Mumsnet Talk

Why does it undermine healthy eating though?

Healthy eating is everything in moderation, not demonising foods and making sensible choices IMO.

Don't raise it as a complaint, raise it as a suggestion for next year.

My real problem with this is that there will be children at that school who don't own a book of their own (1 in 3 don't apparently), they may not have their own writing or craft materials.

The PTA chose to spend the money of something which will disappear in a few days or weeks, instead making a real difference for some of the children.

"No-one else seems bothered"

because they probably have the sense to realise that it is not unhealthy to eat chocolate in moderation.... unlike you.

I agree piprabbit. Good idea to try to be constructive and to try to come up with suggestions for next year instead of complaining. Thanks.

And for the people who are missing the point here - thanks anyway.

it was a christmas present from the PTA it is a little bit of chocolate unclench as somebody said upthread everything in moderation is fine, branding food unhealthy and BAD is well unhealthy and I am sure the pta are aware the school has a healthy eating policy

Dd got a daffodil bulb. We've planted it and can't wait for it to flower in April. I think chocolates are a waste of money. They should have been given something that helps their learning journey.

Im not missing the point, I just don't agree with your point!

Do you mean one of those selection boxes with several normal sized chocolate bars in, like a Mars?

If so then Yanbu. I'm happy for my children to have chocolate, biscuits and crisps but that would be quite a bit or extra on top of all the other treats they'd get over the Christmas period.

Fair point Amber Leaf. Not fair point squeaky toy - I have not said that anywhere. Fakebook - love the Daffodil idea. Disappointing that a few people can't see beyond eating chocolate as a way for children to have fun at Christmas but there you go - hard to not be brainwashed by chocolate manufacturers when they spend so much money on it I guess. I have an idea of the range of opinion on this and will help me to write my constructive email to the PTA. Thanks.

My DC had plenty of fun, chocolate was used for our cinema night with the DC new DVD they had for Christmas. We did a lot.

Daffodil bulb is ok but what about the people who don't have a garden to put it in.

Perhaps the PTA just shouldn't bother next year. I do feel sorry that people are complaining. What about the children who may not have had any sweets and chocolate over Christmas because family budget don't stretch that far so unnesserary food items.

It was christmas.
It was chocolate.

Healthy eating is about a balanced diet and chocolate at Christmas can be part of that.

Killjoy

Why shouldn't the PTA be giving the kids chocolate OP? Why?

What point are we missing exactly?

Are you on the PTA? If not maybe you should join and make suggestions re use of funds.Presumably it was discussed and voted on and anyone who couldn't have chocolate given an alternative? If so-life's too short to object to trivialities.

You are being a killjoy.

I am a pta chair (I know!) and there is no way our head would let us give chocolate as the christmas gift because it bears no relevance to the ethos of the school.

This year we gave puzzle books and a pen or pencil. It cost about £180 iirc for 420 pupils thanks to good contacts.

If you offer an alternative and offer to organise buying the gifts your suggestions for next year will be much better received btw!

I think you are being a bit of a killjoy. It's a nice sentiment. It's christmas. A selection box at christmas wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

However, I do think I would be a bit mildly surprised. If a school was going to give anything, I would have thought it would be things like a book or pencils or something.

But anyway, I do think YABU to be 'annoyed' by it.

in the Infant school my DC went to (and I was chair of the PTA for several years [!]) FC visits and brings a present for each class not each child - a toy that can be used for wet playtime or golden time so lego or cars or whatever. Each class teacher choses something to supplement what they already have in the classroom, and also to meet the interests of the children that year.

I wouldn't be bothered by a small selection box each, but I really like the idea of a bigger class present that is used throughout the year.

It sounds fine to me. It's a token gesture.

Next year, come up with an idea for an enriching present and offer to organise it all. Expect a few parents to grumble about their child not getting a selection box though.

I'm also a pta chair and I have to say that I think that is a bizarre use of PTA funds. I'm not particularly thrilled by the idea of the PTA paying for individual Xmas gifts at all - children get plenty of Xmas chocs and other Xmas presents from family and friends at that time of year. PTA funds are for school equipment and activities.

I can kind of see it in the context of a school Xmas party or event, but even then a selection box certainly wouldn't be my first choice of gift. We had a Xmas disco and gave out glo-bracelets (cost pennies) so I'm not a complete killjoy, but they added to the event rather than just being a present. We also gave commemorative coins/medals for out our jubilee picnic.

I dunno. I just don't feel right persuading parents to give up their time and money to fundraise to buy all the children in the school some chocolate! Let parents buy their own kids a selection box if they want to.

Whether I'd do or say anything as a non-PTA committee parent? Probably not, to be honest. It's not a big enough issue. But I might ask around and if there was a general consensus I might say something as nicely and politely as I possibly could - preferably while offering to help with something PTA related at the same time. It's so horrible getting criticised about PTA stuff when you're just doing your best. If it turned out it was just me who had a problem then I'd stay quiet and lump it.

I wouldn't have been bothered by the selection box myself, but PandaG -

"in the Infant school my DC went to (and I was chair of the PTA for several years [!]) FC visits and brings a present for each class not each child - a toy that can be used for wet playtime or golden time so lego or cars or whatever. Each class teacher choses something to supplement what they already have in the classroom, and also to meet the interests of the children that year."

Now isn't that a brilliant idea? Love that FC brings it, too - must make for a real sense of occasion and excitement, not to mention long-lasting fun.

I wouldn't be bothered by my children receiving a selection box, but I think that is a terrible waste of PTA funds, and would not encourage me to support future fundraising.
I like the 'gift for the class' idea from Father Christmas.

I'm not that keen on selection boxes either, but are you still annoyed about it 3 weeks later? Really?