to be planning a letter of complaint to the PTFA for poisoning my children at the Christmas fair?

[Mincepiedermama]

Why does it have to be so packed with sugar? After the fair at the juniors my nearly three year old was sick several times in the night because someone gave him those disgusting sugar walking sticks.

At the Infants fair yesterday I gave my kids pocket money and sent them off browsing reminding them about the sugar poisoning incident so ds3 decided to go for the lucky dip. He pulled out a handbag which I thought was great. I later discovered it was FULL of lollies FGS!

I can;'t watch them all every minute of the Christmas Fair because it's one of the places they should be given freedom to roam. Also I was running a stall.

I love school fairs but the sugar thing really ruins them for me and poisons my kids. Why are people so obsessed with sugar for kids?

I have many years to go at these schools so am thinking of writing or talking to the PTFA people about capping the amount of sugar available at these events. Is that reasonable?

Now if you'll excuse me I have to put some more vomitty bedding in the washing machine.

cos she called us all disillusioned oafs!

I agree with SM - why does everything aimed at kids have to be sugar and full of additives? With all the Gov directives about healthy eating I think the school fair should be an extension of this 0 you can still have treats and yummy things to eat but not loaded with sugar, fat and crap.

it is is sadly becoming the culture of the UK - you can bet your bottom dollar a school fair in, say, France or Switzerland would be less sugar-obsessed.

overmydeadstuffedturkey, yes EMPTY/UNNECESSARY/OVERRATED as in refined white sugar, isn't that what the OP is complaining about???

come on, chill, get yourself a lolly.

she is thinking of writing to ask them to cap the amount of sugar at them - think that is reasonable, as many kids will eat and eat and eat junk till they feel/are sick. and it would be nice if they could have a little bit of freedom to go and spend their pennies at the fair without running that risk!

Yes, that's the other thing - parental responsibility.

At parties I'm keeping an eye on what they eat (dd1 =allergic child so I do this all the time anyway) and if I thought they were eating more than they could tolerate I'd wade in and stop them.

I haven't had to do this so far - they seem to know when to stop - but if they overate in my presence it would be MY fault.

right a slightly different take on this. but not to do with the sugar aspect.

dd1 is senstive to food colourings. just eating soemthing with artificial colours can send into hospital with breathing problems, swellings and rashes.

at the school fetes i check every prize they win. I remove any offending sweets, and if possible try and swap it for platic tat instead.

if eating colourings made dd1 vomit, it would be a damn sight easier than rushing to a+e with a bad reaction.

in my cupboard ihave 8 sticks of holiday rock (bright pink stuff) bags of haribo (taken from party bags, dh is working his way through them), various jelly sweets one which is a hamburger (?) some moam chews, and various other sweets which dont have any information of what is in them.

Am PMSL

While I was writing that last post about parental responsibility, dd2 was eating dog biscuits

I'm going to go and supervise them a bit better now, parental responsibility dontchaknow.

been doing it sicne she was 3years old so its easier now, she is almost 8 and does check with me when she gets given foods she doesnt know.

i have barred most foods with additives in, except for soem things that dh likes. but even dd2 who is 5 asks if she is allowed sweets before she eats them.

i think the girls wil lend up being chocoholics though as that is 'safe'

wulfric.

Yes, according to the packet she'll have lots of energy and a lovely shiny coat too...

I do agree that there is too much sugary crap at school events. I helped out at the Hallowe'en disco recently, on the "Tuck Shop" and was amazed at all the stuff available I haven't seen for years - flying saucers, would you believe? It's a shame though, but this is what sells - we did a roaring trade and made a lot of money for school funds. At the end, we had a caseload of bottled water left but were all out of Fruit Shoots. I don't think many parents at my dses school are Mumsnetters And making money is what the events are for, ultimately. At a recent cake bake I also helped at someone had made courgette muffins (though I imagine they must have had a fair amount of sugar in them to make them palatable) - the kids (and adults) said "what are those?" They didn't sell. I think the tide is turning - I hope it is - Jamie Oliver has made a difference with school dinners and healthy eating is on the political agenda...but it's going to be a gradual process. Ranting at people about poisoning and how we are being sheep for allowing our children "horrendous amounts of sugar" is not going to help the cause one jot.

I'm deeply sceptical that sugar "poisoned" your ds, though - has he had this reaction to sugar before (and, if so, why weren't you watching him more closely to make sure he didn't get his hands on any of the hard stuff?)? I'm more inclined to think it was a bug. I was quite amused by the "someone" who gave your 2 year old the candy cane turning out to be your dd - and he was sitting on your lap at the time. I had thought "yes, that's out of order - to give a 2 year old something without checking with his parent first" but that wasn't really the whole story, was it? Still, you've been up with a vomitty child all night, no wonder you're grumpy.

I don't think a few sweets will do the average child any harm - ds2 has sweets occasionally; ds1 doesn't (because he doesn't like them!).

By all means, get involved with the PTA and try and change it from the inside out. I'd advise against a letter to the PTA couched in the tems you've used in this thread, though. Accuse them of poisoning your child and call them oafs and I suspect you'll be dismissed as a loon.

Dinny, I would not be so sure. I remember a carnival type party at my German primary school and handfuls of boiled sweets were given out. Actually they were thrown at us. My sister adn I managed to collect a carrier bag full each!!!!!

I am shocked at those demonizing sugar. In moderation it is fine. And I seriously worry about those who reject sugar in favour of artificial sugar, which is a chemical and thus so much worse for you.

But each to their own.

Spidermama, please complain to the PTA, it will be the best laugh they will have had in ages!
I hope your dc is over his bug soon. Because that is what it will be. A bug. One candy cane does not a sick child make.

Toddle off now oafs. Those Fruitshoots won't drink themselves.

I don't do fruitshoots. Prefer a good ole diet pepsi meself

Fruitshoots with sugar or with artificial sweetener???

"my nearly three year old was sick several times in the night because someone gave him those disgusting sugar walking sticks"

No, he was sick because you let him eat them.

Marthamoo - at DD's disco they all looked at her like she was some poor deprived child with her cup of water and bread roll (hot dog sausages and squash were the only food and drink on offer bar sweets, and she knows she isn't allowed them!!)

agree whole heartedly with the op - they never used to be like this