AIBU to wish that other children's mums would not dish out chocolate to my DD at school?

[BlueCornflower]

My 4 year old came home from school with a creme egg yesterday as one of the mums of the class wanted to give all the children a 'pre-Easter' present. (It was February!). I know it was a kind gesture but I do feel annoyed that someone else can give my child something which I wouldn't acually have given her myself unless it was a very special treat. I could hardly tell her she couldn't have it. I'm not REALLY annoyed by it and wouldn't have minded if it was this child's birthday but I just wish other parents wouldn't do this. AIBU?

"So Xenia, are you suggesting that the history of the sugar industry is a good enough reason not to give your children chocolate? Or is that just out of general interest?"

The second Big Sugar film shows the health effects sugar has on us today. I was suggesting people avoid it not because of the history (which is also interesting however) but because of how bad it is for you in all sorts of areas. However not everyone is affected by sugar in the same way so I am not making an entirely general point. However I am sure all of us would be better if we avoided it.

To check if you are sugar sensitive try this test - from www.radiantrecovery.com

"Am I Sugar Sensitive?

See Which Apply to YOU

I really like sweet foods

I eat a lot of sweets

I am very fond of bread, cereal, popcorn or pasta

I have problem with alcohol or drugs

I am in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction

One or both of my parents are alcoholic

One or both of my parents are/were especially fond of sugar

I am overweight and don't seem to be able to easily lose the extra pounds

I continue to be depressed no matter what I do

I often find myself overreacting to stress

I have a temper or short fuse"

Isn't it true that many City business and banks had links with the sugar trade at the East India Docks?

Personally I hate cream eggs and so do my sons

But we all love chocolate and I would be fine about a parent giving them something chocolate at school now and then. Chocolate is part of easter whether you like it or not.

In what universe is a Creme Egg "chocolate"?

I love chocolate, and allergies aside I'm happy for my children to eat loads of it, but our society has this really weird thing going with feeding children sugar with a tinge of cocoa solids to mark any occasion, birthdays, religious festivals, weekends, full moon, you name it.

It's got very little to do with taking pleasure in food, and everything to do with clever marketing.

It is a very addictive substance for many people. The history is fascinating too and the health effects there have been on nations before and after they started taking refined sugar products. There are diseases unknown in some parts of Africa where sugar is not often taken compared to in the West too. I think I have no refined sugar or artificial substitutes (which just prime you for more of the real stuff like aspartame) but certainly my children do. I just wish there weren't this association with treat, reward, you fell over, you need compfort let's give you this addictive product which is bad for your health.

Also most treatment programmes for depression also recommend no white flour and no refined sugar products, high GI/GL diet.

This is the better of the two videos
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8139449806431868725

Oh, wellie, it's a truly vile concoction.

From the outside, it looks like a normal, small chocolate egg.

But when you bite into it, you're treated to a vile, gooey, white sugary substance which is supposed to be the egg white, and then an even nastier, sweeter bit of yellowy surgary substance which is supposed to be the yolk.

They're disgusting.

But kids seem to love them.

I'd prefer liberalpinko Fairtrade chocolate. But what the hell...

...oh and in answer to the OP, no I wouldn't. Not once in a blue moon, no.

Xenia, that website questionnaire looks utter tosh - I get bombarded with that sort of thing all the time. Yes, I like chocolate. No, I'm not a raging addict. I eat chocolate (see liberalpinko provisos above) sometimes. I fit into a pair of size 10 jeans.

My parents give my children easter eggs this morning!!

We didn't see where ds went but by the time we had found him he had taken the wrapper off the egg!!

He didn't eat it though.

To the OP - YANBU. I would have been very annoyed, in your position. I think I would write a polite letter to the head teacher about it, saying that you think that sweets and such like should not be handed out at school outside very specific circumstances that are listed in a school policy on healthy eating and the prevention of obesity and other diet-related health issues.

Are you serious Anna?

Yes of course I'm serious.

Where I live, in Paris, it is now forbidden for children to bring any kind of break-time snack to school. Children in Paris are NOT fat and are generally pretty healthy looking (and I am in England at present - in a very affluent part - and fairly horrified at the fat, unkempt children I see out and about, and all the sweets on sale everywhere).

It is just NOT on to eat chocolate/sweets/biscuits/fizzy drinks regularly. It is very bad for general health. It is even less OK to give that stuff to other people's children.

oh anna your children willl rebel

I doubt it, they live surrounded by children and adults who live just like them - healthily. I don't notice much rebellion. People are mostly pretty upfront about what they do to keep healthy.

Glad i dont live in France.

I am horrified when i see fat kids though. It truly is shocking the amount of overweight kids these days. However, i dont think its the schools responsibilty to decide what kids are allowed to eat.
Its seems parents dont seem to be be able to make sensible decisions these days or take any responsibilty for their actions.

Wouldnt allow my kids to get like that. jUST wont happen. It is possible to allow sweets/goodies etc and still have fit, slim, healthy children. All about balance.And of course exercise.

"However, i dont think its the schools responsibilty to decide what kids are allowed to eat."

Why on earth not (when children are on school premises)? I think it is only right and proper that schools should have a policy towards food/eating on school premises - are you really suggesting that children should be allowed to eat and drink whatever they please on school premises? I expect my children's schools to take a responsible attitude to behaviour on their premises - and behaviour includes food and eating.

Anna, when I au paired in Paris 13 years ago (13 years - thats scary!) All the parents collected their children from school with biscuits. Has this changed now? I noticed when I was last there that every time they advertised a food aimed at children a message came up saying don't eat sugar, don't snack etc.

Re: The Creme egg thing, I think its a bit inappropriate as it wasn't Easter and Creme Eggs are quite big and sweet and messy and I would be concerned about children having allergies/food intolerence issues. I can see how you would be a little cross - perhaps it was meant in kindness but the giver didn't really think about the recipients. However, I would let children eat it, but adjust their diet accordingly over the next few days.

Expat - I don't live in Scotland, so you can correct me, but Scots aren't known for their healthy relationship with chocolate are they?

I'm quite pleased that they are strict about these things at ds' school. It was someone's birthday on Friday and they he gave out party bags with toys and sweets, but the teacher removed the sweets and said that their's was a healthy classroom. This is after numerous mentions in the Newsletter asking people not to send sweets on birthdays.

Children are in school for most of their day during the week. If the school isn't going to take responsibility for their eating habits, who is?

Yes it is possible to eat sweets and be healthy, but clearly, in this age when it is easier to eat unhealthily than healthily many people have that balance very, very wrong and in some cases tragically wrong.

Well, there aren't many parents at the school gate - lots of nounous and grandparents, though . TBH, the only food that I see any child being given at the school gate is plain bread (baguette), though children do generally eat gouter at 4pm (at home or in the park) until they are 7/8 ish.

The healthy eating campaign is pretty fierce in France - the idea is that the rise in obesity needs to be nipped in the bud, before it gets to US or UK levels. Good thing too.

Well I have little eggs for dd to give out on the last day of term they are children

Reading up thread, hanaflower, good point! Not religious myself, but would also add that to list of concerns.

Just remembered. DS had chocolate cake after swimming today and I had a bacon sandwich. I am such a hypocrite.

cream eggs? Thats NOTHING! My dd came home (admittedly aged 8) with a MAHOOOSIVE boiled sweet in her mouth!!
They were given them on the school bus (they get bussed from our village to school and back as the school burned down)

I was NOT impressed, we don't "do" boiled sweets, it was chokingly huge and I didn't like it