet one bit. He ingested all of those things before being tested, and it never affected him, so she figured why stop now. He continues to grow into a healthy boy - isn't it astounding!?
Also had a little boy in one of my classes who was allergic to everything on the planet. We had to post all kinds of special requirements for him, take epi pen classes, etc. He would routinely sneak food from other kids' lunches or cupcakes at parties, and nothing ever happened to him.
LOL that is funny. I know what you mean..I am allergic to a lot of things according to the prick test but I don't do anything about it and I am pretty healthy.
My personal opinion about allergies is that it's just another drug company/doctor money making scheme. Parents think they need to take their kids to an allergist to have them tested for every known substance in the universe, and the allergist will diagnose them with 8000 allergies, an epi pen, and follow up visits. Most of these kids have never even had a nut, soy milk, etc to have an actual reaction, but the doctor says they are allergic, so they must be. I have a good friend whose child tested positive for peanut, tree nut, milk, wheat, soy, etc etc etc, and she didn't change his diet one bit. He ingested all of those things before being tested, and it never affected him, so she figured why stop now. He continues to grow into a healthy boy - isn't it astounding!?
Also had a little boy in one of my classes who was allergic to everything on the planet. We had to post all kinds of special requirements for him, take epi pen classes, etc. He would routinely sneak food from other kids' lunches or cupcakes at parties, and nothing ever happened to him.
I'm astounded at this post! do you guys really believe this?! I hate to take this personal BUT I never took my daughter to an allergist until she ate handful of mixed planters nuts and had to be rushed to the hospital due to the hives, throwing up, and trouble breathing! There is no faking that at a year and a half old.
The epi pen is only used if she gets ahold of something and goes into shock, the benydryl is because if someone has touched or eaten nuts and touches her or kisses her cheek, there is an immediate hive. She has only had the one outburst where a hospital was needed but thats because I am extremely careful, taught her well and use benadryl at the first sign of a reaction.
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It was a problem on my end.
